How to Choose a Vietnam Offshore Development Company: Support Scope, Quality Management, and Development Structure
“There are many project managers who want to outsource development to a Vietnamese company but do not know which company to choose,” or who worry that “choosing a company based solely on cost may lead to problems with quality or communication.”
To achieve successful offshore development in Vietnam, it is necessary to examine not only engineers’ rates, but also the scope of work that can be outsourced, how requirements are communicated, quality management, and the operational structure after the contract is signed. This article explains the points that Japanese companies should check when comparing development partners, as well as the considerations required for development projects involving real-time communication.
Table of Contents
What Is Offshore Development in Vietnam?
Scope of Work That Can Be Outsourced
Requirements to Clarify Before Placing an Order
Items to Check When Evaluating Quality Management
Development Structure and Communication
How to Review Contract Types and Costs
Technical Capabilities Required for Real-Time Communication Projects
Scope of Support Provided by Vina Saver
1. What Is Offshore Development in Vietnam?
Offshore development in Vietnam is a method in which Japanese companies outsource system and application development work to development centers in Vietnam. It covers not only new development but also the addition of features to existing systems, testing, maintenance, and operations.
Although attention tends to focus on human resources and development costs, actual results are greatly affected by the division of responsibilities between the client and the development company, the clarity of specifications, quality standards, and communication methods. Therefore, rather than assuming that “Vietnam means low cost,” it is important to determine whether a development structure suited to your project can be established.
2. Scope of Work That Can Be Outsourced
The scope of support differs among offshore development companies. In general, the following types of work can be outsourced:
Development of web systems and business systems
Development of iOS and Android applications
Addition or modification of features in existing systems
UI design and frontend and backend development
Testing, incident response, maintenance, and operations
Construction of infrastructure and server environments
However, even if a company states that it “provides system development services,” its role may differ depending on whether it can take responsibility from the requirements-definition stage or only implement a system after receiving detailed specifications. During initial discussions, confirm which stages the company can handle among planning, requirements definition, design, implementation, testing, release, and operations.
| Process | Points to Confirm |
|---|---|
| Planning and requirements clarification | Whether the company can help clarify issues and propose features |
| Requirements definition | Whether the company can organize requirements and prepare specifications in Japanese |
| Design | Whether the company can design the UI, system architecture, database, and infrastructure |
| Development | Whether the supported technologies, development rules, and code review structure are clearly defined |
| Testing | Whether the test plan, test cases, and defect management methods are clearly defined |
| Release | Whether the company can support environment setup, data migration, and app store submissions |
| Maintenance and operations | Whether incident reception, monitoring, modifications, and support hours are clearly defined |
3. Requirements to Clarify Before Placing an Order
Before searching for an outsourcing partner, clarifying at least the following items will make it easier to compare companies.
3-1. Purpose and Users
Clarify who will use the system, under what circumstances, and which business operations it is intended to improve. Even if the required features have not yet been determined, explaining the current issues, intended users, and expected outcomes will make it easier for the development company to provide a specific proposal.
3-2. Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
In addition to screens and features, non-functional requirements such as the number of simultaneous connections, response speed, security, recovery methods in the event of a failure, supported devices, and operating hours must also be clarified. For systems that handle video and audio, factors such as acceptable latency, image quality, network conditions, and whether recording is required will affect the system architecture.
4. Items to Check When Evaluating Quality Management
The phrase “Japanese quality” alone is not sufficient to evaluate an actual quality management structure. Before placing an order, it is important to check the processes and deliverables in detail.
Examples of Questions for Evaluating Quality Management
During meetings with a development company, the following questions can be used to confirm its quality management methods in detail:
How are specification changes recorded and approved?
Who conducts code reviews, and at what stage are they conducted?
Can the client also review the test cases?
How are defect severity levels classified?
How frequently are progress, issues, and risks reported?
What are the conditions for addressing defects discovered after acceptance?
Where are the source code and specifications managed?
What matters most is not whether a company promises that no problems will occur, but whether it can explain how problems are detected, shared, and corrected. If possible, review sample progress reports, test specifications, and issue management sheets before the project begins.
5. Development Structure and Communication
In offshore development in Vietnam, it is important to determine how the Japanese point of contact and the Vietnamese development team will be connected.
5-1. Scope of Japanese-Language Support
Even when a company states that “Japanese-language support is available,” the scope of work that can be handled in Japanese varies from company to company. A company where only the sales representative speaks Japanese differs from one where the project manager or technical staff can explain technical matters in Japanese, and this difference affects how smoothly the project can proceed.
Confirm the extent to which meetings, meeting minutes, specifications, day-to-day chat communication, progress reports, and explanations during incidents can be handled in Japanese. When an interpreter is involved, it is also important to determine whether there is a person who can accurately communicate the intent of the specifications and the technical details.
5-2. Responsible Personnel and Decision-Making Process
Clearly define the roles of the project manager, technical lead, and quality assurance personnel. If it is unclear who makes decisions and who reports to the Japanese side when specification changes or incidents occur, responses may be delayed.
5-3. Start Small and Evaluate
When outsourcing for the first time, one option is to begin with a limited scope, such as research, a prototype, or the development of a specific feature. Through actual work, you can evaluate not only technical capabilities but also the accuracy of estimates, the clarity of reports, and the company’s approach to addressing issues.
6. How to Review Contract Types and Costs
Development costs are not determined solely by engineers’ rates. It is necessary to compare total costs, including requirements definition, project management, Japanese-language support, testing, infrastructure, release, maintenance, and operations.
Characteristics of Each Contract Type
| Contract Type | Suitable Projects | Main Points to Confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-price Contract | Projects with clearly defined specifications, deliverables, and deadlines | Acceptance criteria, specification changes, and conditions for additional costs |
| Quasi-mandate Contract | Projects in which specifications are adjusted during development | Scope of work, responsibilities of assigned personnel, and methods for reviewing progress and results |
| Lab-type Contract | Medium- to long-term projects involving continuous development | Contract period, team structure, and conditions for changing team members |
For fixed-price contracts, clearly define the deliverables, deadlines, acceptance conditions, and handling of specification changes. For quasi-mandate and lab-type contracts, clarify the responsibilities of assigned personnel, scope of work, team changes, and methods for reviewing results.
When comparing quotations, confirm not only engineers’ rates but also whether requirements definition, project management, Japanese-language support, testing, infrastructure construction, release, and maintenance are included. It is also important to confirm in advance which tasks are excluded and under what conditions specification changes will result in additional costs.
7. Technical Capabilities Required for Real-Time Communication Projects
Video calling, interactive live streaming, remote monitoring, and remote lessons require not only conventional web development but also design expertise related to video, audio, and networks.
WebRTC is a technology that enables real-time transmission and reception of video, audio, and data between browsers or devices. However, depending on the number of users and network conditions, the system may require an architecture that includes STUN/TURN, media servers, SFU, recording, and monitoring.
When selecting an outsourcing partner, do not only confirm whether the company “can support WebRTC.” Also confirm whether it can explain the following items:
| Item to Confirm | Details to Confirm |
|---|---|
| Usage model | Whether the system involves one-to-one communication, multiple participants, one-way streaming, or two-way communication |
| Simultaneous connections | The expected number of users and how increases in user numbers will be handled |
| Latency | Acceptable latency and measurement conditions |
| Network environment | Video and audio quality when the network connection is unstable |
| System architecture | Architecture involving P2P, SFU, STUN/TURN, and related technologies |
| Recording | Whether recording is required, the retention period, and access permissions |
| Security | Authentication, encryption, and communication control |
| Operational monitoring | Methods for monitoring logs, detecting incidents, and monitoring communication quality |
8. Scope of Support Provided by Vina Saver
When selecting an offshore development company in Vietnam, it is important to examine not only engineers’ rates but also the development stages the company can handle, its areas of expertise, quality management, Japanese-language coordination structure, contract terms, and the conditions under which additional costs may arise.
When using offshore development for the first time, one option is to begin with a limited scope, such as research, a proof of concept (PoC), or the development of a specific feature. Through actual work, you can evaluate the company’s technical capabilities, estimate accuracy, communication methods, and ability to address issues.
Vina Saver is the Vietnamese subsidiary of Saver Corporation. Based in Da Nang, it supports the development and maintenance of web systems, applications, and real-time communication systems. We welcome consultations not only for projects with finalized specifications but also at stages where the requirements have not yet been clearly defined. We review your current challenges and what you want to achieve, and then clarify the necessary features, system architecture, and development scope.
In collaboration with Saver Corporation, we provide support for the following processes according to the requirements of each project:
Clarification of requirements and issues
System and UI design
Frontend and backend development
Construction of infrastructure and server environments
Testing and defect management
Release, maintenance, and operations
Development of WebRTC-based video and audio communication systems
By combining Saver Corporation’s expertise in video streaming and WebRTC with its development resources in Vietnam, we also support systems that require real-time capabilities, including video calling, interactive live streaming, remote monitoring, and online communication.
After confirming the project objectives, expected number of users, network environment, required features, and budget, we propose an appropriate development scope and project structure. If you are considering offshore development in Vietnam or a system utilizing WebRTC, please contact us through our inquiry form.