All You Need To Know About IT Team Extension

Quick Summary: IT Team extension enriches your workforce with specialized skills, enhancing project efficiency. This blog offers a comprehensive guide on the workings and benefits of IT team extension, showcasing why it can be an optimal solution for your business. Continue reading to gain full insights.

Introduction

An IT team extension represents a focused approach to staff augmentation. Instead of simply filling roles, it is geared towards precisely acquiring the skills and expertise required, seamlessly integrating them into your development process.

The extended team operates in harmony with the original team, 

• Reporting to the same supervisors.
• Sharing common objectives
• Utilizing identical tools
• Collaborating on the same codebase as your existing team.

Much like a full-time remote team accessing everything through an online platform. 

However, doesn't that concept resemble IT outsourcing or individuals working full-time for a company using the same tools and resources?

One might argue that team extension equates to outsourcing, given that the extended team is located outside the office. However, with outsourcing, you entrust the entire production process of a product, relinquishing a degree of control to a third party.

In contrast, you retain full control with an IT Staff Augmentation Service. Your extended team actively participates in stand-ups, meetings, and planning sessions alongside your existing developers. 

Unlike outsourcing, they are dedicated exclusively to your project. Decisions about how their time is allocated are made by you or your project/product manager, much like with your in-house team members.

Continue reading to gain comprehensive insights into team extensions and discover their potential benefits for your business.

What is IT Team Extension?

An IT team extension encompasses a group of professionals or specialists who collaborate with your existing employees to assist in achieving specific goals of your projects. 

Team extension stands apart from other outsourcing models because it enables businesses to maintain a certain level of control over the work being conducted while capitalizing on the expertise and experience of the extended team.

Companies may engage a vendor for a defined period, such as for a project's duration, or opt for a more enduring solution. Let's briefly examine why an increasing number of businesses are opting for professional team extension services.

How do businesses benefit from team extension?

The 2022 report from Deloitte emphasizes the primary factors motivating the adoption of innovation-centric outsourcing services. These encompass 

• Shifts in business strategy and operating models (46%)
• Gaining access to new capabilities (49%)
• Evolving regulatory demands (45%)
• The overarching need for cost reduction (40%)

among other considerations.

The IT team extension benefits businesses in varied ways. However, a few of them include:

• Efficient Cost Management 

Engaging external software engineers allows you to lower costs associated with salaries, retirement benefits, and insurance without compromising software quality.

• Global Talent Pool Accessibility 

The staff augmentation model empowers you to choose the best expert from a global pool of top candidates, enhancing your company's competitive edge.

• Rapid Workforce Expansion 

Given the potential for rapid shifts in a company's workload, extending your software development team proves to be the fastest and most efficient means of acquiring specialized experts tailored to your project's unique requirements.

• Complete Oversight of Product Development 

Staff augmentation grants you complete authority over the additional team members. Utilizing effective communication channels, you maintain active involvement in all project facets, overseeing budget, product quality, and project timelines.

• Quality Assurance 

A team augmentation partner assumes full accountability for the quality of their services, ensuring you achieve the desired outcomes from the outsourced developers.

• Impartial Expertise 

Temporary staff brought in via the IT team extension model can provide a fresh perspective on a particular project, suggest specific enhancements, and identify any mistakes made by internal staff due to potential company biases.

• Faster Time to Market 

Expanding your team enables a boost in your technical capacity. This, in turn, expedites project development and shortens the time to market, providing you with a distinct competitive advantage.

• Simplified Hiring Procedure

There is no need to search for tech talents with the required background and skill testing; your IT partner handles all of that. All you need to do is simply conduct a few interviews to identify the ideal addition to your team.

How does IT Team Extension work?

Software team extension entails the search for talented and skilled developers with specific experience and expertise to accomplish a designated task. Companies have the option to bring on one or more tech specialists as an extension of their team, implying the establishment of a long-term partnership.

Now, let's delve into how this model of tech staff augmentation operates. How do you identify the best match for your needs? And how can you efficiently search for the desired expertise? Here's the approach:

• Requirements Analysis 

Our team will assess your infrastructure and operations to pinpoint areas that can be enhanced. Following this, we will formulate a plan for implementing solutions where a IT team extension model is deemed beneficial.

• Requirements Listing 

In collaboration with you, we outline the role descriptions and identify any missing skills. It's crucial to locate specialists capable of accomplishing vital objectives, be it expediting processes or introducing new features.

• Selection of Candidates 

We compile a roster of potential candidates, taking into account their qualifications, experience, and essential hard and soft skills. Depending on the project, technical proficiency and familiarity with specific languages or cultural nuances of a country or region may be essential.

• Conduct Final Interviews 

Familiarize yourself with the top specialists and assess their suitability for your needs.

• Onboarding Process 

Once our candidates are approved, we handle all the administrative tasks. Moving forward, we will closely monitor their work to ensure seamless progress.

• Adaptation and Assistance 

In case project requirements shift, a team augmentation provider can seamlessly integrate new dedicated developers or phase out specialists who are no longer required.

Planning to build a dedicated team for your project? Don't forget to check out how to build a remote development team here.

Pitfalls of IT Team Extension

While extensive IT services offer valuable benefits, this approach does come with its share of challenges. Business owners should be aware of these potential pitfalls to navigate them effectively. Below, you'll find the most prevalent challenges to be prepared for, providing insight into what to expect in the event of a potential collaboration with a vendor.

• Seeking a Quick Fix 

One of the most significant errors companies make when opting for IT team extension services is viewing it solely as a short-term solution to temporarily bridge a team gap. This perspective does not lead to a successful partnership.

The Solution 

To sidestep disappointments and subpar outcomes, the key lies in cultivating enduring relationships and incorporating an extended team into your in-house team for the long haul. This approach is the path to achieving peak performance, perfect alignment with business goals, and exceptional results.

• Placing Cost Ahead of Value 

While outsourcing effectively lowers software development expenses, each engagement model has its own pricing structure. Companies often prioritize cost savings over the potential value an extended team can provide.

The Solution

Rather than solely concentrating on expenses, redirect your focus towards the value that an extended team can deliver, considering their technical expertise and capabilities.

• Ensuring Equal Treatment for Your Extended Team 

Extended team members are integral to your company's success. Yet, some business owners may forget that they are indeed part of the team and should be treated accordingly.

The Solution 

To optimize their performance, it's crucial to provide them with the same working conditions as other team members and include them in additional office activities such as corporate events. Your approach will influence their level of engagement, and by motivating them, you'll secure high-quality results for your business in the long run.

• Establishing Ambiguous 

Expectations Expanding a software development team requires additional effort in building a successful partnership. Regardless of the professionalism of your extended team, you need to articulate clear goals, expectations, and deliverables and elucidate your core business objectives for them to achieve the best possible results.

The Solution

Set objectives clearly. Take the time to outline what you anticipate from each new team member precisely. Develop comprehensive documentation that will be a valuable resource for them while working on your project.

• Don't Anticipate Instantaneous Results 

The software team extension model isn't a shortcut to quickly overcoming your software development challenges. It takes time for new developers to seamlessly integrate with your in-house team and begin delivering significant value. 

The Solution

Allow some time for the people working as an IT team extension for you. Given enough time to grasp your project's intricacies, they can yield substantial results by aligning their work with your specific requirements.

Despite all the challenges that come across, IT team extension can be implemented smoothly if done right. The section below explicitly outlines how to do your development team extension correctly!

IT Team Extension- Here’s how to do it right!

The concept of a IT team extension model may seem straightforward – simply bring in additional software developers to handle specific tasks, allowing your in-house team to work smoothly. 

Yet, in practice, integrating, onboarding, and managing your augmented team can present some challenges. Managing

Here are some tips to manage an Offshore team and foster effective collaboration between your in-house and extended teams.

• Prioritize discussion on communication methods and project management protocols beforehand. 

Effective communication is the key. Clearly convey your requirements to the extended team and ensure they can promptly adapt to any shifts in the project's direction. Additionally, address the use of project management tools – ideally, the extended team should be proficient with the same ones employed in-house for seamless collaboration.

• Establish SMART KPIs 

To ensure your extended team operates at the desired level of effectiveness. 

Set SMART 

S- Specific

M - Measurable

A- Achievable

R- Realistic

T- Time-bound

These KPIs offer a clear indication of your remote developers' performance and productivity, enabling well-informed decision-making. 

• Collaborate closely with your service partner on the onboarding of developers. 

While your development partner will strive to integrate new team members into your workflows quickly, your active involvement in onboarding is crucial. Before bringing in an augmented team:

1. Develop comprehensive onboarding plans and documentation.
2. Designate a responsible individual for overseeing developers' onboarding.
3. Communicate forthcoming changes in team structure to your in-house programmers.

When to consider IT Team Extension?

You might be considering IT if team extension aligns with the needs of your project and company. Having a dedicated development team to manage your project requirements and achieve the goal is the primary aspect that calls for accessing team extension services.

Here are some typical scenarios when companies and startups can benefit from this approach:

• You're a startup company looking to avoid the risks of building an in-house team. 
• Your project demands expertise or knowledge that your current team lacks. 
• Software development market rates appear exorbitant. 
• You require smooth integration of development specialists at any stage of your software development lifecycle. 
• You have plans to enhance and expand your project using cutting-edge technologies. 
• The project is extensive and intricate, necessitating additional resources for accelerated development. 
• Finding and hiring the right technical professionals within budget and timeline constraints is challenging. 
• Your team is small, and project deadlines are stringent.

Considering the IT team extension only doesn't help. Choosing a reliable team extension service provider and getting it executed appropriately is also equally essential. But how to get that done? How to choose a reliable service provider, and what could be the cost for the same? The below sections appropriately describe that. 

How to choose a reliable IT team extension service provider?

Choosing the right team extension partner for your business is crucial. It is imperative to stay well informed while counting on the service partner, as it can be a complete game changer in varied aspects. 

Here's what can be helpful in choosing a reliable service partner for you: 

• Select the Country or Region 

Determine the location where you'd like to outsource and conduct thorough research on companies in that area. If you require specialized tech expertise in a particular niche, seek out a company with a proven track record of working with clients in your target industry.

• Choose a Specialized Tech Expertise Partner 

Ensure your augmented team possesses a strong proficiency in their field. For instance, if you're embarking on a DevOps transformation, seek a software development partner with extensive and specific expertise in DevOps.

• Evaluate Reputable Service Providers

Scrutinize service providers with a solid reputation. Ensure to

1. Filter them based on location and expertise.
2. Examine website reviews.
3. Assess their presence on social media platforms.
4. Seek recommendations through word of mouth.
5. Review their online service ratings and feedback.

• Gradually Expand Your Team 

Collaborate with partners who bring value to your projects or assignments. Proceed gradually and increase team size as needed.

How much does acquiring IT Team Extension service cost?

Team extension provides extensive flexibility, allowing clients to optimize their budgets effectively. This includes bringing in an engineer with specialized skills to collaborate with an existing development team, specifically for short-term tasks or resolving specific issues.

In the end, the budgetary difference between the traditional dedicated team approach and team extension may not be substantial for most projects. 

The cost of  IT team extension service can vary significantly based on the geographical location of the developers. For instance, a US company expanding its team with US-based developers typically incurs an average annual cost of $102,672. 

Conversely, businesses hiring developers from the UK can expect an average yearly expenditure of £45,070. Therefore, this completely depends on the country or location you are opting for to acquire services from.

However, this isn't the primary objective of the service.

The fundamental distinction between team extension and conventional services lies in heightened efficiency at critical stages with a strong emphasis on loyalty.

How YTII can help in IT Team Extension?

The extended team model can act as your magic wand, delivering the desired solutions while saving costs, expediting the hiring process, and accelerating your time-to-market. All that's required is to choose the right vendor, finalize a contract, seamlessly integrate additional tech experts into your in-house team, and watch them excel in their roles.

Team extension offers the stability your team requires, enabling you to introduce new skilled talent to collaborate seamlessly with your existing team. These extended team members share the same long-term goals as your in-house developers.

We trust this blog has provided you with comprehensive insights on Team Extension. As pioneers in this field, Your Team in India has empowered over 5000 businesses and continues to grow. 

Get in touch today to discover how Your Team in India can assist in scaling your business as your extended team.