How to choose and manage your dedicated development team

Companies across the globe collaborate with outsourcing vendors to expand their aptitudes, tap into new markets, and optimize costs. Many of them consider hiring a dedicated development team to scale quickly, minimize costs, and reduce associated risks.

Blackthorn Vision has helped companies from startups to Fortune 500 leaders build and augment their software development teams. In this article, we will share our expertise in selecting and setting up remote teams.

How to make sure a dedicated team model is right for you?

While there are many benefits of working with dedicated software development teams, it’s not a universal solution. You will get the most out of the dedicated team model if at least some of the following statements are true:

Your final goal is unclear

In case you don’t have a project roadmap on hand, your project requirements may change at each step of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). With a dedicated development team, you get a flexible partner that quickly adjusts to changes in the project course. You can change technologies, add features, and scale your product as needed.

You have a long-term project

Long-term projects that take a year or more require constant attention. Any changes in team arrangement lead to extra costs on recruiting, hiring, and knowledge sharing. With a dedicated team model, your software development service provider takes care of all HR activities and associated risks.

You need a workforce boost

If you already have an in-house or remote development team but lack specific tech expertise, hiring dedicated specialists will be your best shot. Besides, you won’t waste time on project onboarding and bureaucracy: an augmented team gets to work straight away and ramps up your project within a week or two.

You need top-notch talent

A dedicated software development team concentrates the best IT talent under one roof. Your dream team may include a dedicated project manager, a business analyst, dedicated designers, quality assurance engineers, and dedicated developers. You can scale the team up and down based on your project needs – dedicated specialists will maintain, foster, and share unique expertise within your project.

Your budget is limited

Many companies outsource development for economic reasons, but not everyone knows that dedicated development teams cost 30-40% less than fixed-price projects. You and your vendor shake hands on a monthly payment for each team member before the project starts. Thus, your project costs are more transparent and easier to predict.

Where to find and hire a development team?

First off, decide on the most suitable type of outsourcing for your company. Nearshore outsourcing has proven to be the most reliable and efficient type of engagement. It means that you collaborate with a vendor in close geographical proximity to your company’s headquarters. This way, you can establish better control over the development process and ensure open communication within your time zone.

Ukraine remains one of the top outsourcing destinations for software development services alongside Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic. So, if you’re located in Western Europe and looking for Senior-level engineers with deep industry expertise, hiring software developers in Ukraine may work for you.

How to choose a dedicated development team?

Let’s say you decided to partner with a dedicated development team in Ukraine. How to choose the right vendor among 185 companies on the market? Worry not; just follow our tips!

Research & compare

There are numerous platforms specialized in ranking software development companies based on various metrics. Clutch.co, The Manifest, GoodFirms, and others gather data such as portfolio, hour rates, industry focus, tech stack, and verified client reviews. You can start by looking at top firms in a required category or use filters for a targeted search.

Validate skills & experience

Look for a company with experience in building dedicated software development teams. Check case studies on a vendor’s website to make sure they deliver products in your field or industry. Furthermore, you can validate their brand: employee retention, average project duration, and quality of customer service.

Opt for a flexible approach

Adherence to the client’s budget, timezone, and work culture is necessary for the project’s success. Select a vendor that offers solutions tailored to customer’s business needs and adopts agile methodologies in software development. It’s impossible to foresee the future, but this approach leaves room for sudden changes to any product component.

Discuss your budget upfront

Make sure your provider has transparent pricing, but be willing to go a bit over it if necessary. Whether you’re on a tight budget or not, don’t sacrifice product quality. Things like user research, prototyping, quality assurance, and after-launch support are as important as code.

Pay attention to the contract

There are three pillars that legally protect your interests when hiring remote developers:

• Non-disclosure agreement protects your company’s sensitive data.
• Master services agreement is the main contract that covers payment terms, intellectual property rights, and dispute resolution.
• Statement of work covers down-to-earth terms and conditions of a project, including billing type, schedule, deliverables, duration, and more.

Typically, software development service providers handle all legal aspects.

Ensure smooth communication

Communication between the team and a client is a crucial part of the project’s success. You should be aware of every major decision and overall development process and have access to a project roadmap. Ask your project manager to keep you in the loop through video calls or in-person meetings on a convenient schedule – for example, once a week or upon reaching a certain milestone.

How to build and manage your dedicated team?

So, you’re ready to start your project with a dedicated software development team. What to expect from cooperation with Blackthorn Vision? There are 5 key steps of building and managing your dedicated team:

Outlining project requirements

We set up the backbone of the project by clarifying and visualizing project goals. This information helps us understand the project’s tech stack and create job descriptions. You will get recommendations on the best team configuration according to your project’s needs.

Staffing

We find candidates that match your job profile and conduct all screening activities and background checks.

Assembling a team

We put together candidates with matching experience, hard and soft skills, and English proficiency. Furthermore, we take care of all onboarding activities and project briefings.

Streamlining management

We make sure your dedicated developers are motivated and committed to the project. We continuously improve and optimize our management and assess performance using various methods.

Enhancing communication

We keep the development process effective by establishing seamless communication with the team. You can join daily team meetings and sprint planning, or receive updates from a project manager whenever you want.

After the product is released, you can renew your contract with the team to work on improvements and support.

Why dedicated development team model works?

With over a decade of experience building and managing dedicated teams, Blackthorn Vision has successfully completed 70+ projects. Our expertise proves that dedicated development teams work best for long-term projects compared to other models.

SciChart is a cross-platform charting library that serves thousands of customers worldwide. It is used in systems ranging from Automotive to Defense, from Pharmaceutical to Oil & Gas, from Investment Banking to Trading. During our 8-year cooperation with the client, we harnessed complex technologies to visualize real-time big data across platforms, devices, and embedded systems. Today, SciChart abolishes common limitations in the field and ignites the imagination of project managers and developers.

The Connected Production project is the result of our partnership with Rockwell Automation Inc. Over the last 7 years, Blackthorn Vision’s dedicated development team has been creating and improving the Digital Oil Field solution. All operational challenges were solved by precise end-to-end analytics. The solution takes care of tracking and accumulating large amounts of data in order to present actionable insights to employees.

RemiPeople is a SaaS platform for smart recruiting with a customizable online assessment tool. Throughout our 4-year collaboration with the client, we developed a solution that automates several stages of the recruitment process, including interviews and aptitude tests. The platform allows eliminating human mistakes caused by biases and objectively evaluating candidates’ performance.

Summing up, a dedicated team model is a good option if you want to create a cutting-edge product while having complete control over the process and staying mobile in business decisions.

Blackthorn Vision has been recognized by Clutch.co as one of the best developers in Ukraine in 2021. So, if you’re planning to kick off your software development project and looking for a reliable partner, get in touch. Let’s create something truly amazing together!