Dedicated Development Team Option for Software Development Outsourcing
What Is a Dedicated Software Development Team?
A dedicated software development team, also known as the managed team model or a software delivery team, is an outsourcing model that grants you access to a team of highly skilled talent and software development experts. In this model, you and your outsourcing partner share ownership of, and responsibility for, project direction and deliverables.
A managed team is the intermediate outsourcing solution. It falls somewhere between staff augmentation and a fully outsourced approach.
How it works: Much like the staff augmentation model, your managed team is 100% allocated to you and your project. Your managed team works independently of your in-house team, and an outsourced Project Manager manages the team’s day-to-day process and workflows. Although the managed team works independently, your outsourced Project Manager regularly reports to and meets with your in-house Project Manager / Product Owner. These teams are usually cross-functional. Roles can range from Scrum Master to Back-End Developer to QA Engineer and beyond. No matter your project’s requirements, a good outsourcing provider will be able to customize your team’s composition to achieve optimum results.
Management and responsibility: The managed team model is unique in that your outsourcing partner shares the risks and responsibility for the final deliverables.
Control: You and the managed team agree upon scope, responsibilities, outcomes (e.g., deliverables), timelines, and service-level agreements from day one. Your in-house Project Manager / Product Owner stays involved throughout the process, helping to guide the product’s direction and make decisions. This includes staying in close, regular contact with your outsourced Project Manager.
When Is a Dedicated Software Development Team Best For Your Business?
When you have an in-house Project Manager with relevant experience. Since responsibility is shared with the outsourcing partner, it’s best that you have an experienced in-house Project Manager or Product Owner with a solid background in the area covered by the engagement. For most businesses, that person will be a Product Manager. It could also be a CTO, CEO (common for startups), or other lead.
When you need technical expertise in a specific area. A managed team can come in handy for businesses that lack technical expertise in the desired area. Your outsourcing partner can provide the technical expertise and insights you seek, adding value to your existing knowledge and working with you to arrive at the best possible solution.
When you want to remain central to the decision-making and development of your product/vision. Often, clients have product visions that aren’t fully fleshed out. They want to remain centrally involved in making decisions about the product (e.g., features, functionality, prioritization), but they can’t or don’t want to manage a team on a day-to-day basis. In these situations, managed team outsourcing is perfect. You stay involved and retain decision-making control, but much of the day-to-day execution happen without your involvement.
What Are the Advantages of a Dedicated Software Development Team?
Dedicated software development teams provide many of the same benefits as staff augmentation outsourcing, including access to top talent, significant cost efficiencies (including reduced operational costs, given you’re not paying for the downtime), increased flexibility and scalability, speed to innovation, and no recruitment risk.
Increased control over development. Given your shared ownership of the deliverables, a managed team model allows you to retain more control over the development process than a more traditional project-based outsourcing model.
Guaranteed results and deliverable quality. If you’re working with a seasoned development outsourcing company like Distillery, you’ll get the added benefit of comprehensive service-level agreements and statements of work that specify in detail the scope, deliverables, and quality you are entitled to.
The reduced time commitment for you and your in-house team. Managed team outsourcing frees you of the responsibility of managing your project on a day-to-day basis. And your assigned in-house Project Manager / Product Owner maintains control over his or her time commitment, given agreed-upon communication protocols and responsibilities.
Reduced ramp-up efforts and costs. There’s no ramp-up time for your managed team. They’re likely already familiar with each other’s working styles, having worked together successfully on similar engagements.
Improved communication. Communication and coordination are core skills for any outsourced managed team. They may genuinely be better at it than your internal team members.
Reduced risk due to proven experience. In part, you’ll select the outsourcing provider to provide your managed team based on their proven experience with similar projects. Their past successes help to increase the likelihood that your project will succeed.
Hope you liked the content, get in touch to know more.
