Loading...Globalization and the ever-expanding reach of technology have opened up almost unlimited options when it comes to IT staffing. Today’s IT teams are diverse, distributed and in demand.
IT team extension is a popular option for organizations that lack the desire or the resources to hire full-time technical experts that may only be needed temporarily for a specific project or to offset the in-house team’s workload during a busy period.
No longer constrained to hiring locally from whatever talent is available, this staffing model provides access to global pool of experts and allows organizations to scale and meet changing IT requirements quickly and cost-effectively.
Is IT team extension the same as managed IT teams?
Although IT team extension and managed IT teams sound as if they serve the same purpose, there are significant differences between the two that make them better suited for specific use cases.
The fundamental difference between the two models is that IT team extension delivers a specific function, while managed teams provide a defined approach and methodology.
Other notable differences between the two models include:
- Pricing:
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- Team extension: Tied to hours worked and availability
- Managed teams: Tied to service levels
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- Contract terms:
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- Team extension: Limited commitment
- Managed teams: Defined scope and term
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- Project management:
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- Team extension: The end client manages the team
- Managed teams: The MTP company manages its staff
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How does IT team extension help manage product backlogs?
In-house IT teams are often short-staffed and struggle to work through their day-to-day responsibilities, leaving little time to work deep into the product backlog. If you think of the product backlog as a sort of wish list, extending your IT team provides the extra resources needed to move those items from the “nice-to-have” list to the “in-progress” column.
By taking pressure off of internal IT teams, these teams are freed to work on high-value, revenue-supporting initiatives while the extended team accelerates delivery of new products and features from the backlog.
Extending IT staff provides significant cost and time savings by decreasing the expense and onboarding effort associated with hiring full-time staff. It also allows organizations to “right-size” project staffing, which eliminates wasted resources and provides access to the specialized skills and expertise that are needed specifically for the project.
How do you select the right IT team extension partner?
As with any third-party partnership, choosing to extend your IT team requires planning and a heavy dose of due diligence.
To help ensure you find a partner you can trust and who can provide the right staff for the project, preparation is key. First, define the scope of the project you need additional staff for. Your extended team will be ready to work on day one, so be sure you know what you need them to do.
Before you reach out to potential staffing sources, know what skills you are lacking. This can make a huge difference in which provider you select and how useful the extended team will be once they are staffed on your project.
And, finally, do your due diligence! Anyone can set you up with some extra developers, but if you want real talent and skills, you have to be prepared to ask the right questions.
For example, does the team have experience working on similar projects? What are their specific capabilities and areas of expertise? How does the agency source talent? Are they willing and able to provide references?
Because your extended team is likely located overseas, be sure you understand the political and economic landscape of that region. This includes considering time zone differences as well as cultural differences in communication styles, for instance.
How can Pentalog help?
Whether you need to expand the size of your existing team, fill in some skills gaps — or both — Pentalog provides the vetted engineering and digital talent you need to accelerate backlog delivery.
Pentalog’s offshore and nearshore IT staffing options provide a cost-effective, on-demand way to extend your in-house software engineering teams and scale for surges in production.
Our clients can choose from agile-trained, English-speaking experts located around the world who will integrate seamlessly with your team because they bring strong collaboration and exceptional engineering capabilities to the partnership.
Covering most popular web and software frameworks and development practices, Pentalog delivers deep talent, innovation and expertise. Our team brings global perspectives on development processes and solution building while managing your product backlog and development workflow your way.
Want to learn more about IT team extension and other staffing options with Pentalog? Our consultants stand ready to support you.
