The need for expert software and app developers keeps increasing every other day. That is why many startups and even established businesses opt for software development outsourcing because of the many benefits they get from this model.

Since the need for expert software development team keeps on rising, both developers and business owners need to learn and comprehend team extension. Through this approach, tech companies can meet the tightest deadlines, get top talents, and deliver top-notch products and services in a highly competitive environment. This guide will give you all the valuable insights you need to read about the team extension model, including the benefits, challenges, and processes.

What is team extension?

Team extension is all about adding other expert members with skills and knowledge in a particular field to an already existing team to maximize production and speed up the processes.

Ideally, team extension is effective, especially when you want to meet a new initiative or when a project in process has a tight deadline. The extended team, therefore, offers extra support without affecting the original plan set by the original team.

Besides, team extension plays a big role in adding extra skills or complementing the already existing team with valuable skills that will scale the project in progress. Unlike some other software development hiring models, team extension focuses on long-lasting partnerships with the tech team and the hired experts. This makes the whole process reliable and flexible while minimizing extra expenses.

The pillars of team extension

Of course, every software development hiring model has its core values that distinguish it from other models. The team extension model is governed by the following pillars or rather core values.

• Team augmentation

Team augmentation is all about introducing new and valuable skills and abilities to the team to enhance the process for improved results. Team augmentation can only be achieved by adding new and skillful members to an existing team.

• Shared responsibilities between teams

With an extended team through the team extension model, you can divide responsibilities between the existing team and the extended team evenly. This helps each team to focus on incredible service delivery, thus making the project turn out successfully.

• Having control over your project.

Of course, team extension is all about adding experts and professionals to a team to add value to the projects. Once you hire professionals, you don’t need to worry about anything. As professionals, the extended team understands the basics, the plans, and the ideas that can make the project turn out successfully. Therefore, you will always have all the updates and useful insights appropriately.

What are the benefits of team extension?

There are many benefits you get as a result of team extension. These benefits include the following:

• Scalability

When it comes to managing any tech development team, one of the significant aspects to consider is the ability to scale the team. The hiring and screening processes can be time-consuming and daunting, especially when you want to extend your team. Besides, your business or project might require some experts with specific skill sets, and this can be hard to find. In such instances, team extension is the most viable solution since your main focus is on the values and skills the team extension adds to your business as a whole.

• Improved communication

Among the key elements that escalated the success of a project is effective communication among the teams. Improper or misinterpretation of information can make the whole project go down, and this means wasting time and other valuable resources. With the extension team models, communication is quite clear between the extended team and the team handling the project. Besides, both teams are skillful and understand clearly the plans, requirements, and dynamics of the project at hand.

• Access to top talents

With the extension model, your business is open to experts from across the globe. You not only depend on the local talents but extend your search to international markets until you get the exact experts you need to fill the existing gap in your team. This not only enhances the flow of the projects but also ensures you get quality results afterward.

• Shared responsibility

Share responsibility will not only motivate your employees but also ensure high-quality work is delivered even when the deadline is tighter. Besides, shared responsibility gives all the teams a sense of teamwork and collaboration to promote a seamless process of product development.

• Transparency in pricing management

In any business setup, especially when dealing with employees, there are always those hidden costs that one may not realize. For instance, employee benefits, office supplies & requirements, and other miscellaneous charges. These hidden expenses often escalate within a short time frame, and with time, you can realize how heavily you have spent on a given project.

With the team extension model, there are no hidden expenses. You simply agree with the extended team on terms of payments and the overall fee required for the whole process. Therefore, you can easily track and manage all your expenses, ensuring your business is financially healthy.

• Better project management

A project that isn’t well managed is likely to flop. Still, improper project management can lead to a waste of materials and time and frequently missing deadlines. This can be inappropriate for the business and can lead to business failure.

With the team extension model, you can assign a project manager the task of overseeing the progress of the work, or you can choose to oversee the project’s progress by yourself. In any case, the project management process in the team extension model is highly flexible, seamless, and transparent, ensuring all the details are covered appropriately.

• Improved market penetration

As the tech world keeps advancing, the need for fresh and innovative ideas for any product and service delivery also grows. An extension team model makes it possible to channel professionals and experts to an already existing team. These professionals come with creative and innovative ideas that can push the project to the next level, ensuring you stay ahead of the competitive market.

What are the team extension model challenges?

While team extension offers a wide range of benefits, especially in relation to project management, the same model also possesses some challenges, as described below:

• Team Assimilation

Sometimes, it may take a while before the extended team blends and starts walking toward the same objective as the already existing team. This can vary based on the communication skills and leadership styles adopted by the existing team. If your existing team feels at home, then the extended team will blend in perfectly; both teams can collaborate and work together smoothly. However, if the already existing team feels unmotivated, the extended team might feel the pressure of working in such an environment. In any case, ensure you highlight the requirements and objectives clearly to both teams to avoid pitfalls along the way.

• Cultural Barrier

With the team extension model, you can source top talents from anywhere across the globe. While this exposes you to top talents who will bring value to your business in one way or another, it can impact the performance of both teams, especially when the cultural practices are different.

For instance, if your existing team is fluent in English while the extended team struggles with English, it can be tough for the two teams to collaborate effectively.

• Complex and daunting process

Before you get the right team, it takes time resources, and requires you to be extra attentive. Of course, you will find as many extended teams as you can to add to your team. However, the complexity comes in when you have to define the exact needs of your company, and you have to figure out the appropriate team that will fit it. In fact, you might need to hire business analysis at an extra cost to guide you in selecting the extended team that will add value to your business.

• It is a long process

Especially if you want instant results, the team extension model might not be appropriate for you and your business. There are many elements you must factor in to ensure the whole process is seamless and worth the effort. If not well-calculated and planned, you might spend more time hiring and integrating extended teams into your existing team.

When to use the team extension model

Not all instances are appropriate for team extension. Below are some common instances when the team extension model works appropriately:

• When you are just starting and don’t want to commit to building an in-house team
• When the project at hand requires extra skills and knowledge that your current team doesn’t have
• When the software development market rates keep fluctuating
• When you want to enhance the integration of development experts at a phase of the development stages.
• When you want to enhance future projects by incorporating new technologies and resources into your project.
• When you have a small team, yet the deadlines are quite tight
• When you are finding it hard to get the appropriate talents within a limited timeline and with a set budget.
• When the project at hand is large and tough, there is a need for extra manpower to escalate the development process.

Steps to follow to ensure successful integration of the extended team into the existing team

Once you have figured out that you need to integrate an extended team into an already existing team, there are rules, tips, and measures you should take to ensure the whole process turns out successfully. The rules include the following:

• Define the experts or professionals you want

Based on the dynamic of your business, define the goals and roles you expect the extended team to achieve. Next, ensure your existing team lacks the required skills and knowledge required to scale the project. Once you are clear here, you can establish the steps to integrate the extended model into your team.

• Set project’s goals and requirements

Next, set up the rules and requirements for the project. This will enable you to present these details to the right team as you search for the appropriate extended team for your project. These requirements and goals will ensure you get the appropriate team that will meet all the objectives of your business. Here, market research is quite crucial to ensure you streamline the process effectively.

• The screening processes

With the project’s requirements and goals in place, you can begin the screening process until you get the right team to integrate with your already existing team. Make sure the team has all the relevant tech and soft skills required to enhance the integration of both teams.

• Integrating the teams

This is the most crucial step in the whole process of hiring through the team extension model. You must be careful and pay attention to details. All the extended team members must be familiar with the plans, requirements, and processes of the project at hand. Introduce the new teams to the existing team as you give an overview of the operational processes, technologies used, and the policies governing your business culture.

How much does it cost to hire a team extension?

While team extension is an incredible way to solve most of your project’s challenges, it can be hard to approximate the exact cost you will incur. This is because the processes vary depending on a number of elements. Among the top factors include the following:

• Location of the extended team

An extended team from the USA will attract more charges than an extended team from Asia. The pricing model variations are always a result of living costs and access to improved technologies and resources that will scale the business higher. You only need to ensure you get the right team that will add value to your business as a whole.

• Expert levels of the extended team

Of course, a highly experienced extended team will attract more charges than a team that is just beginning. Therefore, based on your budget and business dynamics, choose a team that will deliver exclusively within your budget.

• The size of the extended team

If your project is quite large, you might need to add more talents to the already existing team to escalate the whole process. Therefore, the bigger the extended team, the more you will spend on the extended team.

• Complexity of your project

Does your project require special experts? A more complex project will require you to add many experts to make the process successful. This, therefore, will mean spending more on extended teams. You can always get in touch with Aalpha Information Systems, India, for a quote for your team extension requirements.

Conclusion

There are many ways to scale your software development business. Once you realize the need for adding extra talents and skill force, you can always consider the team extension model for the effectiveness of your project. Use the processes described in this guide, and you will never go wrong with team extension.

Finally, to know more consider connecting with offshore development center!