The IT industry is rife with modern lingo that has become the talk of the region. Some of them are groundbreaking, and others are just twists on well-known themes, but the majority of them are fleeting. What’s the deal with all of these IT staff augmentation services? Is it a modern fad or a name for one that still exists?
IT staff augmentation services are an outsourcing technique that helps businesses to address skill holes in their workforce. It all comes down to recruiting professionals temporarily. You appoint staff, usually one person, to the team who are experts in a particular area, based on the project or contract specifications. At different stages of growth, augmented workers can join your team. Their goal is to use their expertise to help you advance your ideas.
The term staff augmentation solutions refers to adding personnel to your team, depending on the project’s added expertise requirements. If you use professional outsourcing, you can complete the whole project using the services of another organization. But it’s required expertise by hiring a consultant for a certain time vs. required tasks to be completed by hiring a whole team or company to do it for you.
Outsourcing helps an organization to use the expertise of an outsourcing services supplier to complete whole tasks, enabling the company to focus its internal resources on its core competencies. Outsourcing is more concerned with programs and systems than with people. The outsourcing services company usually has detailed guidance, and calculation is typically not of individual activities, but rather in compliance with service level agreements.
Both outsourcing and using a staff augmentation firm may be cost-effective methods of obtaining the necessary manpower. While both options will transform a one-time capital cost into an ongoing operating expense, the models vary significantly.
5 differences between outsourcing and staff augmentation solutions
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Outsourcing is less specialized than staff augmentation solutions
When you outsource your IT services, you fork over all of your IT-related needs to a single firm, which provides your company with an onsite team member who acts as a liaison between the two parties. Essentially, this individual serves as a link between the outsourcing firm and the group. IT augmentation provider programs provide you with something more specialized.
When you employ a managed services contractor, they do the IT activities that you can’t handle on your own. They collaborate with the current IT team to ensure that everything runs smoothly. They offer programs that are tailored to specific requirements.
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Staff augmentation solutions are a more long-term investment
Outsourcing is typically performed on a short-term basis as a new problem arises, while companies who focus on managed resources see it as a long-term option. Staff augmentation solutions will integrate into the current systems to become one of the squad, while outsourcing entails taking on somebody temporarily to tackle a particular problem.
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Working with an IT staff augmentation services provider allows you to know the costs ahead of time
The most significant distinction between managed services and contracting is how the services are paid for. And if you’re buying a recurring service, you’ll know the actual expense upfront for managed services. In most cases, you’ll be charged monthly, and you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be spending each month.
What you pay for outsourcing is determined by the agreements you make with other firms and individuals, and success pay is often questioned. It’s unpredictably volatile, making careful budgeting difficult.
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Outsourcing gave way to Staff augmentation solutions
Outsourcing gained attention in the late 80s, but IT staff augmentation services didn’t gain traction until recently. Many people claim that the latter came from the former.
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Staff augmentation solutions focus on the effective management of assigned tasks through the use of the appropriate people, processes, and tools
IT staff augmentation services emphasize a holistic approach, while outsourcing emphasizes the most effective job rollout. For example, if a business will provide higher-quality services at a lower cost through outsourcing, they would do so.
Choosing the best solution can be a difficult task. Where in question, it’s a good idea to work with an IT consultancy company. Know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for most businesses, and a blended approach—combining outsourcing and augmentation—might be the perfect way to achieve the desired outcomes.
Interesting related article: “What is Information Technology?“