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ODC Setup Process: From Signed Contract to First Sprint in 45 Days
Our offshore development center setup process takes you from a signed contract to your first sprint in about 45 days. It follows a week-by-week plan in which both sides know exactly what they owe each other. Every week has client obligations, vendor obligations and a named artefact, and four gates confirm readiness before the next stage begins. This page sets out that plan in full, including what can delay it. For the general, provider-neutral guide to setting up an ODC in India, see our separate step-by-step guide.
Week-by-Week Setup Timeline
A committed timeline is only credible if it shows who does what each week. The table below is the standard plan for a managed offshore development center of up to about ten engineers, starting with the tech lead and senior roles. Larger centres follow the same plan in waves. The dates assume prompt decisions from your side, which is why client obligations appear in every row rather than in a footnote. This is the plan we run for every new offshore development center in india engagement.
| Week | Client obligations | Vendor obligations | Artefact produced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | Sign the statement of work, name a product owner | Kick-off call, confirm roles and hiring plan | Signed SOW and hiring plan |
| Week 1 | Approve role specifications, share architecture documents | Start sourcing and screening candidates | Role specs and candidate pipeline |
| Week 2 | Interview shortlisted candidates within 48 hours | Run technical assessments, issue offers | Shortlist with interview feedback |
| Week 3 | Create accounts, share security policies | Procure and harden laptops, background checks | Access checklist and security baseline |
| Week 4 | Run knowledge-transfer sessions | Onboard joiners, tech lead starts first | Knowledge-transfer plan and onboarding log |
| Week 5 | Prepare the sprint 1 backlog with acceptance criteria | Set up environments, merge first pull requests | Working environment and first merged PR |
| Week 6 | Join sprint planning and agree goals | Start sprint 1 | Sprint 1 plan and governance calendar |
Weeks 0 and 1: Contract and Hiring Plan
The statement of work fixes roles, seniority and start dates, and the hiring plan sequences them, leadership first. Sourcing starts the same week, so no time is lost between signature and search.
Weeks 2 and 3: Selection and Security
You interview shortlisted candidates while we run assessments and background checks. In parallel, accounts, devices and security controls are prepared, so access is ready the day each engineer joins. Both tracks run in parallel.
Weeks 4 and 5: Onboarding and Knowledge Transfer
The tech lead joins first and absorbs your architecture, then helps onboard the rest of the team. By week five, environments work and the team has merged its first pull requests.
Week 6: First Sprint
Sprint 1 starts with a groomed backlog, agreed acceptance criteria and a governance calendar. From this point, delivery runs on two-week sprints with demos, reports and a monthly steering call.
When Some Roles Join Later
Experienced engineers in India serve 30 to 90 days’ notice. Leadership roles are filled from engineers available sooner, while others join in later waves, typically completing the team by weeks eight to ten.
Gates and the Artefacts That Prove Readiness
Each stage ends with a gate, a short review where both sides confirm that the stage’s artefact is complete before moving on. Gates stop small gaps, such as missing access or an unclear backlog, from becoming delays later. They also give you a clear, documented record of setup progress. The table lists the four gates in the setup process, when each happens and what must exist to pass it. Gate outcomes are recorded in the weekly report.
| Gate | Timing | What must be complete |
|---|---|---|
| Gate 1: Plan agreed | End of week 0 | Signed SOW, named product owner, hiring plan with dates |
| Gate 2: Team confirmed | End of week 3 | Leadership roles accepted, start dates confirmed, background checks under way |
| Gate 3: Access and security | End of week 4 | Accounts created, devices hardened, security policies acknowledged |
| Gate 4: Sprint readiness | End of week 5 | Working environments, first merged PR, groomed sprint 1 backlog |
Gate 1: Plan Agreed
Gate 1 confirms the contract, the product owner and a dated hiring plan. Without a named product owner, setup does not proceed, because every later gate depends on timely client decisions.
Gate 2: Team Confirmed
Gate 2 confirms that leadership roles have accepted offers with firm start dates. If a candidate withdraws, the backup candidate from the same shortlist is activated immediately. Start dates are confirmed in writing with each joiner.
Gate 3: Access and Security
Gate 3 confirms that every joiner has accounts, a hardened device and signed NDA and IP documents. Nobody receives access to your systems until this gate is passed. Access is logged from the first login.
Gate 4: Sprint Readiness
Gate 4 confirms that environments build, the first pull request has merged and the sprint 1 backlog is ready. Passing it means the team can deliver real work from day one of the sprint.
Client Obligations During Setup
A 45-day setup is a shared commitment. The vendor carries most of the work, but a small number of client actions sit on the critical path, and delays there move the whole timeline. Knowing these obligations upfront lets you plan your own team’s time. The sections below cover what we need from you during setup, and roughly how much time each obligation takes from your side over the six weeks.
A Named Product Owner
The product owner approves roles, interviews candidates, prepares the backlog and joins sprint planning. Expect six to ten hours a week during setup, falling once delivery is running. A deputy covers holidays or absence.
Fast Interview Turnaround
Strong candidates in India often hold several offers. Interviewing shortlisted candidates within 48 hours, and deciding within a day after that, protects the hiring plan. Slow decisions are the most common cause of losing a preferred candidate.
Accounts and Access Approvals
Your IT team creates accounts in your identity provider, repositories and tools. Starting this in week three avoids engineers waiting for access after they join. A shared checklist tracks every account, so nothing is missed on joining day.
Documentation and Knowledge Transfer
Architecture documents, a working README and two or three structured walkthroughs give the team context quickly. Recorded sessions let later joiners catch up without repeating your time. Questions are logged and answered in writing.
Vendor Obligations During Setup
Our side of the setup carries most of the effort: hiring, security, onboarding and the operational groundwork that lets your team start delivering without distraction. These obligations are written into the statement of work, so progress can be checked against them each week. The sections below summarise what we commit to during setup, and how we protect the timeline when something outside our control changes. Each obligation has a named owner on our side.
Hiring to Plan
We source, screen and assess candidates against agreed role specifications, maintain backup candidates for every role and report pipeline status twice a week until every position is filled. Slippage is flagged immediately, never hidden.
Security Baseline Before Access
Every joiner receives a managed, encrypted laptop, completes background verification and signs NDA and IP documents before any access is granted. Our delivery runs under ISO 27001 controls. Evidence is available for your audit.
Reporting From Week Zero
Setup progress is reported weekly from the kick-off call, covering hiring status, gate readiness, risks and decisions needed from you, so surprises are rare. Each report lists the decisions we need from you, with dates.
Replacement During Setup
If a candidate withdraws or a new joiner is not the right fit, a replacement comes from the backup pipeline at no extra cost, as set out in our delivery guarantees.
What Can Delay the Timeline, and How to Avoid It
Most setup delays come from a handful of predictable causes, and almost all can be prevented with early planning. Being clear about them upfront is more useful than promising a timeline that ignores them. The sections below cover the most common causes of slippage and how to avoid each one. If several apply to your situation, a short discovery phase before signing usually protects the 45-day target. We flag each risk at kick-off.
Slow Interview Decisions
Delayed interviews lose candidates to other offers. Block interview slots in your calendar during weeks two and three, and agree who can make the final hiring decision. Delegate decisions where possible.
Access Approvals
Security reviews and account approvals in large organisations can take weeks. Start them as soon as the contract is signed, rather than waiting for engineers to join. Track them on a shared checklist.
Unclear Scope
If the first sprint’s work is not yet defined, a discovery sprint can run before or alongside setup, producing a ready backlog and architecture outline. That keeps the 45-day target intact even when requirements are still forming.
Senior Notice Periods
Senior engineers may serve up to 90 days’ notice. Leadership roles are filled from available candidates first, so the team can start while later hires serve their notice. Later waves join without disruption.
Planning Your Centre
Our pricing packages show team costs, our project cost calculator models yours, and our dedicated developers page covers smaller teams. Our ODC vs outsourcing comparison confirms the model. Each one supports planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
With a managed provider, an offshore development center can start its first sprint in about 45 days from a signed contract. The tech lead and senior engineers join first, while roles filled by candidates serving longer notice periods typically join in later waves, completing the team by weeks eight to ten.
Offshore Development Center India
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