Memorphic

Outsourcing is rarely as smooth as you would like. But, at Memorphic, we feel like we get around two of the major stumbling blocks; communication and time zone differences.

Communication and cultural differences are probably the most cited problem with outsourcing to countries such as India. While the standard of work is often high, language and cultural differences result in confusion and wasted time. At Memorphic, our South African developers speak English as a first language and live in a culture that is almost the same as that in the UK or USA. So, while the low cost of living in South Africa enables us to pass savings on to our customers, our customers still get to deal with developers who speak native English and who can interpret and understand requirements, and take initiative when required.

While a large time difference can sometimes be an advantage, where development can be performed in one timezone, and tested in another, while the developers sleep, we have found that emails are not sufficient for communication between client and development. Talking makes a big difference. South Africa is just one hour ahead of the UK, and has two hours overlap with office hours on the East Coast of the USA, so there is always a window for conversation.