Yes … if you have a co-located cross-functional team … and … there is no pressure or compulsion to shift part of the work offshore.

Yes … if you do not feel any necessity or face any difficulty in scaling the team.

In all other cases offshore-agile may not be such a bad idea.

If you must offshore … for whatever reason

Is Offshore-Agile still a bad idea?
Let us see what can other reasons be for the idea to be a bad idea:

1. If there is published evidence that offshore-agile does not work … I have not seen any
2. If gurus agree that your process can no longer be classified as agile when the team is distributed … I have not come across any such opinion
3. If traditional non-agile processes have proved superior to agile process when used in offshoring … I have not come across any such claim
4. If offshoring partners, for whatever reason, are incapable or unable to adopt agile processes … I am yet to see such an organization

Could Offshore-Agile Be a Good Idea?
Systems which has built-in feedback loop is more adaptable.

Organizations which responds faster to change is the one which has greater chance of survival.

Technology is eliminating the barrier of physical distance.

Collaboration and empowerment is the new management mantra.

If you do not object any of these statements then you have already agreed that offshore-agile is a good idea!

If you are not involved in offshore-agile, is it still worth spending time to understand it?

Offshoring is expanding … Agile is expanding. How long before they start overlapping in a big way? How long can you stay out of it?

Even if you have no connection to offshore-agile now, can you say with certainty that your next engagement will not involve one?

Points to Ponder

• Is offshoring to India different from offshoring to other countries? After all India has 58% of the market share (see Nasscom stats)

Udayan Banerjee on Google+

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