Staff Augmentation

When it comes to software development, why should your business be forced to pay higher prices to utilize a team that resides in the same country as your business? The reality is that this doesn’t have to be the case because you can take advantage of Staff Augmentation.

If this is a new idea to you or something you haven’t considered then it’s time to seriously think about the benefits that come with Staff Augmentation.

What is Staff Augmentation?

Staff augmentation is a strategy used to staff a project and respond to the business objectives. The technique consists of evaluating the existing staff and then determining which additional skills are required. SHORE teams offers expert staff augmentation services through its network of partners. 

One good reason to take this approach is because it can help to lower operating costs while giving you access to a huge talent pool. This means that you can increase your output, improve your technical expertise and scale rapidly.

Many of the biggest IT companies in the world take advantage of this solution because it’s proven to work. We’re talking about companies such as Microsoft and Apple, so there is certainly a reason why they are taking this approach.

Staff Augmentation
Credits: SHORE teams' partner Digitalya

When Should You Use Staff Augmentation?

For any business, managing expenditures and outgoings is crucial but your costs can spiral out of control. A software engineer salary is one of the highest out there but covering that salary can prove difficult for any business. However, Staff Augmentation can help to save you money while expanding your margins and you’ll have access to teams of talented individuals.

No business wants to turn away lucrative projects but that can often be the case when you don’t have the capacity to accommodate them. However, with the right team in place, you can make that happen. We can help identify the right team for your needs, allowing you to scale at pace.

Staff Augmentation is right for you if:
  • You already have developers working on your product in the local office, but you want to extend your team to develop another part of the product. But it’s impossible due to the shortage on your local talent market –  local recruitment will take too long and be very risky.
  • You  need to add new developers to your team. But the stack of professionals you’re looking for is rare in your country, so you’re considering to extend your search to other locations.
  • You work with a project outsourcing company to develop your product, but this model doesn’t suit your needs. You want to communicate with your team directly on a daily basis and wish to be well-acquainted with your remote programmers to make sure they feel like part of your local team.

Staff Augmentation vs Managed Services

Much of the terminology used in the staffing industry is relatively new and tends to become muddled. This leads to one all-too-common misunderstanding between staff augmentation and another related approach: managed services.

A managed service approach concerns a definitive deliverable, possibly with a definitive quality rating; staff augmentation concerns a job description and is paid for on a time and material basis. An augmented staff member might be brought into an organization to write lines of code for a specific application unusual for that company and would be paid on a long term, full-time basis. A managed service contractor would be hired to create that specific application and meet a set of KPIs; they would be paid upon completion of the project.

Benefits of Staff Augmentation:
  • Benefits as a temporary solution
  • Rapid access to missing capabilities and skills
  • Accommodate staff shortages due to unexpected events
  • Avoidance of hiring / de-hiring costs
  • Costs scalable to demand
  • No impact on operating model
  • Easily contracted
  • Cost model transparent

How Do We Do It?

First, we intend to get a clear understanding of what you require before we begin the search for suitable Staff Augmentation teams and experts. Next we set up the necessary meetings and calls with the selected teams so you can ask any questions and understand how they can fulfil your needs. After the initial conversations, you can then choose the right team members and we’ll definitely help with the process by offering our advice and guidance. Finally, you’ll go through the process of negotiating the rates and terms before putting an agreement in place.

Our expertise ensures the entire process is streamlined.

Access expert developers: you can access the right talent and lower the costs of operation easily. Developers in India for example, cost around 3-4 times less than those in London, Los Angeles, New York, Berlin or Amsterdam. Leaving your project in the hands of a capable Augmented Staff team enables you to better focus on your core business.

The best part is, we won’t even charge for our advisory services. That’s right: you won’t pay us anything for our expertise. Once a match has been found we get a one-time kickback fee from your chosen development partner. Because of this, we make sure to always find the best possible match for your needs.

To find out more about how we can help your business grow, get in touch with us today.