A successful partnership starts with a solid onboarding

As a nearshore software developer, designing, testing, and maintaining software applications are our core activities. Before we truly start working on an assignment for a new client, we always go through several phases that we call onboarding in software development. Why we choose this approach and what added value it brings, you can read in the article below.

Outsourcing software development is a strategic decision that stands or falls with a strong start. At NetRom, we believe that a well-structured onboarding is essential for a sustainable and constructive collaboration. It lays the foundation for a successful partnership with our clients, one built on trust, efficiency, and quality at a technical, organizational, and content level.

During the onboarding phase, we focus our time and energy on clearly defining the client’s objectives. We thoroughly explore what the product needs to achieve, the context in which it operates, which systems are critical, and what the technical and functional priorities are. In some cases, we build on an existing solution. If that’s the case, we often perform a technical audit to identify any existing technical debt.

Intake is more than a list of requirements 

Our onboarding goes beyond simply compiling a list of requirements, it’s a long-term investment in success. Our Senior Engineers and Solution Architects, who bring deep domain expertise and extensive real-world experience, engage in in-depth conversations with all stakeholders on the client side.

The goal of these conversations is not just to understand the functional and technical scope, but above all to grasp the business logic behind the product. This domain knowledge is crucial to successful collaboration and development. Teams without this understanding remain at a distance, while those with relevant and in-depth domain insight contribute from day one delivering smart solutions, efficient architectural choices, and meaningful optimizations.

Intensive knowledge sharing through meetings

Through intensive online meetings, we collaborate to map out the existing architecture, establish the tech stack, and select the tooling. At the same time, we make clear agreements about communication, agile rituals, team roles, definition of done, coding standards, and many other important aspects. The result of this intensive knowledge sharing is the creation of a solid substantive and operational foundation that enables a long-lasting and successful collaboration.

An effective onboarding at this stage requires commitment from both parties. Although NetRom has over 25 years of practical experience across many different types of organizations and sectors, we always first research how processes run at our new client. Therefore, active involvement of key stakeholders is essential. We advise our clients to involve their own IT staff as early as possible in the process, preferably already during the vendor selection phase. By encouraging this collaboration from the start, we lay the foundation for a successful partnership even before the contract is signed.

Starting with a Proof of Collaboration (PoC)

To translate theory into practice, we typically begin with a PoC (Proof of Collaboration): a pilot phase consisting of several sprints. This phase, with a deliberately limited scope, allows both parties to experience how the collaboration works in practice. It reveals how quickly the team grasps new subject matter, how smooth and effective the communication is, and how well the delivered results align with the expectations set beforehand.

The PoC serves as a realistic test, not only of the technical and organizational aspects of the collaboration, but also of the importance of domain knowledge. By working together in this controlled setting, potential bottlenecks can be identified and addressed early on, laying a solid foundation for long-term success.

Each development team is supported by an Operational Manager, who acts as a crucial link between the client’s Product Owner and the development team. This role is responsible for overall performance, smooth collaboration, and timely escalation management. The Operational Manager ensures continuity and quality throughout the project, monitors progress, and keeps the team informed and aligned with the client’s broader context. In short: the client can always rely on a reliable and transparent partner throughout the entire development journey.

Multi-day onsite kick-off

The formal start of the project – whenever possible – takes place during a multi-day kick-off at our campus in Romania. Here, the client and development team meet in person to align expectations and lay a solid foundation for long-term collaboration. This physical gathering not only strengthens mutual engagement but also accelerates team formation and ensures that everyone is aligned in terms of goals and ways of working.

Extra expertise is readily available

During this intensive start-up phase, we not only clearly define project goals and communication lines, but also create space for informal interaction, which strengthens trust and collaboration. Throughout the project, we can quickly bring in additional expertise from our internal pool of over 500 highly educated IT professionals, including Security Specialists or Machine Learning Engineers if needed. This flexibility allows us to respond to changing needs and ensures we always have the right skills and capacity to make the project a success.

Evaluating progress through monthly governance meetings

Throughout the entire collaboration, we closely monitor progress by organizing monthly governance meetings with client management. In these sessions, we jointly evaluate project progress, team dynamics, and overall cooperation.

We also place strong emphasis on regular in-person visits (ideally once per quarter) to thoroughly discuss outcomes, progress, and processes.

This ongoing feedback loop enables us to quickly respond to signals from the team or organization, make timely adjustments where needed, and continuously optimize the collaboration. The result: we consistently deliver strong results and exceed client expectations.

Onboarding is a strategic decision

At NetRom, we don’t see onboarding as a formality, but as a strategic investment in the shared success of our clients and teams. From day one, we focus on building and expanding domain knowledge, fostering mutual understanding, and setting up a structured collaboration. This approach lays a solid foundation for long-term productivity, high-quality output, and a partnership that goes beyond simply delivering software.

Curious how we can support you?

We believe that a strong start is key to achieving ambitious goals and driving sustainable growth. Interested in how our approach could benefit your organization? Get in touch with us through the contact form below for an introduction and discover how we can support your organization with software development. Together, we can make a difference.