The Team Extension Model of Collaboration in Software Development

Software development is a complicated task, and you will eventually have to hire more developers during the project life cycle. If you have had any experience in building software products by now and have hired developers, you probably know the term team extension.

This article will delve deeper into what team extension model is, how this interaction cooperation model differs from dedicated development team model, and what its advantages are for businesses that have opted to outsource software development.

What is IT Team Extension and how does it work?

If you resort to the team extension model, you will hire one or more software developers with specific skills required for your current project. Customers usually manage such team members unless they delegate this right to a company that provides outsourcing services.

Team extension services are typical for reputable businesses with multiple years of market experience in this niche. Their strong suit is access to a massive pool of software developers with diverse technical skills. It allows them to quickly assemble a team in compliance with the specific project requirements.

Team extension is an approach aimed at creating long-term partnership relations. Contractors join forces with customers to help them achieve their goals. Performers also benefit from such cooperation, as they remain employed in the long run.

Team Extension vs. Dedicated Development Team Model: What’s the difference?

The Team Extension and Dedicated Development Team models are both effective strategies for scaling software development capabilities, but they serve different purposes and work in different ways.

Team Extension	Dedicated Development Team
Integration with in-house team	Dedicated team
Flexibility and scalability	Long-term projects
Short- or long-term commitment	Broad skill set
Niche skills acquisition	Offsite Management
Direct management	Cost predictability

The team extension model often requires the client’s higher involvement in daily decision-making and management, while the dedicated team model may operate effectively with periodic oversight and regular updates.

While team extension is usually sought for specific skills, a dedicated team provides a diverse range of competencies necessary for a project’s lifecycle.

Extended team members often assimilate into the hiring company’s culture and processes, whereas dedicated teams may maintain the work culture of their parent organization.

Team extension is ideal for projects that need specific skill sets or additional hands for certain tasks, while dedicated teams are perfect for end-to-end development projects or when you want to essentially set up a remote office.

Deciding between a team extension model and a dedicated development team model comes down to your project’s scope, duration, and specific needs.

When to Consider a Team Extension Model

Here’s when it’s a good fit, along with the pros and cons to consider.

• Skills Gap. You need specific technical skills or expertise that your internal team lacks. This could be for specialized domains (e.g., AI, cybersecurity) or niche technologies.
• Project overload. Your team is already at capacity, and you need additional resources to handle a new project or surge in workload.
• Time-bound projects. You need to ramp up quickly for a short-term project. Team augmentation can help you get started and deliver results faster.
• Geographic constraints. You need to expand your talent pool beyond your geographic location. With Team Extensions, you can access skilled developers from anywhere in the world.

Key Benefits of Team Extension in Software Development

That is not a new approach to outsourced software development. This cooperation model provides numerous advantages relevant to either party. Below, we list some of them.

• The extended team works exclusively on one customer’s project and remains committed to the company and its vision. When businesses build, release, and support complex apps by resorting to such services, they ultimately reduce possible risks.
• A team extended with hired remote developers is more cost-efficient than the company’s in-house employees. That is a significant advantage for projects with limited budgets or companies that lack the necessary expertise in hiring technical specialists.
• You can hire technicians with a specific skill set. For example, the in-house team will develop the back-end part, and the extended development team will engage in the front-end development.
• If you experience an increased workload on the project or want to cope with time-consuming and repetitive tasks, team extension will be a perfect solution. It will allow you to keep the right pace when working on the product.
• At different product development phases, the workload may change, and you may need some specialists for a particular technology stack. The extended team model allows you to scale on demand and change your team size (extend or reduce) when necessary.

The possibility of involving experienced and talented engineers who will work in synergy with the customer’s current team is one of the key benefits of outsourcing. The extended team will strive to reach the same long-term goals as your full-time developers. This approach lets you take the work on your projects to a new level!

Contact us to know how you can scale your business with Lvivity as a reliable extended team!