Staff Augmentation vs. Managed Services

When it comes to launching projects quickly and on budget, businesses have a couple of ace strategies up their sleeve: Staff Augmentation and Managed Services.

Both options have their perks and can significantly cut down on the time and expense of searching, interviewing, and onboarding new employees. We’ll  break down these two approaches and see which would be the right fit for your next project.

What is Staff Augmentation?

Imagine you’re baking a cake, but you realize you don’t have eggs. You could run to the store, but your neighbor has some to spare. Borrowing those eggs is like staff augmentation: you temporarily bring in exactly what you need. In business terms, staff augmentation allows you to add skilled professionals to your team on a temporary basis. Need a developer to code your new website? A designer for your rebrand? Augment your staff for just as long as you need them, without any long-term commitment.

Benefits of Staff Augmentation

Flexibility and Scalability: Adjust your team size dynamically, matching your workforce to your current project needs without any fuss.

Expertise on Demand: Tap into a pool of highly specialized skills and bring in experts who can dive into the work right away.

Cost Efficiency: Save on the long-term costs associated with hiring full-time employees, such as benefits, training, and overhead expenses.

What are Managed Services?

Switching gears, managed services are like hiring a caterer for your party. Instead of cooking yourself, you let the experts handle everything from start to finish. In this model, you outsource entire projects or functions to a company that manages all the details. They’ll use their own staff to ensure your IT system is humming smoothly, your customer service is sparkling, or your marketing hits the mark.

Benefits of Managed Services

Comprehensive Solution: Instead of piecing together your project with various professionals, get everything handled by one skilled team.

Consistency and Quality: Managed services providers are experts in their fields, offering a consistent level of service and output.

Simplified Management: Reduce the complexity of managing multiple contracts and vendors. One provider, one contract.

Staff Augmentation vs. Managed Services: Which to Choose?

The choice between staff augmentation and managed services boils down to your specific needs:

Project Specificity and Control: If you need specific skills for a particular project and want to maintain control over the process, staff augmentation is the way to go.
Full-Service Management: If you’re looking for a hands-off approach where everything is taken care of, managed services are your best bet.

Conclusion

Both staff augmentation and managed services offer significant advantages for companies looking to launch projects quickly and cost-effectively. By choosing the right strategy, you can avoid the lengthy and expensive process of hiring and onboarding new employees, and instead focus on getting your projects off the ground faster.

If you’re ready to jumpstart your next project without the hassle of expanding your permanent team, Protovate can provide a nimble staff or comprehensive managed services.

Protovate can enhance your team or be your team. Contact us for a free consultation.

Protovate pioneers new software, new systems, and new ways of working to bring your concept to life. Our hybrid-shore software development outsourcing model gives you access to the ideal talent to make it happen.