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Unlocking the Potential: The Benefits of Extending Your Remote Development Team

  • Mar 03,2023
  • Lavorg
mobile app

Do you have an incredible software development, web develoment or  mobile app idea that you cannot wait to build? That would require more hands on the desk considering design experts and strategists are a must for the team. Building a team from the ground up can be cumbersome and add to your list of jobs. It can reduce your productivity and add some extra costs. 

For example, you might have to take time out from your core business affairs to lend some time towards hiring new team members. It may take longer if you don’t have a software development background or resources with technical expertise. 

This can push the development to the backseat. Instead of doing all the heavy lifting yourself, you can extend your team and build the project. You can go with outstaffing or outsourcing to add resources and scale your team to meet the new needs. 

This guide will discuss the benefits of extension and the multiple methods you can use to extend the software development team.

 Outstaffing vs. Outsourcing: An Overview

You can either encourage outstaffing or outsourcing to extend your team. Let’s take a look at the difference between the two.

FactorOutstaffingOutsourcing
DefinitionThe business appoints a team from another business and manages the entire development process.The client will transfer the entire scope of work or project to another business and work with them.
Example to ExplainIf the business has a team in-house and wants more resources to build the project, they would appoint a few team members to the existing team.If the business doesn’t have expertise in Android but has expertise in iOs, it will transfer the Android development to a company with experience in the operating system.
Skills RequiredAs they are directly part of your internal team, this means you need to have apt technical skills. You might even need some specific technical understanding from our staff for your project.You simply need to mention the requirements and work scope in this case. As a result, it doesn’t demand technical skills.
Team Management AbilitiesThe client-side team will manage the entire project developmentA project manager will help manage the communication between the client side and the tech partner
PayrollThe client company will manage them.The outsourcing company will be responsible for the payroll of the team.
AccessibilityLimited access. You can only access the team that you have hiredYou can scale your team with newer skills as needed by drawing a contract if the outsourcing company has the resources

Top 4 Ways to Extend your Software Development Team

How would you extend your team to meet the new requirements? We have curated four commonly used methods for extending the software development team. Let’s discuss how you can add more resources and extend your development team to meet the new goals.

why extend software development teams

1. Hiring More Resources for the In-House Team

In this case, the assumption is that you have a functional software development team. They have the proficiency in developing any solution that your business needs. However, considering the extensive nature of your project, you may need a few more hands on the table.

You can ask your project lead to seek resources to enter your team and work on the project. They can add the desired candidates and choose to build the team.

ProsCons
Excellent communication between the different stakeholders for smooth app developmentThe launch can take a while
Greater visibility into the projects and better control of the processesIt is an expensive method of developing software
Work is managed and completed on schedule. 
As they are working in-house, they have a better understanding of the business. 
The time zones and cultures are in sync 

2. Dedicated Developer/Team

Outstaffing or a dedicated development team is when you don’t hire people but extend your team with a dedicated set of people. You will hire the technology expert company’s strategist, designer, and developer to boost your company’s ability to build a software solution. In this case, they will still be on the partner company’s payroll. However, in some cases, you can also have them on your payroll while they use the partner company’s tool and infrastructure.

ProsCons
Better control over the resources you are hiringCommunication management might need protocols and processes in place.
It is more cost-effective than in-house app developmentDifferent cultures can pose a problem
Priority management and delegation are easier. 
Reduces the time-to-market 
It can reduce project costs. 
Flexibility to scale your resources 

3. Freelancers

When you want to hire a single resource for your existing team, you can hire a freelancer. It would be a single person working on the part of the project delegated to them. For instance, you could use them to design a prototype or sketch a particular screen.

ProsCons
 It is a cost-efficient way of adding resources to your teamThey may lack commitment, which can prove to be a disadvantage
If you have varied requirements or a one-off need, hiring freelancers is easier.Not all freelancers understand protecting data. This can lead to security issues.
Greater accessibility to a large pool of expertsThere is no way to supervise the freelancer. So, it is impossible to determine the charge-efficiency-outcome chart.
You get a different perspective on the particular job as they have handled multiple clients and geographies 

4. Outsource

The last method to extend your team is by . In this case, you partner with another company, explain the work scope and then allow them to manage the project. It is like delegating the task of the entire software development to another team. 

ProsCons
It is a cost-effective mobile app development approachLack of control unless you appoint a project manager and have a fixed communication protocol
You don’t need to hire external resources to manage the project. A single team or company will take care of it.Communication and culture issues if you are opting for offshore development
The geographical boundaries do not limit in completion of the hiring process.You may find quality issues if you don’t hire the right partner company.
You can leverage the timelines to get the work done faster without compromising on quality. 
Reduces the time to market your mobile app 
 

Top 8 Reasons to Extend your Software Development Team

Let’s discuss why you should extend your software development team by adding new members.

outstaffing vs outsourcing infographics

1. Faster Time to Market

Imagine having to develop that application all by yourself. With limited in-house capabilities, an infrastructure that is not too smart, and people who are working beyond their capacity, you can say goodbye to accelerated timelines.

You will notice a lag between your expected launch date and the realistic one. If you want to close the lag, you may consider expanding your team without adding impossible costs.

A team extension can help you add more resources as required. You can add people with the proficiency you need for the particular project, which can help reduce the time-to-market effectively. 

2. Better Delegation

When working with fewer resources, you limit your possibilities. A single person will be your designer and developer. For example, if a single team handles mobile app, graphic, and web design, it can limit your possibilities. You might notice there is only so much they can complete in a day.

It can translate to frustrations and loss of work to be done. If you extend your team with designers, you can delegate the tasks and ensure better outcomes. You can ask someone to create the prototype and others to work on design guidelines. You will have someone to code the front end. Once the tasks are divided, it can increase the speed and improve the results.

3. Access to Experts

There are many things you know nothing about. For instance, if you are an Android app development company focused on creating apps with Java or Kotlin, you may not know about iOS. It is also possible you aren’t aware of the latest tools that can reduce your timelines. 

You get access to more talent when you extend your team and embrace people from outside your company. Chances are you will work with people proficient in iOS app development. They would know how to build a creative app for 5G networks. This transfer of knowledge can also improve the results and enhance your efficiency. At the same time, it can help you build commendable things.

4. Low-cost Development

Developing in-house can prove to be expensive. For instance, you need to hire experts if you are building a software solution without proficiency in the niche. However, you need expert consultants to conclude the hiring process because you do not understand the niche. This will take up a while and a lot of your money. It can also eat up into your efforts and productivity. 

The best way to overcome this would be by adding more members without hiring them. You can outsource or out staff the project and get access to resources and infrastructure. This way, you can ensure low-cost development.

5. Better Business Productivity

If you aren’t a software development company, chances are you know very little about software development. If you try developing the software using free tools, you may get it right eventually, but it will be at the cost of your business and its functioning. You will be using your productive hours to build the software.

In the end, you may not have functional software or a productive business environment. This can lead to major losses and unforeseeable circumstances. To avoid this, you should try to outsource the software development. Hire a capable company that can enhance your business solutions. Make sure to define your requirements beforehand and proceed with the hiring process.

6. Increased ROI

When you hire someone else to do a job that you don’t know or have the time to do, you will be focused on the business. At the same time, the people who are working on the project would be able to release a capable solution. 

You could procure excellent results with this win-win environment, which can eventually translate into business success. You can improve the bottom line and create more scope for new business sales with all your efforts to develop your customer base and check methods to retain them.

7. Faster Scaling

As your business grows, you need to grow your team. You will need more resources, tools, and a bigger software solution. Completing these aspects in-house can be quite cumbersome. Recruiting more resources requires more time, and you may face restrictions there. As a result, to meet your scaling requirements, you can choose to outsource your app development.

By hiring freelancers or people from other teams, you can meet your resource requirements without having to shell out more money. It also makes scaling down or up to meet new requirements easy.

8. Better Control of Development

When you extend your team, you also have a good chance of looking at the actual activities. With stand-ups, agile processes, and DevOps methods, you can be assured of having a transparent and visible process. It gives you complete control over what is happening in real-time and what things you need to work upon. You will know what things you want to change, which happens while the development progresses. This will ensure fewer reworks and better quality.

Conclusion

Extending your software team can accelerate your mobile application development and reduce the overall cost. It can also boost your productivity, enhance your ability to transpire the solution, and make it easy for the developers to focus on their work. There are four ways to extend the team- in-house hiring, outstaffing, freelancers, and outsourcing.

Lavorg is a top-of-the-line hiring platform. We offer flexible and cost-efficient engagement models to choose from. You can connect with us to hire dedicated developers or outsource the software development project by filling out the contact us form.