Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with global teams, and I can confidently say that having team members in different locations is a game-changer. In today’s world, businesses do not operate in a single time zone. Customers expect services to be available 24/7, and system updates need to be managed without disrupting users. This is where a globally distributed team comes in handy.
Time Zone Advantage
One of the most significant benefits of having a globally distributed team is that work never stops.
Let’s say a UK-based company needs to roll out a major system update overnight. The UK team can prepare everything during the day, and then a team in India, the US, or any other time zone can take over the deployment when it’s night in the UK.
By the time the UK team wakes up, the change is implemented, tested, and ready to go—without any disruption to users.
Faster Problem Resolution
If something goes wrong outside of working hours, a global team ensures someone is always available to look into it.
In one of my previous roles, we had a critical issue with a UK product. Still, since we had an engineering team in India, they were able to identify and fix the problem before UK working hours even started. Without that setup, we would have had to wait until the next morning, wasting precious time and potentially affecting customers.
Diverse Skill Sets and Perspectives
A global team brings diversity—not just in culture, but in ideas and problem-solving approaches. People from different backgrounds see challenges differently, which leads to more creative solutions.
For example, while working on a product launch, our UK team had a certain way of implementing a process, but our colleagues in India and the US suggested a much more efficient approach that we hadn’t considered.
Cost Efficiency
Let’s be honest—cost is always a factor in business decisions. Hiring in different locations can be more cost-effective while still maintaining a high level of expertise. Many companies set up development or support teams in regions with lower operational costs, allowing them to allocate more budget to growth and innovation.
Business Continuity
Having teams in different regions also reduces risk. If one team faces an unexpected issue (e.g., power outages, bad weather, or even a national holiday), another team in a different location can step in to keep things running smoothly. For businesses serving customers in multiple regions, having a global team ensures that support is available when and where it’s needed. This is especially important for products with a global user base
At different points in my career, I have managed and worked with global teams, and each time, I’ve seen the incredible value they bring. Having a global team is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for modern businesses. Yes, there are challenges of having team members around the world. I highlighted some of the challenges I faced in managing a remote team in an article last year(My Challenges of Managing Remote Team), and managing a global team has some common challenges. Still, from around-the-clock productivity and faster turnaround times to diverse perspectives and improved customer support, the benefits are undeniable. If a company wants to stay competitive, provide continuous service, and optimize costs, having a global team is the way forward.