It’s your software that they are writing, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to engage in working sessions the same as you would if your team was in-house, to find out how they plan to do something. If the technologies your offshore partner plans to use will affect the rest of your solution, be sure to engage in a conversation so they can explain their technical solution to you, and you can ask questions.
Throwing a project over the wall and waiting until something comes back, increases the chances that you won’t be happy with the results. You may hear outsourcing experts state that you have to manage the process. You do not necessarily have to manage the process in that you have to set the timeline, or check with their status everyday, if your partner is managing the work as a project. However, you will want to have periodic checkpoints where you see what has been accomplished thus far and where you can ask why something is being done in a certain way, etc.