Companies all over the world are realising that in-house software teams may not always be the optimal way to do business. Today’s entrepreneurs use the outsourcing strategy to keep their business processes running. However, what if you require technical assistance to resolve a variety of issues? “Hire a dedicated development team” is the answer to this question.
Businesses can acquire dedicated specialists without performing multiple interviews by enlisting the help of software development companies. But choosing to hire dedicated teams isn’t only about having a quick and easy onboarding process.
In this post, we will go over the several benefits of hiring a professional software development team to meet your specific project requirements.
What is a Dedicated Software Development Team
A dedicated software development team is an outsourced development team that works with a client long-term. This team of professionals is gathered for your unique business needs, shares many parallels with your in-house teams, and, in essence, becomes a part of your organisation during the implementation of your project.
Composition
A dedicated software development team is formed depending on the client’s requirements, which include the qualifications, number of programmers and other experts, and expertise.
A development team’s composition is always reliant on the project’s requirements. It enables clients to optimise the recruitment process and get the best specialist matches possible.
A dedicated software development team will typically consist of the following positions:
- The PM (Project Manager) serves as the connection between the team and the client. They oversee the team’s entire path, from workload and deadlines estimation to job delegation to specific project members.
- The Business Analyst does project-related business and technology research. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that the product meets the company’s goals and technical specifications.
- UI/UX designers are in charge of the product’s interface and appearance. Their primary purpose is to discover potential user problems and strive to mitigate them through design solutions. These specialists are tasked with developing an appealing style, a user-friendly interface, and a cost-effective bespoke design.
- Frontend developers create the visible elements of the product. The app’s layout, client code, and performance optimisation are all their responsibilities.
- Back-end programmers work on the product’s server side. They also participate in deciding the project’s specifications from the initial planning stage to the release.
- QA specialists must inspect the application for flaws and problems at every stage of the software development process. They are in charge of delivering the projects to market without any technical issues.
- The DevOps specialist collaborates with software development teams and QA professionals to coordinate product development and operation, as well as to create an appropriate environment for testing project requirements.
When to Hire a Dedicated Software Development Team
Of course, diverse company needs and solutions will always exist. However, there are some obvious indicators that a dedicated team is the best option for your firm.
When You Have Vague Requirements
When your idea lacks a clear product-market fit and requires a discovery stage, a specialised team is the way to go. Because the discovery stage serves as the foundation for the project’s entire development mechanism, it may take from days to months of tests and interviews to eventually settle down on a workable product concept.
The dedicated team approach gives you the time and resources you need to focus on the discovery stage without worrying about overspending.
When You Just Need a PoC or a Prototype
If you’re building your first PoC and need competent professionals, the dedicated team model could come in handy. You will not have to spend additional money on recruitment activities, renting an office, or purchasing additional equipment, as you would with your in-house software development department.
The basic reason is that local talent is often more expensive, and you may squander valuable time looking for the professionals you require locally. If you go with the dedicated team option, you will only pay for what you require, which is ideal for a startup environment.
For Faster Time-to-Market
When it comes to time to market, you can change your plan according to its importance. To reach this goal, you can hire software developers that best meet your needs from the outset. Dedicated development teams are ideal for businesses that want to launch their products as quickly as possible.
If You Need to Quickly Scale Up or Down
When your firm sees significant expansion or an increase in project demands, you can engage a specialised development team to quickly and effectively scale up your development activities. These teams are usually adaptable and can be readily expanded to meet your requirements. The same thing can be done if you are about to scale down your business for any reason.
When Your Project Requires Specialised Skills
In some circumstances, highly specialised expertise may be required to work on a specific project or technology. A dedicated development team can be put together with personnel who have the necessary skills and experience for that. This way, you can be certain that your project is being handled by qualified people who understand the complexities of the technology stack involved.
If You Struggle With Talent Acquisition
If you don’t have access to a wide enough pool of talents for your in-house team, a dedicated team model is unquestionably the best option. It opens your business to a global pool of professionals, allowing you to select the best specialists at the most affordable price.
To Reduce Costs Without Compromising Quality
When entrepreneurs engage a dedicated development team, they usually do so to cut costs. This is due to the fact that different countries have different tax rates and costs of living, meaning you can get a similar level of service for a lower price.
Though, it is critical to understand which nations are the best for outsourcing development. For example, Estonia offers high quality services for a low price due to the country’s favourable IT policies. On the other hand, Indian developers cost even less, but often have a lower level of quality control.
For Long-Term Projects or Maintenance
If the organisation needs to update its present stack, it is best to allocate a talented crew to handle the task. This will allow businesses to adjust their requirements while preserving product quality throughout the development process.
How to Hire a Dedicated Software Development Team
Now let’s talk about the most vital things: what is the cost of a dedicated development team and what are the steps to hiring it?
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Dedicated Software Development Team
According to Deloitte’s 2020 Global Outsourcing Survey, 70% of respondents named cutting costs as a top reason for outsourcing. Hiring a dedicated development team can indeed help you save money, and here’s how.
A dedicated team’s pricing strategy is straightforward. Each person is paid on an hourly basis, and you only pay for the hours performed. Renting an office for the team, acquiring equipment, paying taxes, paying electricity bills, and so on are none of your concern.
In addition, hiring a dedicated development team is significantly less expensive and faster than searching for each professional individually with your HR department.
How to Hire a Dedicated Software Development Team: Steps
Here are some steps to follow when you’re about to hire dedicated software development teams.
Solidify Your Vision
General Concept
Before you even start looking for developers, you need to outline your idea thoroughly. Every project manager realises how important this is for any part of custom software development since it provides a unified vision and plan for everyone on the team to follow.
Carefully consider your business needs. What is your app trying to do, and why is it important? This is where you link the app’s aims to the goals of your firm, such as boosting revenue or brand exposure.
User Requirements
Carefully consider user requirements at this stage. This is who the app is made for – its users. Determine what user problem the app is supposed to solve, as well as how the audience will engage with the app. Only then you can solidify the requirements for your software. At that point, you should be able to write up a list of the specific features and capabilities the app has to have.
Non-functional requirements that define how the system will run (performance, accessibility, etc.) must also be specified. For example, if your app has to load in less than one second or run in real time even with many concurrent users, you put that into non-functional requirements.
Once you understand the project’s needs, you may establish its scope. These are the deliverables of the project that must be accomplished within a certain amount of time. The scope can also include information about the resources needed, such as the exact composition of the development team.
Defining a clear vision for your software is also essential for determining its entire cost. The truth is that a variety of factors determine the amount of all the resources necessary to develop an app. Setting an approximate budget early on also helps you decide on the best team composition for the project.
Market Research
The following stage is to search the vendor market for a prospective fit.
There are several options available here. Here are some factors to consider while narrowing down possible applicants (this is where a well-defined product vision comes in handy).
First and foremost, think about the location of your developers. There are three choices here:
- Onshore. Onshore refers to outsourcing software development to developers who are in the same country or region.
- Offshore. Offshore means that the company you collaborate with is located in another country and has a different time zone.
- Nearshore. Nearshore means that your outsourcing partner is located in a neighbouring country.
After deciding on the developer’s location and seemingly finding a good fit, you should look at each candidate’s previous work and portfolio to further evaluate their service quality. If they worked on an app comparable to yours, for example, it’s a solid indication that they have the relevant experience and skills.
Case studies are very useful for that. They provide insights into a company’s successful initiatives as well as the processes and work philosophies used to achieve them. This enables you to assess whether the agency is a good fit for your team.
Take particular note of a company’s security measures. Security is always vital in app development, regardless of the industry. Keep a look out for reliable app agencies that showcase their security certifications and processes.
Select Your Team
The hard job of establishing a committed team comes after you’ve chosen your partner and signed a contract. Keep in mind that you haven’t yet assembled a team. The vendor agency will simply help you create one.
They will do so by supporting you through the hiring process or by finding developers from their own talent pool. It should be mentioned that the specific structure of a development team changes depending on the project.
Your in-house UX designer, for example, may already have a prototype of the app. Then your team may simply require developers and QA engineers. The types of developers you need will also vary. If you want to create a cross-platform application, for instance, you’ll need both iOS and Android developers.
In addition, some projects may necessitate the inclusion of additional specialists in their teams. Such professionals include animators, UX copywriters, and cybersecurity experts. Some industries, such as Fintech, would also require industry consultants to assist with compliance.
Participating in the recruitment procedure for any roles you require is a good idea. Check the candidates’ resumes for qualifications and experience. You should also conduct an interview with them to confirm their experience.
Hiring for jobs is likely the most crucial stage in assembling your dedicated development team. As a result, being as involved as possible is vital. Don’t rely solely on your partner vendor. After all, you are the expert on your project or business.
Define Work Procedures
Now that your team structure is ready, it’s important to plan out how they will collaborate in the future. In app development, the methodology used is the most crucial factor. The development method refers to the team’s strategy for the project. The objective is to develop an app as soon and efficiently as feasible.
By now, you should have determined which methodology your seller favours or recommends. As a result, they should have little difficulty adapting to yours. However, Agile development is the most prevalent and effective methodology for most software projects.
Every Agile project is split into individual sprints. These sprints undergo mini-rounds of checking, testing, and planning. At the end of each sprint, the app is sent to the client for testing. Any updates or fixes will be made in the next sprint. This strategy works well since it keeps things moving while also monitoring bugs, characteristics, and fixes throughout the entire development cycle.
That said, while Agile is the most popular approach, other models like Waterfall and prototyping also have their place in the industry. The crucial thing is to convey your preference before the development starts to check if the team supports your preferred methodology.
Set Up the Infrastructure
At this stage, the specialised team should have everything they need to finish your app project. Keep in mind, however, that you should communicate with them directly during the whole process. This is particularly important with remote developers.
It may be good to assign someone from your firm as the coordinator or spokesperson for the dedicated team. Having one point of contact can boost communication efficiency significantly.
It’s important to choose how you’d prefer to be kept informed about the project’s development. Before anything else, how often do you want to receive updates? This is often dictated by the development approach you choose
The most important thing is that everyone agrees on which communication tools to use. Some platforms, like Jira, may have a steep learning curve for new engineers, so keep this in mind while building your team. The best vendors and development teams, on the other hand, will most likely be familiar with whichever technologies you choose.
Clarify your communication preferences from the get-go. Everyone will benefit from that, since it is easier for the remote workforce to switch to your systems rather than the other way around. Teamwork in this scenario is all about cooperation and flexibility.
Define Quality Assurance Protocol
The final thing to do before unleashing your specialised crew is quality assurance. Who will be in charge, and what testing procedures will be used? It is vital to explicitly identify the primary app testing methodologies to guarantee that your devoted team produces high-quality, bug-free results.
At the very least, it should comprise both functional and non-functional tests. This enables you to detect as many errors as possible.
Performance tests are also required to guarantee that your software operates properly in various environments. Load testing, for example, can discover your app’s failure point and allow you to evaluate its dependability. You may also test your app on several devices to determine if there are any difficulties with compatibility.
Usability testing, on the other hand, is the primary method that every dedicated team should adopt. It can detect UX flaws that are detrimental to the retention and engagement of your app.
The easiest method to ensure that your dedicated team executes adequate testing is to assign a quality assurance (QA) position to a specific member. This person can assist in ensuring the quality of your app at all stages of development.
Dedicated Development Team Vs Fixed Price Model
A dedicated team approach is sometimes mistaken with the set price format. However, these two kinds cater to vastly different commercial requirements.
The fixed-price partnership model is a framework in which a client pays an agreed-upon sum regardless of the number of hours spent or the job completed. This mode is best suited for short-term projects with strict requirements and scope of work.
From the standpoint of a cofounder, the biggest disadvantage of the fixed price model is the danger of overpayment. It is not always possible to predict the time and scope of engagement. In any case, even if the job was not completed, you will be required to pay the agreed-upon fee.
The fixed price model will usually apply to:
- Projects with clearly defined timeframes and specifications;
- Short-term projects;
- Projects with no changes planned;
- MVP development.
Unlike fixed contracts, the dedicated team approach allows you to have as much independence and development room as you need without overpaying. That’s because dedicated teams operate on the Time & Material payment model, which only has you pay for the number of hours worked.
Things to Consider When Hiring a Dedicated Development Team
A dedicated software development team may not be a good fit for every business and project. Here are some possible issues to consider when working with dedicated developers.
Communication Issues
Remote teams do not have the option of communicating in person. This, in turn, causes a slew of issues.
A workforce that relies solely on chats and emails is vulnerable to misinterpretation since effective communication also relies on nonverbal clues, many of which cannot be translated into words effectively.
Company Culture Matching Problems
While outsourcing allows your firm to attract high-quality employees, cultural problems may arise.
Culture influences critical aspects of product development such as decision-making, reporting, and completed task description.
Aside from that, fundamental cultural variations frequently result in differing perspectives on the target audience or the most effective visual components of your product.
So make sure that you collaborate with a software development firm that has dedicated team members who are culturally aligned with both your corporate culture and the culture of your target market.
Short-Term Projects
Hiring and integrating a dedicated development team would be a massive waste of effort for projects with a short time frame (a week, for example). It is preferable to choose a different model for your project development if that’s the scope you’re expecting.
Onboarding Issues
Essentially, a choice to hire a development team adds a whole new department to your business. Spending time describing the company’s culture and aims would be a wise option. Investigate project concepts in greater depth to avoid future misconceptions, too.
Budget Ambiguity
When your project budget is strictly limited, the dedicated team approach may not be the ideal option. You don’t always require a full-time designer or project manager. In this scenario, a fixed-price model is more than adequate to produce the desired result.
Final Thoughts
The option to hire dedicated teams gives you the added benefit of gaining access to highly competent services at a lower cost. This model is appropriate for initiatives that are long-term or one-time. Buy businesses must clearly understand the complexities of employing and dealing with outsourced teams in order to make the most of it.
If handled well, a specialised development team helps you concentrate on your core competencies while also supporting you in technological advancement with full attention to your project.
Bamboo Agile ensures first-rate quality from the beginning. Our professionals bring your ideas to life while giving you an exceptional experience, from estimating your business goals to resolving challenges that need to be addressed before building solutions. Contact us to get in touch with our professionals and discuss your ideas.
