Staff Augmentation vs App Development Outsourcing: How Do You Choose the Best Cooperation Model?

You want to create a mobile app for your business, but no specialists in your company can develop it? Or maybe you only hire part of the team, and recruiting the rest of the experts is not cost-effective in the long run?

If you have a positive answer to any of these questions, consider app development outsourcing or staff augmentation.

Get to know these two cooperation models applicable in mobile app projects and check which one is best for you.

App development outsourcing vs. staff augmentation

External specialists can support your app development in different ways.

Staff augmentation is one of them. It allows you to hire a specialist to join your in-house team temporarily. The alternative is app development outsourcing when an external team executes the entire project.

Both solutions give you access to experienced and skilled professionals, but you need to evaluate which one would benefit your project more.

Option #1: Staff augmentation

When the external professional(s) join(s) your in-house team for a specified period or until they finish their task, we talk about staff augmentation. Such a team member adjusts to your work methods and uses the tools you want them to.

Example

In your in-house team, there are app developers, a QA tester, and a project manager. A UX designer from another company works with them.

Benefits of staff augmentation

Easy access to experts with specific skills

The advantage of staff augmentation is that it allows you to spend less time searching for someone with specific skills. If you choose a trusted app development company, they should recommend a few professionals whose profiles meet your needs regarding the project. You can check their skills by yourself to ensure that the right person will join your team.

No need to hire a new person permanently

Staff augmentation works out when you know there will be a low demand for services a team member offers after finishing their specific task. To hire such a person permanently wouldn’t be cost-effective. It would also involve a time-consuming recruitment process.

Experience transfer and know-how exchange

Staff augmentation is for companies interested in knowledge transfer. For example, when they know that there are fields, they’d like to improve or processes that call for a change. An experienced external specialist comes to your team with a different perspective and experience that can optimize the work in your company.

More control

When you want to have the highest control over the project and need the development team to use your tools, staff augmentation is for you. An external expert will adjust to the methods your in-house team uses, which enables you to monitor the progress to a greater extent.

When staff augmentation won’t work?

• When you don’t have an in-house development team at all. In such a case, it’s better to outsource the project.
• When you know that after the app launch, there will still be many tasks to perform, and hiring someone temporarily won’t answer your needs.

Option #2: App development outsourcing

When you cooperate with an external company that appoints its development team to create your mobile app, it’s outsourcing. Such a team works based on methods and tools that are often well-known to them and presents to you the progress they make on a regular basis.

Example

The external development team usually comprises software developers, a QA tester, a UX/UI designer, and a project manager. Your product owner supervises the progress and also takes part in planning the work.

Project outsourcing – benefits

Accelerated app’s time-to-market

Recruiting app development team members is a process that takes a lot of time and resources, delaying the project’s start. Without proper experience, it’s also more difficult to choose the right professionals. Thanks to the external team, you can launch the app sooner without spending time on building your in-house team from scratch.

No unnecessary employment costs

After completing some specific tasks, such as finishing the UX/UI design or launching the app, some specialists will be needed only occasionally or part-time. It’s fine for external workers who can be delegated to other clients, and you don’t have to pay for the time when they don’t have tasks related to your app.

No need to pay the total price for tool subscriptions

Tools required for mobile app projects are often available on paid plans. You don’t have to pay their total price when you choose the software agency that operates big-scale and has various clients. For this reason, developing an app with an external team is a cost-effective solution.

Focus on the business growth

Instead of spending time recruiting the in-house team and choosing the tools by yourself, you only focus on selecting the company with experience developing apps. You can spend the saved time concentrating on your core business activities or doing more in-depth research on competition, market, or potential users.

Mitigated risks

When choosing to cooperate with an experienced team, the risk that something goes wrong is mitigated. If you know that the software agency has a rich portfolio, their apps win awards, and clients’ reviews are positive, there is a good chance that your project will succeed.

Such a team can estimate the risks more accurately and predict potential problems that may arise in the making process and even after the app launch.

When project outsourcing won’t work?

• When there are already people in your company who can take care of the app development – you only lack one or a few specialists with special skills who can join the team for a specified time until the task is completed.
• When full control over the project is your priority, you may want to consider staff augmentation. This way, the team will develop the app using the tools and methods typical for your company.

What specialists can you work with in mobile app projects?

At every stage of the project, you may need different specialists. Whether you choose staff augmentation or project outsourcing, at Holdapp, we can delegate experts to support you in app development.

Stage 1. Product Discovery

Before we begin writing code, we need to determine the app project’s details. We must carefully plan features to implement. We also check if they meet user needs, allow you to achieve business goals, and their execution isn’t too costly or complex. For this reason, the following specialists are needed:

• A UX researcher collects user data to understand the target group better and help you come up with solutions that meet their needs. UX researchers may, for example, send surveys or conduct in-depth interviews (IDI). The researcher’s task can also be collecting data regarding competition and the industry.
• A facilitator is responsible for conducting the Product Discovery workshops, preparing their agenda, and supervising the course of the session so that the team can achieve the intended goals.
• A UX/UI designer participates in the workshops, analyzes the research insights with the group, and shares ideas for improving the app’s usability and ensuring the best user experiences. Sometimes, a designer also runs some activities that help the team develop better solutions.
• An app developer’s presence guarantees a more thorough analysis of the proposed solutions. They evaluate their feasibility and complexity, warn about the potential risks, and share their experience implementing similar functionalities.

Stage 2. UX & UI design and usability testing

• At this stage, a UX/UI designer prepares a user interface (UI) project, including detailed wireframes and information architecture. Optionally, a UX designer can also create a style guide with the app’s visual identification guidelines regarding the design of new elements, fonts, icons, color usage, etc.

If you decide to run usability testing, the designer will also create the app’s prototype that will respond to user interactions.

• In this part of the project, a UX researcher conducts usability testing on a prototype and analyzes the results. Together with a UX designer, they form recommendations to improve the UI project.

Stage 3. App development and QA tests

Depending on your project’s requirements, we can develop apps using native technology or cross-platform. In every case, different specialists must be involved.

Option #1 Native apps

When choosing native technologies, you need two software developers if you want the app to run on both Android and iOS.

• An iOS app developer uses Swift to develop apps for iPhones and iPads.
• An Android app developer’s task is to create an app for Android devices using the Kotlin language.

Option #2 Cross-platform app (Flutter)

When choosing the Flutter technology, it only takes one developer to build apps for two platforms.

• A Flutter app developer writes code with Dart language for apps that run on iOS and Android.

Option #3 Cross-platform app (KMP)

• A KMP app developer is a specialist who knows the Kotlin language and uses it to develop Kotlin Multiplatform apps that run on iOS and Android.
• Although KMP is a cross-platform technology, it requires native UI development, so you must find an iOS app developer for creating the user interface.

No matter which option you choose, you need a QA tester on your team. It is also recommended to involve a project manager.

• When software developers write code, the QA tester checks if the app runs correctly and reports bugs. Testers watch over the app’s quality. They draw attention to technical matters and also potential usability problems.
• A project manager’s responsibility is to ensure the project evolves in the right direction and within the expected timeframes. Together with your product owner, PM plans the next tasks. A project manager is up to date with everything that happens in the project.

Choosing the agency for outsourcing or staff augmentation

The project’s success depends on the company you choose to cooperate with during the project. Before you make any decisions, check out the portfolio of every software agency you consider.

Then, read their offer descriptions. It’s best to make sure their services include precisely what you want.

Additionally, check client reviews. You’ll find them on Clutch, for example. This way, you’ll get to know what other companies think about the agency you consider. It should help you make the decision regarding the cooperation.

Do you consider developing your app with Holdapp? Write us a message and tell us about your requirements regarding the project. We’ll recommend the best cooperation model for your business.