5 Myths About Hiring a Dedicated Development Team

When choosing an IT-partner, companies may fear hiring an outsourced dedicated team of developers due to concerns about communication barriers, potential loss of control over the development process, and anxiety about the quality of work delivered by an outsourced team. The world of software development is rich with myths and misconceptions about dedicated developers. Are these fears fake or true? In this article, we’ll examine five common myths about dedicated development to tell what is real.

What is Dedicated Development?

A dedicated development team represents a comprehensive group of analysts, web and mobile developers, and testers who are exclusively assigned to a project within a Time & Material engagement model. This model is designed to provide flexibility and transparency, as tasks and priorities are determined and adjusted iteratively throughout the project lifecycle.

The project team is assembled on an individual basis prior to the commencement of work on each project. The team lineup depends on availability of technical specifications, scope and complexity of software development tasks, design requirements, estimated release date and monthly budget. 

Myth #1. Dedicated developers are too expensive

Some people believe that dedicated development teams are too costly, but in reality, they can be a cost-effective solution in the long run as they provide consistent and high-quality work.

In fact there are two main engagement models between a customer and an IT company in project development. They are the Fixed Price (according to the specification) and the Dedicated Development Team (Time & Material) formats.

Completing a fixed price project means you pay for the fixed scope of work: the list of tasks, cost, and deadlines are precisely calculated and described in a specification and cannot be changed without prior consent. 

While this may sound appealing, it is not always the best solution.  What if some requirements become obsolete or new ones emerge during the project? In this case, you will have to deviate from the initial plan. This will not only change the scope of work but also the deadlines and the initial budget. You will see the ultimate result at the end of the work and if any corrections arise, all new adjustments will go through the same analysis and approval stages, and you will receive a new invoice for them.

While many large enterprises benefit from dedicated development teams due to their complex and ongoing projects, small and medium-sized businesses can also gain significant advantages. A dedicated team provides the flexibility and expertise that can help startups and smaller companies scale effectively and compete in their markets.

Read more: Fixed Price vs. Time & Material. Which Engagement Model to Choose?

Myth #2. Dedicated developers are difficult to manage and the result is unpredictable

Modern development practices like Agile and DevOps emphasize teamwork and collective code ownership. Managing a dedicated development team is often seen as a challenging task, but with clear communication and the right project management tools, it can be a smooth and efficient process.

We, in Simtech Development, work by sprints so you can strengthen your team at any time, or re-arrange job priorities, shifting tasks and responsibilities from your in-house team to ours. You won’t have to spend endless business hours participating in meetings to manage the development process. This job can be delegated to our project managers, whose responsibility includes general orchestration of all project tasks. 

Depending of the complexity of development we usually recommend the following team structure:

Project Manager

• Forms the team for each month based on the list of tasks
• Plans resource allocation and distributes tasks to team members for the sprint
• Monitors the entire development process, conducts scrum meetings, tracks progress on tasks, resolves team issues, prevents risks, and ensures adherence to project deadlines and budget
• Conducts demonstrations of work results and reports to you on task status and hour expenditures

Business/System Analyst

• Gathers, analyzes requirements, and defines a suitable technical solution and recommended tech stack 
• Describes the best way to implement tasks for developers and completes documentation describing the logic of the implemented functionality

Backend, Frontend and/or Full-Stack developers

• Develop functionality within the framework of the sprint tasks and conduct code reviews
• Estimate labor costs, recommend suitable solutions, and provide technical consultation on the project
• Having comprehensive experience with eCommerce projects, our developers might suggest suitable solutions for your industry

Quality Assurance (QA) specialists

• Check all modifications and understand the system as a whole and the interrelationships within the system
• Write and update test cases from the development stage and throughout the project’s development path
• Identify system errors before development begins, thereby preventing errors and unnecessary labor costs

By assembling a team from one company, you ensure smooth project management and effective interaction between multiple teams. With a project manager as their head, we can remove the headache of controlling a big portion of work done for your project. As a result, you get a fully managed pool of our specialists dedicated to doing their best!

Read more:

• Designing an online store: where to start creating a profitable eCommerce site?
• How to Write a Software Requirement Specification to Save Costs?
• What Is End-To-End Testing? And Why You Need It In eCommerce

Myth #3. They are not as skilled as in-house teams

There is a misconception that dedicated development teams may not have the same level of expertise as in-house teams, but in reality, they are often highly skilled professionals with a diverse range of experience.

Not all dedicated teams have the same skills, experience, or methodologies. When choosing a development team, it’s essential to research and select one that aligns with your project needs and company culture. Consider factors like domain expertise, technological proficiency, and past performance to find a team that fits well with your objectives. An outsourced dedicated team of developers can sometimes be more qualified than an in-house team for several reasons:

• Specialized Expertise: Outsourced teams often have narrow expertise in certain technologies, tools, or domains, which may not be available in-house. They have a broader range of skills and experience due to working on various projects for different clients.
• Cost-Effective Access to Talent: Dedicated developers can provide access to a global talent pool, allowing companies to tap into expertise that may not be readily available locally. This can be particularly beneficial for niche or highly specialized skills.
• Flexibility and Scalability: Outsourced developers can be quickly scaled up or down based on project requirements, providing flexibility that in-house teams may not always offer. This scalability can be especially advantageous for projects with fluctuating workloads.
• Focus on Core Business: By outsourcing development tasks to a dedicated team, the in-house team can focus on core business activities and strategic initiatives, leveraging the specialized skills of the outsourced team to handle specific development tasks.
• Reduced Overhead: Outsourcing can reduce overhead costs associated with maintaining a large in-house team, such as office space, equipment, benefits, and training expenses.

However, it’s important to note that the effectiveness of an outsourced development team depends on factors such as clear communication, alignment of goals, cultural fit, and effective project management. Additionally, in-house teams may have a deeper understanding of the company’s specific needs, culture, and processes, which can be advantageous in certain situations. Therefore, the decision to use an outsourced team versus an in-house team should be based on the specific requirements and dynamics of each project.

Myth #4. They are not as committed as in-house teams

Some believe that dedicated development teams may not be as committed to the project as in-house teams. It’s not always true, as they are often just as dedicated and invested in the success of the project.

The commitment of an outsourced team is influenced by factors such as the quality of the relationship, the clarity of expectations, the level of trust, and the professionalism of the outsourced provider. When these elements are well-established, an outsourced dedicated team of developers provides high-quality results and contributes to the success of the project.

• Alignment of Objectives: When the outsourced team fully understands the company’s goals, vision, and values, they can align their efforts with those of the client, fostering a strong sense of commitment to the project. 
• Clear Communication: Effective communication channels and regular interactions between the client and the outsourced team can help build rapport, trust, and a shared sense of purpose, leading to a high level of commitment.
• Accountability and Performance Metrics: Establishing clear performance metrics, milestones, and regular progress reviews can create a sense of accountability for the outsourced team, driving their commitment to meeting and exceeding expectations.
• Long-Term Relationships: In cases where the outsourced team and the client have a long-term partnership, the team’s commitment often grows over time as they become more deeply invested in the client’s success.

Quality is determined more by the team’s skills and experience rather than whether the team is in-house or outsourced. Many dedicated development teams approach projects with high standards of quality assurance, following industry best practices and maintaining rigorous testing processes. Collaborating with a reputable service provider often leads to top-notch resultsю

In our company, the goal alignment is provided with the help of a dedicated project manager who closely communicates with the client’s team to clearly understand the project requirements and then convey them to the rest of involved parties. The team composition is balanced based on individual project needs. So you can have a pool of developers whose grade allows them to deliver the awaited result. A system of metrics and a QA team allows us to track the quality of the work done.

Myth #5. You will have to re-develop your project from scratch

The notion that you must completely re-develop a project from scratch when hiring a dedicated development team is a prevalent myth, and it can often lead to unnecessary fear and hesitation among businesses considering this approach. In reality, an effective dedicated development team can work with existing projects to refine, enhance, and innovate while preserving the foundational work that has already been done. The key to success lies in selecting the right team, ensuring open communication, and leveraging their specialized skills to build on what you already have, rather than starting from scratch.

A dedicated development model is suitable for your project if:

• You need to validate a hypothesis with evolving requirements. A dedicated team can efficiently execute tasks and adjust to shifting needs.
• Your project features a complex architecture and demands iterative development to achieve intermediate outcomes, allowing for informed decision-making during each sprint.
• Given that your long-term project requires ongoing maintenance, it is essential to have a team that is well-versed in the project’s functionalities and technologies.
• Your internal team is unable to meet the project deadline, which means you need an additional development team to ensure the project is released on time.
• It is necessary to onboard a new development team to take over an incomplete project and bring it to completion.
• You must migrate a substantial list of functionalities to a new platform, which requires the ability to adapt tasks and priorities as needed.
• Significant modernization of an existing project is anticipated, requiring a more flexible implementation strategy.
• There is a demand for high-quality development and swift delivery of new functionalities, necessitating a team that understands the project’s specific requirements and technologies.

In each of these cases, a dedicated development model can provide the flexibility and expertise needed to successfully complete your project.

Our case: How our dedicated developers saved PayPal integration for a Hunting Apparel Store 

Jackpykeshop, a retailer focused on hunting apparel, approached us for enhancements and adjustments to ensure PCI compliance. Concerns about PCI compliance surfaced when Edmund, the owner of the business, anticipated potential restrictions from PayPal due to a failure to meet their stringent security requirements. To address these concerns, they engaged TrustWave to evaluate their server, which was a necessary step for PayPal to authorize payment processing. However, the results from the scans were insufficient for full compliance, leading them to seek our assistance.

As the scanning tests improved with each update, Edmund realized the need for a dedicated development team to take complete management of the development process. While tackling the problem, it became clear that not just server checks were necessary; certain pieces of the code also required modifications to pass the tests. Despite the constraints of available development hours, our team successfully implemented the essential changes without sacrificing system compatibility or security.

The team’s capability to address the shifting landscape of security standards and to implement critical adjustments promptly underscores the vital role they played in overcoming this challenge effectively. Ultimately, the client was able to retain integration with their payment system.

Conclusion

Hiring a dedicated development team can be a significant decision for any business, but myths and misconceptions can cloud judgment and lead to misconceptions about the process. By understanding the realities of what a dedicated team can offer, organizations can leverage the expertise and flexibility of external resources to enhance their development capabilities, drive innovation, and ultimately achieve their business goals. Consider Simtech Development for dedicated development services to get cost-effective customized solutions with transparent communication and proven track record.