Software Development

Deciding Between Dedicated and Extended Teams: Which Suits Your Project?

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Outsourcing decisions in project development require businesses to decide between dedicated teams and extended teams. Learn more about these models and find out what’s best for your business.

In modern project management, the turnaround time plays a critical role. This has prompted businesses to partner with development agencies. That’s because in-house team development takes time and money. But the choice is whether to hire dedicated developers or an extended team.

We will today explore the differences between dedicated and extended teams in outsourced projects. After carefully reviewing the benefits and drawbacks of both models you can decide which is best for your project. Thus, you will be better prepared to make strategic business decisions.

Dedicated Teams: An Overview


Dedicated Teams An Overview

Dedicated teams consist of developers who can provide end-to-end project management and development. Mostly the development agencies provide such teams to businesses for their developmental requirements. A dedicated team can take up the project, deliver a finished product, and run maintenance. So, they are perfect for long-term associations.

Composition of Dedicated Teams


A dedicated development team comprises members with a diverse skill set. Generally, a dedicated development team will have the following different members:

  • Project Manager: The project manager needs to oversee the entire project development. When you hire dedicated developers, you will require someone to supervise the execution. The project manager is the team leader of the dedicated team.
  • UI/UX Designers: The user interface is an important performance factor for any software or application. It is essential to have an easy-to-navigate interface. A good UI/UX designer ensures that the interface is best for target audience usage. The work of the designer begins from the time the concept of the project begins. They create the initial model and the framework. Then their work is to build the design elements of the software or the application.
  • Software/Application Developers: Depending upon the project, your team will have either or both software and application developers. They will execute the project. You will also either have different front-end and back-end developers, or full-stack developers.
  • QA Engineer: Your product development requires testing and debugging. That’s the job of the QA engineer. The person will ensure that the final product is working without any issues. The QA engineer will work alongside the development team, testing and finding bugs. This allows the developers to debug and ensure that the product is working seamlessly.
  • Business Analyst: The Business Analyst works as the bridge between every stakeholder. This person will ensure that the goals are aligned through the development process. Depending upon the business requirements, the business analyst helps the team make technical decisions. Additional requirements can arise during the development process. The business analyst conveys the requirements to the team accordingly.

Depending on the scale of the project, the size of the dedicated team will vary. Let’s consider a small project. For that, you will most likely need a small team of about 6 to 7 members.
However, larger projects might need to be broken into modules. And, there will be different teams within the dedicated team assigned to each module.

Shiv Technolabs provides dedicated teams of developers based on particular project requirements. Connect with us and discuss your requirements today.

Benefits of a Dedicated Team


Benefits of a Dedicated Team

Having a dedicated team for development has its own set of benefits. Let’s find out the main reasons why many businesses prefer hiring a dedicated team of developers.

  • Lower investment than regular salaried employees: The investment behind hiring an agency with a dedicated development team is considerably lower than hiring full-time employees. There are also compliances associated with a full-time position. Businesses looking to hire affordable developers are opting for agencies providing dedicated teams.
  • Easily scalable model: Having a dedicated team also allows ease of scalability. If the scope of the project increases at any point, it is easier to hire additional resources within the team. This makes it easier to scale. With agencies providing dedicated teams, additional resources are often available to the agency, making the process faster and smoother.
  • Long-term association with maintenance: One of the major reasons for having a dedicated team is long-term association. Maintenance is critical in large organizations. A and dedicated team provides maintenance service as well. So, it is a more reliable solution for businesses. It also allows businesses to have a strategic expansion or development plan.
  • Project-focused team expertise: With a dedicated team, the members are selected based on the expertise needed for the project. The expertise of the team ensures better project execution.

When Should You Hire A Dedicated Team?


How do you know that hiring a dedicated team is the best option? To decide that, first, analyze the scope of your project. Also, note down the requirements. This will include the expertise needed and the reporting structure as well. A dedicated team works on a particular project exclusively. The team members will be working full-time. The final reporting authority will be the person from your organization overseeing the project. This allows better control while ensuring lower costs. This is the best approach for long-term and large projects. It helps in achieving specific goals easily.

Also Read: Choose a Dedicated Team Model to Build the Next-Gen Product

Extended Teams: An Overview


Extended teams are augmentations for the in-house team. They are hired to enhance the in-house team’s capabilities. This is mostly done for a short period or temporarily. Extended teams work as the fillers in the capabilities of the existing team. Companies generally searching to hire developers on-demand go with extended teams. It allows ad-hoc development requirement fulfillment.

Benefits of Extended Teams


The extended teams offer multiple benefits as well. Let’s find out what are the reasons behind businesses opting for extended teams.

  • Lowest cost for team enhancement: The extended teams consist of only those specific people who are missing from the existing in-house team. This means there is minimal investment involved. Thus, this is a preferred choice among smaller businesses.
  • No need for a lengthy hiring process: The hiring process is cut short with agencies providing the necessary team members. There is no issue with the lengthy hiring process and also no issue with retention.
  • Faster time to complete projects: The project completion time is reduced with extended teams as hiring is faster. It is also easier to get a team member with specific expertise from a development agency.
  • Easily take care of ad-hoc requirements: Extended teams are best to take care of ad-hoc project requirements. It enables agile project management. Hiring people with specific expertise as needed ensures that resource optimization is done perfectly.

You can hire developers on demand from Shiv Technolabs. Find the perfect member for your project. Ensure that your deadline is met without surpassing the budget.

When Do You Need Extended Teams?


While there are financial benefits and agility involved with extended teams, it is not the best option at all times. Let’s take a look at the situations where extended teams will give maximized benefits.

  • The in-house team has a skill gap: There are times when the in-house team cannot take care of every part of the project. However, it might not be a good idea to have a dedicated and full-time team member as well. This can be because the requirement is for a short time. In such scenarios, it is best to have an extended team to fill in the gap and ensure smooth project completion.
  • Budget constraint is a major issue: If you are facing major budget constraints but need to complete the project, an extended team will be perfect. The requirement is met for the time being while ensuring project completion. Also, extended teams will not cost you as much as a permanent employee or a dedicated team. Thus, it’s a win-win scenario.
  • The project deadline is approaching fast: Every business faces scenarios of tight deadlines. At this time, an extended team is the best way to move forward. If you go on to hire a new person with the missing skill sets, you will end up losing time in hiring. Also, the dedicated team might not be able to provide the same expertise at short notice. External teams can take care of this requirement on a short-term basis.
  • You are facing an in-house resource shortage: If you are facing a scenario where your in-house resources are falling short, having an extended team can benefit. The extended team will provide necessary assistance to the in-house team. The best part about having an extended team is that the control over the existing team remains. In addition, external members are integrated to improve performance. It allows adding people with niche expertise that might be needed only for a short duration.

Dedicated Team vs Extended Team: The Right Choice


Now, let’s go over the points we just noted to find out which team is the right one for your business.

Dedicated teams are best when the project is a long-term one. Dedicated teams allow complex developments and maintenance. It is best for businesses who are looking for developers who will stay on the project, but do not have the bandwidth for an in-house team. It is also the best option when the project has a high level of security and confidentiality. This can be maintained with a dedicated team.

Extended teams are perfect to take care of short-time requirements. They can fill in the skill gap and ensure faster project completion. It is the best option when there is no need to have a team member for a long time.

Depending upon your project requirements you should decide which model suits your project.
If you are looking to hire dedicated developers, you can connect with Shiv Technolabs. Get your project development on track and completed on time.

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Written by

Dipen Majithiya

I am a proactive chief technology officer (CTO) of Shiv Technolabs. I have 10+ years of experience in eCommerce, mobile apps, and web development in the tech industry. I am Known for my strategic insight and have mastered core technical domains. I have empowered numerous business owners with bespoke solutions, fearlessly taking calculated risks and harnessing the latest technological advancements.