5 benefits of a dedicated team of developers VS an in-house one

Every startup has to make a choice between hiring a dedicated team of developers vs an in-house one. The former approach provides 5 subtle benefits we want to talk about.

We have listed the more self-explanatory pros and cons of working with a dedicated software development team vs building one in-house in one of our previous articles. They include the things like:

• the far lesser TCO of a dedicated team, as you pay them only when you need them;
• polished workflows, as the Managed Services Provider (MSP) always has some job to do and the team is always busy, keeping their skills sharp;
• instant access to a greater talent pool, instead of picking them one by one;
• team easy going along, as work conflicts are quite damaging for the product quality;
• the possibility of rapid replacement of a sick or leaving team member,
• the in-depth developer’s documentation to ensure service continuity, etc.

Today we want to add 5 more subtle, yet not in the least important benefits of hiring a dedicated team of developers.

Same, nearly same or overlapping time zones

Let’s assume the startup or business is located in the EU or the US and hires a dedicated software development team from Eastern Europe, like Poland or Ukraine. In that case, the time zones are close or overlap. This means the customer either has the same work hours as the MSP, or benefits from issuing requests in the evening and getting the job done overnight, while he is soundly asleep. To say even more, many MSPs provide 24/7 technical support under the SLA coverage, so the important tasks are dealt with swiftly at all times.

Various staffing models

The MSP can send their whole teams (or the required specialists) to a detached duty to the customer’s office should the need arise to sort the things out hands-on. Such cases can include providing technical backup during the business negotiations, teaching the in-house staff to use the bespoke systems, or any other reason, you name it. The thing is, as the dedicated software development teams from Eastern Europe are usually quite proficient or even fluent in English, such detached duty trips run smoothly, yield great results and cost much less, than keeping a local team idle and on a payroll.

Collaboration benefits

Yet another form of partnership, and one of the most important when working with a dedicated team of developers is the permanent collaboration. The customers have access to the project management tools like Jira, Redmine or Trello and can monitor the project progress firsthand, in addition to working in close contact with an assigned Project Manager. This allows keeping an eye on the software delivery pipeline, issuing requests and applying feedback as needed.

Video conferencing

An equally important benefit of a dedicated team of developers is the video conferencing, when the customer can have a meeting with the whole team from the comfort of their flat or office, via the laptop and webcam. You can be in touch with every team member and don’t have to pay the rent for the spacious office needed to provide workplaces for the team. Video conferencing allows managing the projects remotely when it’s most convenient both for you and for the dedicated development team to keep the collaboration efficient.

Customer’s business trips

To say even more, in certain cases the customer can avoid paying the rent at all, as they can simply come to the contractor’s office and meet the team in person, oversee the workflow up close and satisfy any inquiries they might have. It goes without mentioning that such trips also help to accommodate with the partners better, as well as offering the taste of local cuisine, amenities, and sightseeing, should such a wish arise. IT Svit long-term customers come to our office quite often and we are always glad to meet the guests.

Final thoughts on the benefits of a dedicated team of developers VS an in-house one

To sum it up, hiring a dedicated team of developers allows the startup to greatly save on the software development costs and time to market for their product while enjoying the full transparency of the development process, cultural exchange and real-time communication with the team. At least, this is what it looks like for IT Svit customers.

Initially, this story was posted on my company’s blog — https://itsvit.com/blog/5-benefits-dedicated-team-developers-vs-house-one/