What Is Staff Augmentation and How Does It Work
In 2021, the global workforce experienced a significant shortage of skilled professionals, reaching a peak of 40 million, with the deficit projected to grow further. Research by Korn Ferry anticipates that by 2030, there could be a scarcity of over 85 million roles, primarily due to the absence of individuals possessing the required skill sets.
Amid the digital revolution, software developers have become increasingly vital to the job market. The recent pandemic and ensuing lockdowns have intensified our dependence on technology for everyday tasks like online shopping and making reservations, leading to a substantial demand for software engineers who can create tailored software solutions.
Understanding Staff Augmentation
Staff augmentation, a specialized form of outsourcing, enables organizations to enhance their existing team’s capabilities, either permanently or temporarily, by incorporating skilled technology resources. By employing contracted developers or other professionals, your internal team can address any knowledge or skill gaps. It is crucial to evaluate the current team’s competencies and identify any gaps before integrating additional experts.
Assessing In-house Team, Project-Based Outsourcing, and Staff Augmentation
Choosing the initial outsourcing business model is a multifaceted process. This decision entails considering various factors, such as:
Cost implications of software development
Technical expertise and project requirements
Time-to-market speed and project deadlines
Staff Augmentation
Selecting staff augmentation provides improved control over the entire development process and the expanded team. You are accountable for candidate selection, overseeing software development processes, and team management while circumventing administrative and organizational obstacles.
Comparing In-house Team, Project-Based Outsourcing, and Staff Augmentation
Selecting the initial outsourcing business model is a complex process. This decision requires an understanding of various factors, including:
The expense associated with software development.
The technical proficiencies and project necessities.
The speed of time-to-market and project deadlines.
Staff Augmentation
Opting for staff augmentation allows for better control over the entire development process and the extended team. You are responsible for choosing the candidates, directing the software development processes, and leading the team, while also avoiding administrative and organizational challenges.
Project-based Outsourcing
Project-based outsourcing takes care of every aspect of software development, from team organization to process management. There’s no need for internal technical skills or investing time coordinating with a remote development team. However, clients often lack insight into who is working on their project, what the developers are doing, or what decisions are being made during the software development process.
In-house Development Team
Creating an in-house team provides complete control over the project. Typically, an in-house team aligns with your company’s values and is more invested in the project’s success. However, setting up an in-house team demands a substantial investment of time and money. Hiring in-house experts for a single project can pose an unjustifiable risk if the company’s primary focus isn’t technology or software development.
Challenges of Staff Augmentation
Time and Language Differences
Your staff augmentation partner may be located in a different part of the world, which could lead to communication difficulties. Although the language barrier is largely mitigated by the proficiency of most IT professionals in English, time zone differences can still present challenges.
Companies like Orangesoft have developed strategies to address these communication issues, such as strategically placing hubs in Eastern Europe to allow for overlapping office hours, thereby facilitating better communication. This approach has become commonplace among many industry players.
Security Concerns
Staff augmentation involves sharing sensitive information with a third party and integrating them into your internal processes. Customer data, being susceptible to compromise, often takes priority for the security team.
As a software development agency, we regularly perform security audits to identify and mitigate potential threats. At Orangesoft, we adhere to all security protocols and sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to ensure the absolute safety of your data.
Technical Competence and Skills
If your augmented team’s performance falls short of expectations, it’s important to reassess your development team and tech leaders. Typically, vendors don’t assign a project manager, manage the development processes, or take accountability for their staff’s efficiency.
Staff Augmentation at Orangesoft
At Orangesoft, we offer more than just project-based outsourcing services. We offer a full cycle of app development services, in addition to flexible IT staff augmentation services that can be tailored to meet your exact needs. You can choose to engage our IT experts such as software developers, UI/UX designers, quality assurance engineers, project managers, and business analysts. When you choose to augment your team with Orangesoft, you get access to highly skilled tech professionals who will concentrate solely on the product you’re developing.
Our augmentees will become an integral part of your development team, while you manage all the key aspects of the project, like planning, supervision, and other significant activities. As you’ll be the one managing your IT professionals, they’ll feel like they’re an important part of your primary team. If any issue arises that needs your or your augmented team’s attention, an Account Manager will be on hand to ease the discussion process.
The process of staff augmentation with Orangesoft involves the following steps:
Understanding Your Initial Request
Once we receive your request for staff augmentation services, our IT managers and BAs will conduct a detailed analysis. Before you request these services, there are certain key questions you need to consider:
How many professionals of various types do you need for the staff augmentation project?
What’s the required expertise level? Junior, middle, or senior?
When should the necessary professionals start working?
What’s your project’s deadline?
Is it a new or an ongoing project?
To understand your request and create a unique team augmentation plan, our managers will need around sixteen business hours. After that, we’ll schedule a call with you or a member of your team to discuss all the requirements.
Selecting the Right Professionals
After understanding your project’s needs and requirements and signing a non-disclosure agreement, we start the search for professionals with the required skills and expertise. Then, within the next two business days, we’ll provide you with the first set of CVs.
Arranging Technical Interviews
Once you give the green light to the CVs, we arrange interviews with the qualified professionals. Typically, these interviews are two-fold: one with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and the other with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or the product owner. Regardless of the number of people you interview for the role, you only pay for those who get hired.
Signing the Agreement
After concluding all the interviews, we sign an agreement and initiate the staff augmentation project. Once everything is vetted and approved, you can incorporate the chosen professionals into your workflows and development processes. Additionally, we assign an Account Manager who will work closely with your engineers and assist you in establishing a productive relationship with your augmented team members.
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