Staff augmentation is the natural next step for enterprises and corporations looking to launch an app without having the development manpower in-house. Not every company wants to hire and integrate its own development team just to finish a single SaaS project.
This is where staff augmentation for enterprises comes in. It’s a team in a box that can handle all your development needs without you having to go through the trouble of vetting developers, hiring them, getting them to work as a team, and more. Instead, you get to start with a well-oiled machine that has already gone through this process and successfully built similar projects before.
But at the same time, approaching a staff augmentation agency comes with a lot of questions and concerns. We’re going to be answering some of the most common ones below:
The first thing to establish is exactly what the requirements are that you expect a staff augmentation to fulfil. In terms of app development, do you need them to create an Android version of your existing iOS app for example? Are they building a completely new concept? And what kind of team members will you need?
All of these questions are key to think about before you approach an agency. Not all agencies work in the same fashion, and some may be better suited to one need than another. It all comes down to the business solution you are trying to achieve.
So when is staff augmentation the right decision for your business?
If the answer to any of the above is yes, then this could be the right approach for your business.
Now the process of vetting and choosing the right agency begins. Again, by this point, you will need to have established the needs of your business and gained an understanding of what you stand to gain by outstaffing.
The next step is to create a shortlist of agencies that work in the field you are looking for expertise in. Are you looking for a machine learning agency or a mobile development agency for example? You can use these resources to start your shortlist.
Then you need to take the time to speak to all the options you are interested in and see which agency has the team available, the technical expertise, the track record, and other experience in your same industry. All of these checks help you to find an agency that can seamlessly integrate into what your company is already doing.
Some staff augmentation agencies also function as venture studios, meaning they can assist with more than just the development of an app or startup. They can, for example, assist with ideation to completion and beyond, providing mentorship based on their previous successful experience working on similar projects.
At NineTwoThree Studio, we put you in touch directly with the decision makers: our founders. You tell us everything about your vision, the company, your ambitions, and your target audience. Then we help you develop your idea into a viable MVP.
There are other significant advantages to adding to your existing team through staff augmentation. Not only are you increasing the capacity and scalability of your team, but you also get to maintain higher productivity levels and you maintain all of the equity. Learn more about how we leverage this approach in our free SaaS playbook.
Now it’s time to talk about cost. Ideally, you should come into these conversations with an average idea of what building an app or a startup will cost, at least over the short term.
Alternatively, you can get a ballpark estimate from every agency you speak to - but make sure to question what is included in the final cost. Remember: the cheapest option may not always be the best one. Try to go for something that falls in the midrange of your ballpark estimates.
At NineTwoThree, our projects typically fall between 100k and 500k for a 3-5 month build.
When building with an agency like NineTwoThree, there are typically a few steps involved in your build.
We validate ideas and solve big challenges with you through prototyping and testing ideas. Instead of waiting to launch a minimal product to understand if an idea is any good, you’ll get clear data from a realistic prototype. The sprint gives you a superpower: You can fast-forward into the future to see your finished product and customer reactions, before making any expensive commitments.
Some of the steps we take include:
This approach means we are able to take our expert team of over a decade and map out your entire project, deliverable by deliverable and tell you exactly when your product will launch.
The question isn’t just about how to build: it’s also about how to scale and achieve profitability.
Part of this scalability is trust between your company and the staff augmentation team you have hired. Transparent development is especially important in staff augmentation because it promotes a collaborative and productive relationship between the development team and the client.
When working with an external team, it can be challenging to establish trust and ensure that everyone is working toward the same goals. By practicing transparent development, clients can be assured that the development team is working efficiently and effectively, while also being able to contribute and provide feedback.
We believe in giving customers full visibility throughout the entire development process. We create project management boards on Monday.com and invite you to see all the updates about every task that the implementation team will be working on.
Each task is detailed with all the screen designs, stories, descriptions, and acceptance criteria ready for QA to test its completion. This radical transparency allows you to see the same picture we see and assures you we are on track.
Most fast-growth companies struggle to build apps quickly enough to improve their business. We define, design, test, and deploy software apps, so companies can run a more efficient and profitable business.
Building a great product is a journey, and you don’t have to do it alone. We’re experts at taking your big ideas and turning them into intuitive and differentiated products. Not only do we have experience doing this after eleven years of business, but we also guarantee our experts are the best. All our past projects were built by people we still employ today. In fact, we retained 100% of our team in 2022.
Reach out to us if you are interested in staff augmentation solutions!
