The Dedicated Team Engagement Model In Software Development

Conditioning plays a major role in the adoption of any technology, trend, or rule. Conditioning is usually needed in the case of a major, extremely disruptive change—for example when Sweden switched to driving on the right side of the road from the left in September 1967. Known as Dagen H (H Day in Swedish) or Högertrafikomläggningen, this was a major disruptive change that needed conditioning and has now resulted in everyone in Sweden thinking that driving on the right side of the road is just “natural”.

Disruptions and solutions in the world of software

When you would think of creating new innovative software, the first thing that comes to your mind would be hiring a software development team to do the job. This would include getting a recruiter and an HR manager to the team, hiring programmers, testers, and project managers and then getting on with the actual development. It seems complicated and expensive, doesn’t it? Well—it is. 

So how do all these apps get created?

When you see mobile phones today and the hundreds of thousands of apps available on the app stores, you would think that each one of these companies would either be made of groups of programmers or they would be developing, testing, and deploying apps on their own, right? Well—Yes and No. 

Although many apps are made by individual developers or as a collaborative effort between multiple developers, creating an app first requires getting a brilliant idea and then it needs to be engineered to perfection to make the impact it needs to. Ideas, however, are not limited to the minds of programmers. 

Firing up the idea factory

If you have an idea to build the most amazing delivery or fashion app today but you have no idea about what to do or how to go about making an app for a mobile phone, what would you do? 

Well, you hire a team. 

But wait! didn’t we just discuss that hiring a team is prohibitively expensive? 

Yes, it is. 

So we do not have to hire a team?

Yes, you do.

Why are we going in circles?

Because circles are—perfect.

Dedicated teams to the rescue

You are not going to hire just any other team, you will hire a dedicated team to do the job, like the A-team. Ok, we’re kidding about the A-team bit, but you will have to hire a team that has professionals with years of experience in alchemy. 

OK—Alchemy?

Yes, Alchemy.

Calling the process of transforming an idea into an actual, tangible product is nothing short of magic. Hence, alchemy.

 OK, so what is a dedicated team?

We thought you’d never ask! A dedicated team is exactly what the name sounds like. You find a company that has experience in developing software and you outsource your development work to them. This helps you skip the long, boring and often confusing and time-consuming model of recruiting your team, then finding out you found the wrong people and repeating the cycle again and again. Sorta like the circle we discussed above. A dedicated team fixes this problem by having a large pool of the right people for the job. 

What’s special about the Dedicated Team Model?

The dedicated team model at companies such as Volumetree comes with a lot of extras that you might not find elsewhere. For instance, you do not hire just developers, you also get designers, quality assurance engineers and project managers as a part of a package. You are at liberty to decide the number of members you wish to keep in your team and what their skill levels should be. The company offering the dedicated team takes care of the rest, including operations, administration, infrastructure and recruitment.

So what does this mean in terms of scope, time and cost?

Scope

Members of your dedicated team are like your own employees. Therefore, the scope and the amount of work can be defined by you. This is considered to be the most flexible model of all outsourced work arrangements.

Time

Deadlines are mostly defined between your provider and you. Most dedicated team members are hired for a specific amount of time and renewals are almost always on the cards once the initial period ends.

Cost

As costs in this model are fixed, all you need to do is pay a particular price per member plus an administrative charge, and you’re sorted. 

How Does a Dedicated Team Project Pan Out?

The main reasons for opting for a dedicated team are the same as its benefits. The benefits of hiring a dedicated team are that it is simple and flexible.

So how does the hiring process work?

The hiring process of a dedicated team includes getting the team on board and providing the team with a smooth transition and instructions to work with. It is that simple! Here are some details about how your project will pan out.

• Clarification

Once you have figured out the number of people to hire and have signed the contract, you need to start working with your team to provide any clarifications they may need. You give your teams a bird’s eye view of the project and provide all the development requirements of the project to them so they can understand how to proceed.

• Development

As this is an engaging model, your involvement is paramount. You work with your dedicated team as one of your teams. Your direction and involvement will steer the direction of the development work of your project.

• Considering scalability

If you think the workload for your team has increased beyond their capacity, it is best to discuss scalability with your vendor instead of overworking existing resources. Vendors like Volumetree have a large talent pool for you to choose from and augment your existing dedicated team strength.

• Payouts

Payouts for dedicated teams are simple, according to contract and mostly fixed.

How do you know that the dedicated teams model is right for you?

One size does not fit all. Dedicated teams are a great resource to have, but you must assess if this model is good for your project. Here’s a down-low of what dedicated teams are good for:

• Large projects with complex requirements

Large projects have a propensity to get larger over time. As these projects and their requirements keep changing, it is best to have a dedicated team around to accommodate those changes for you. In short, a dedicated team ensures that a large, strategic and extremely complex project is as relevant to you on day 1 as it is on launch. 

• Companies that are on the verge of bursting their seams

If your business is poised for expansion and will soon move into much larger shoes, then dedicated teams are your best bet. These teams can ensure that even if you hire a team of your own at a later stage, the can train the new hires and augment your team capacity at a much lower price.

• Projects where you are the product owner

If you understand your project from the inside out—and you know all the intricacies involved in it, then a dedicated team is the best model. As you will constantly be engaged with your team to ensure that work is done in time and according to your requirements, you will need a team that is always at your disposal.

• Projects with consistently high-workflow rates

If your project has UFOs—err changesets flying in every day, then you’ve made the right choice. Dedicated teams are perfect for large volume projects that need constant and daily attention. If your project has fluctuating workflows, dedicated teams might end up costing you more than you bargained for.

Volumetree’s Dedicated Teams

Volumetree is an award-winning global software development company that has a presence across 3 continents. Their portfolio includes large and complex projects as well as short-term engagements of just under a week. Their talent pool has all the caviar, squids, oysters, chefs and waiters you need to ensure that you deliver the perfect seafood platter. 

Wait, what? 

Oh! What I meant was, that Volumetree has all the bells and whistles your project needs to succeed!

What?

Oh! I mean they have all the resources you may need from highly experienced project managers to programmers to testers and world-class designers that can make your project stand out from the crowd like fish from a Stargazy pie crust! I hope you get the drift.