What is Team Augmentation?
Outsourcing is often hard to get right – and in some cases the outsourcing process can end up delaying the work it was meant to speed up. This is why we’re now seeing companies increasingly turning away from the traditional model of outsourcing their IT and software development work, to instead look at better models of working – such as team augmentation.
What is team augmentation?
In simple terms, an augmented team is an in-house team that has been enhanced by adding specialist members from outside the organisation. This setup allows the business to maintain control and visibility, while adding the key skills and knowledge needed to make rapid progress.
What are the benefits of team augmentation?
Team Augmentation often provides not only a weight off the shoulders for the in-house staff, but a dramatic improvement in time to market – which can make all the difference between the success and failure of a software development project.
Organisations choose to work with augmented teams for different reasons, depending on their specific objectives. Let’s take a look at some of the most common drivers behind staff augmentation:
- Reduced costs
Compared to recruiting new staff or managing an outsourced operation, there’s often money – and time – to be saved on using augmented teams. If you don’t initially have the funding to add a permanent member of staff, this can be a smart way of still accessing the same resource for a shorter time. - Flexibility of resources
Scaling staff numbers up and down can be a slow and difficult process. Recruiting is often resource-hungry, and shifting people out can take longer than the project itself. But by having augmented team members on demand, it is easier to manage the team size based on the current needs of the business. - Improved quality of output
Team augmentation allows the business to hand-pick the best resources to contribute to the project, which can dramatically increase the quality of the work. Often the entire team can learn from having a fresh set of eyes to solve problems, as well as discover new processes and best practice. - Visibility of progress
By keeping the development in-house, communication with the business is often better and faster. It makes it easier for the team to keep stakeholders up to date with progress, which in turn enables them to address any challenges as they arise. - Closer alignment to business objectives
Traditional outsourcing always carries the risk of misinterpretation of the business vision, ethos, or goals. Having a team that is firmly rooted in the organisation itself, and knows it well, can ensure that the project stays aligned to what the business wants to achieve.
The right resources at the right time
Having access to a pool of qualified and experienced people on demand can be a huge competitive advantage for your business. This is why we provide augmented team resources here at One Beyond, and work closely with organisations to meet their needs at any given time.
