When some people hear the word outsourcing, all that comes to mind is a loss of control and oversight. And in the case of software development, where there are a lot of technical details, one might get even more anxious about having all this done by someone else outside the fold.
However, many small- and medium-sized businesses may not be able to have full-time employees possessing each and every skill needed for a software development project. Furthermore, some of the organizations that have these resources may not be fully conversant with the process of selecting and continuously managing some of the experts needed.
Luckily, there are approaches to outsourcing that can help you strike a decent balance between delegation of tasks to outsiders while maintaining oversight. One of the most favorable approaches is staff augmentation, and we are going to explain what makes it an excellent choice.
What is Staff Augmentation?
This is a type of outsourcing that involves an organization contracting software developers to assist in building a team or extending an existing one. Typically, a staff augmentation is called in to get acquainted with the organization’s needs for a particular project
From here, they can recommend the appropriate solution for the organization. In this kind of arrangement, there will be a liaison, usually a project manager or lead developer to keep the organization abreast when it comes to the project’s progress.
Staff augmentation gives you the ability to change the way you plan and budget for your project. This is because you’re able to take out the fixed fees or estimates and zoom in on small units such as work hours. Subsequently, you’ll know how much each hour costs and how much you need to get done in each hour to stay within your budget.
You’re less likely to be in situations where the people you’re outsourcing overpromise, bind you to a contract, and leave you having to incur extra costs when they fail to deliver on time.
Benefits of Staff Augmentation
Staff augmentation comes with a number of benefits such as:
Scalability
One of the main challenges in putting together software development teams is the fluctuation in the number of people needed at various stages of development. Exercises like testing can unearth problems that need extra hands, and as you get closer to delivery, some roles may no longer be necessary.
This means that a team can start out lean, go on to expand, and eventually shrink. Staff augmentation makes it easier to scale a team up or down since you can opt for only the people that are currently needed.
Cost-effectiveness
Just like with any other recruitment process, hiring developers can take time and cost money. Communicating with every possible candidate and moving them through the process involves a lot of administrative tasks that are tedious.
A staff augmentation firm can take on these tasks and ensure that you receive the best possible candidates for the job. This frees up your time, enabling you to focus on other strategic efforts, while also saving money in the process. You get to deal with less paper trails, digital tools and the other data generated during processes like vetting, interviewing, etc.
Adequate control
In the case of staff augmentation, by the time the project kicks off, there are clear procedures laid out and personnel who will be in charge of keeping you in the loop. This is in contrast to traditional outsourcing, where the third party is in full control.
Such an arrangement can result in untimely communication and finished products being repeatedly revised since they aren’t in line with the desires of the organization that is outsourcing. Staff augmentation enables the outsourcing organization to be regularly updated courtesy of direct contact with a lead developer or project manager. And in such cases, pivoting is made smoother when needed.
Varied viewpoints
A staff augmentation company may have worked with numerous clients across different industries including yours. In that respect, they may pick up various practices and cultures along the way, and have a better read on how trends keep evolving.
Therefore, having a staff augmented team working on your software project can bring a variety of fresh opinions regarding tools, methodologies, and other aspects of product development. This helps to shake off the rigidity and obsolete approaches that some organizations might be stuck in.
Resource Utilization
Using the staff augmentation approaches means that whatever was already in place is fully utilized. From on-site infrastructure such as servers, software and networks, to human resources, you can deploy whatever you already have, as long as it is relevant to the project.
With the advent of approaches like body leasing, the periodically hired personnel can plug into the existing socket that is your resources. Consequently, these people can contribute to the refining and updating of these resources as necessitated by the project. So in essence, you’re less likely to be running outdated software and having employees who are behind knowledge-wise.
What to look for in a staff augmentation company?
Flexibility – A solid staff augmentation model should give the client room to submit a number of criteria regarding their project requirements, ranging from number of engineers required, to travel needs. This way, you can be offered a solution that takes into account as many eventualities as possible.
Versatility – It always helps to go with a staff augmentation company that has developers spanning a wide range of skills and proficiency in the use of different technologies. This is one of the areas where companies like CRODU excel since they cover JavaScript, AWS, React, Docker, React Native, Heroku, NodeJS, HTML, Angular, CSS, RWD, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis and more.
Affordability – A good staff augmentation company should offer solutions that are easier on your pocket in the long run as compared to other hiring and outsourcing options.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive staff augmentation company to develop your software, CRODU checks all these boxes and more. They have a proven track record in a number of areas such as mobile health, insurance, data analytics and job management amongst others.
CRODU offers both in-house and on-demand options, underpinned by the budding software engineering and business centre scene in Poland. They are able to take on projects across mobile, web, cloud, blockchain, AI and machine learning technologies.
