What tool will assist a development manager in streamlining development and release processes with an outsourced team?

The selection of version control tools is vital for a development manager working with an outsourced team to streamline both development and release processes. Version control systems, such as Git or Subversion, facilitate collaboration among multiple developers by tracking changes to code, enabling branching and merging, and maintaining a history of all modifications. This fosters transparency, as team members can see who made what changes and why, promoting efficient communication and coordination among distributed team members.

Moreover, version control makes it easier to manage updates and releases, allowing for the simultaneous development of different features without conflicts. This ability to manage parallel work streams means that even when the outsourced team is working from different locations or on different schedules, they can still integrate their work seamlessly into a unified product.

While task boards can help in tracking the progress of tasks, issue logs can document problems that arise, and the Critical Path Method assists in scheduling project activities, these tools do not focus as directly on managing the collaborative aspects of code development as version control systems do. In a context where collaboration and integration are key, particularly with an outsourced team, version control tools are essential for streamlining processes.