For those who have done this before, hiring a dedicated development team has proven to be a wise decision. If this is your first time, you might need some advice on where to start. A dedicated development team is an engagement model where an outsourcing company will seek out the necessary development resources to match the needs of the client’s project. The client provides all of the information, the team’s salaries, and the provider’s fee (overheads, admin, and infrastructure). The outsourcing company hires the entire team to complete the project, but the client still maintains control of the team.
This engagement model is most frequently used for clients that don’t have the skills in-house to complete the project. It is also ideal for long-term projects and varying requirements. It is a great solution who clients who are unable to find the talent in their local area, or even country.
The dedicated project manager is the main avenue of communication with developers and clients. Clients can stay updated about the progress of the project and the developers are able to stay informed about the needs of the project.
Why Do Software Companies Appreciate Dedicated Development Teams?
Today’s technology makes it easy- we have communication software like Trello, project management software like Jira, both of which make it easy to work together in real-time. Video conferencing allows for document sharing. All the while, this technology is cost-effective and means you can hire dedicated software development teams from anywhere in the world.
Lower costs and faster delivery- the hiring process is a long and expensive process. If you are searching for talent in your local area, you will be limited to the talent in that area. Looking further afield means a larger talent pool and often with lower costs. You can also take advantage of the highly skilled development team to train your in-house staff. The offshore company has the task of finding the team members, saving you valuable time.
The dedicated development team is extremely flexible- because of the high levels of communication, assigning tasks, problem-solving, and changes to the project are quickly communicated.
Hands-on management- whether you choose to hire a project manager or do it yourself, you still have complete control over the project. You can scale your team up and down in accordance with the size of the project.
The Steps Required to Hire A Dedicated Development Team
Before you begin searching for an offshore developing company, you will need to have an extensive plan ready. Here is a step by step guide to hiring a dedicated development team.
- Prepare the documentation
You will need a Product Requirements Document (PRD), which is the initial document highlighting the project’s needs, the required features, mock-ups, and a timeline. This is what will aid the client and developer to create an agreement based on the ideas. It will also help to limit significant changes down the road. Then you will need it. Functional Specification Document (FCD), which is a formal document containing an in-depth description including the development sprints description, task order, and the project conditions. Generally speaking, the FCD is attached to the contract.
- Contact and negotiations
Once you have selected the right offshoring development company, you can begin to negotiate the price and communicating the requirements of the project.
- Searching for developers
The offshore development company then begins the search for the right number of developers with the necessary skills. All of the qualified CVs are sent to you for further analysis.
- Hiring developers
Once you have screened the CVs, you can begin your interviewing process, whether that is with online technical screening, phone interviews, video interviews, or on-site interviews. If none of the candidates meets your needs, the offshore development company will continue to send CVs.
What to Look for When Hiring a Dedicated Development Team
While each business will have its own requirements, there are three general categories to consider; location, price, and skill.
Location
Eastern Europe
Countries such as Ukraine, Romania, and Poland have shot up in popularity in recent years. Eastern Europe has the advantage of the geographical closeness to Western Europe and the U.S. Developers here are highly qualified and are committed to providing top-quality work. While the labor costs are excellent for the standards provided, Eastern Europe is generally more expensive than Asia.
Asia
China and India are common countries to find low-cost outsourcing services with most of the clients coming from Western Europe. You need to take some care as international property security is very limited and it is easy for others to copy your work.
Middle East
There are many countries to consider including Egypt, Israel, UAE, South Africa, and even Ghana. The Middle East has a multilingual population that drives competition, keeps the cost of labor low and you can enjoy relatively high quality. On the downside, there is a political disruption that often puts clients off this area.
IT Skills
When looking at offshore development companies, you need to assess their technical expertise and to do this you should look at projects they have completed as well as the technology that they used in those projects. References from their clients will be invaluable. It is worth checking their company values too, ensuring they have similar visions to yours as you need to be able to develop a strong relationship with the company.
Pricing
Generally speaking, prices and quality increase in the following order of location; Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe. You need to find a company that meets your project requirements and your budget.
Don’t forget the culture and language
Good communication is the key to a successful dedicated development team. You will need to have regular meetings and all parties must clearly understand everything discussed. Eastern Europe is the ideal location for both language and culture. Most developers have a high level of English and many speak a second foreign language. Because of the geographical location, they have a similar culture to both Western Europe and The U.S.
In Conclusion
So, after reading all of this you might be feeling like there is an awful lot to do before your project can actually start. In actual fact, the hard work you put into finding a dedicated development team will pay off as you reduce your costs, improve the expertise in your team, and deliver a top-quality product.