We are in the midst of a business environment that is more competitive than it has ever been. The changes it is undergoing every passing day have made it more efficient than ever before. The need for software development is also on the rise. This is due to the needfor businesses to automate processes, establish a direct connection between different teams, and get rid of the factors that have traditionally compromised with the efficiency of the business. 

With this increase in demand for software development, the need for talented individuals with that adequate skills and experience has also increased. The development life cycles are more demanding than before, so you need people who can deal with this issues without having to compromise on the quality expected from them. 

Today, businesses are looking for technology solutions that can provide them with solutions based on their company size and other requirements. Different businesses need different services. IT industry is ready with solutions that are tailored exactly to the needs of their customers. When it comes to staffing for software development projects, there are two possible alternatives to having an in-house development team – software development outsourcing and team augmentation. These two are very different from each other and cater to different IT staffing needs. 

What is software development outsourcing?

Outsourcing software development services means that you are partnering with a remote software development outsourcing company and allowing it to handle the project on your behalf. In other words, you are outsourcing your software development function to a company with expert programmers and developers. It is a much broader partnership than meets the eye. It covers a range of different services, including analysis, design, UI, UX, QA, maintenance, support, and others. As opposed to staff augmentation, outsourcing requires much more involvement from the software development company you have chosen to work with. This makes the company try that much higher to achieve the desired results. This is also the reason why most of the companies choose to outsource their software development projects. 

Businesses prefer outsourcing not just because their in-house team is incapable of taking on a project or they don’t want to build an in-house team in the first place, but because they don’t want their in-house team to engage in software development. They want their internal teams to focus on other priorities. Outsourcing allows them to let their internal staff of this responsibility so that they can focus on what’s more important. 

Outsourcing also helps you to minimize your overheads. When you have an outsourcing partner working on your project, it is completely their responsibility to come out with a work plan and honour a budget. You don’t have to worry about how they are going to manage their staff on their budget. It is completely their responsibility. 

What is staff or team augmentation?

Staff augmentation is the process of your augmenting or adding staff with specific skills to complete your project. Like outsourcing companies, there are staff augmentation firms that will help you choose the right resources for your project. This staffing model allows you to quickly add skilled resources to your team, depending on the project demands without having to bear the financial responsibilities associated with full-time employees. 

With staff augmentation, you are in total control of your project and what happens with it. You neither share risks nor rewards. You are directly responsible for supervising your employees and contractors to work in tandem to deliver the product, keeping in mind the predefined time and budget restrictions. 

Conclusion

Choosing the right staffing solution for your software development needs can be a very tough task. There are variables that you need to take into account before making the final decision. However, if you are well-versed with these factors, you will have little problem in choosing the solution that best fits your needs. Both staff augmentation and outsourcing have their benefits. However, they can’t be used as a substitute for one another.