It’s time to launch or improve your product and you need a dedicated team for the job. When you search for remote dedicated developers, you start hesitating. You recall all the embarrassing stories about dedicated teams you heard. One executive, for example, was exhausted managing the team for three hours every day. During the six-month development time, he wasted 360 working hours. Perhaps this story made you doubt whether finding a well-coordinated team is even possible.

This guide helps you hire a dedicated development team and save at least 360 working hours. You will uncover:

Why choose a dedicated software development team.
A case study illustrating how a dedicated team model helps to scale business.
The benefits and challenges of the hiring dedicated development team.
How to hire a software development team: 7 steps to succeed.

What is a dedicated team?

A dedicated team is a type of engagement model. It allows you to onboard a software development team to work on a product. A service provider chooses specialists according to your requirements. A project manager handles all operational duties on the service provider’s side. A dedicated development team has a team lead responsible for technical aspects. The dedicated team model is most suitable for long-term development.

When to hire a dedicated development team?

A dedicated team model is the best option when you want to outsource a portion of the development process. But you still want a certain level of flexibility in managing scope and changing priorities.

You want to view results without daily management

With dedicated development team services, you can focus on your product’s strategic vision. For example, you save time on interviewing potential team members and building a team. When you start working with a service provider, it is their responsibility to form a dedicated development team.

A service provider is responsible for managing a dedicated team that assists you in developing and implementing a project plan. The project manager and team lead handle meetings with the development team while keeping you updated daily.

Your goal is long-term collaboration

Clients typically choose a dedicated team model for projects lasting 3 months or more based on our experience. Typically, they need custom software development. For example, our client from North America Wineshipping started to work with Sombra in November 2021. The client needed a dedicated development team to create a new customer support portal. Dedicated developers from Sombra helped Wineshipping launch the portal, and they are now supporting and updating it.

Need to free up your in-house software development team

It is another case when clients want to hire a software development team. For example, their internal software development team can’t focus on refactoring legacy systems or supporting them. Therefore, they require a dedicated development team. As a result, the internal software development team can focus on their high-priority tasks, confident that their legacy systems are properly maintained.

Forming together a dedicated software development team at Sombra

A dedicated software development team is a team of software engineers and other specialists working exclusively on a client’s project. A dedicated team is one of the most preferred engagement models in software development. It is also called a dedicated project team.

Let’s dig deeper into how Sombra helps you create a well-coordinated dedicated development team.

Verify product requirements

You have a call with our specialists to verify your product requirements. For example, you meet with Chief Technology Officer Yuriy Nakonechny and his team of Competence Leads. Here are some questions the Chief Technology Officer can discuss with you:

What goals are you trying to achieve?
What is the project’s deadline, and why is it important?
Which part of the project will be the most challenging?
How do you define “quality” in software development?

Assessing the specialists

You describe the requirements for the dedicated software development team. Our specialists form a team composition. A resource manager checks 250 internal specialists to find software engineers who meet the requirements.

Recruiters look for external tech talent if there are no talents available internally. Using their candidate databases, they find tech talents efficiently. Also, resource managers can contact our subcontractors for available specialists.

As Sombra has an office in Colombia, our recruiters now have access to 150 000 tech talents in the country. Still, we can find tech talents among 200 000 specialists in Ukraine. You can form a mixed dedicated development team from Ukraine and Colombia.

The map of Sombra offices

Locations of Sombra offices

Interviewing external candidates

Resource managers schedule 45+ minute recruitment interviews with each candidate. Then, they conduct 60-90 minute technical interviews with technical experts. In one business day, technical experts give resource managers feedback about candidates’ core skills. Candidates receive technical interview results within three business days.

As we select tech talents, you can evaluate their soft skills during our initial introductions.

Team onboarding

From your side, granting access and permission to dedicated development team members is essential. We always recommend our clients do it beforehand. They can meet with our Competence Leads, who can help them determine what permissions and documentation are needed.

A project manager works with you to onboard the dedicated development team. But you can communicate with other dedicated team members without additional charge. Select your preferred communication channels, such as Slack, Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, or others.

Team management

On average, our software engineers meet with clients five times per week. But you can also schedule brainstorming sessions or other calls.

Project managers ensure you are satisfied with the dedicated team‘s work. They communicate with you regularly, monitor and control dedicated team performance. Project managers communicate with you about every update related to your project. Even when there is no update, project managers write about it. During critical tasks, they update clients every 10-20 minutes. Also, project managers write about task endings.

Each development team has a team lead who is responsible for overseeing more than 13 project activities. For example, they resolve technical issues and challenges. In addition, the team lead gives regular feedback to the team members. They are also responsible for software engineers’ technical growth.

Sombra stores knowledge about your product and processes. It allows us to make onboarding for newly hired people efficient. Furthermore, even if one of your specialists leaves the company, their knowledge remains with us.

Project manager and team lead key responsibilities in dedicated team service

Dedicated team model: key responsibilities of a project manager and team lead

How a dedicated development team helped to build an “Awesome client portal” for Wineshipping

Wineshipping is a leading third-party logistics provider for alcoholic beverage companies in the United States. But the company “was never known for its technology”, says Pawel Smolarkiewicz, a Chief Experience and Innovation Officer at Wineshipping.

Wineshipping required a new customer support portal. Pawel realized it would take time to build an entirely internal software development team. He started to look for outsource providers to help Wineshipping develop its “next generation software.” Pawel Smolarkiewicz needed a software development company that met his key expectations:

Cultural fit;
Ability to balance expertise and experience with software development skills;
Discipline around software development process;
Creativity and flexibility.

“After considering nearly ten different vendors all around the world, Sombra just simply came out ahead of all the others in those criteria,” — says Pawel Smolarkiewicz.

Under a strict deadline, the dedicated development team from Sombra had to improve the user experience and help the client scale the business.

The Sombra team started working on the project in January 2022. War in Ukraine began just a few weeks later. However, Pawel Smolarkiewicz was impressed by Sombra team’s ability to persevere and keep the project a top priority despite individual obstacles.

“That attitude among the team just continues and has been very consistent. The team is incredibly committed, and really feels like an extension of Wineshipping even though they are remote.”

The dedicated development team from Sombra helped Wineshipping create “Awesome client portal”.

Wineshipping client portal

Source: Wineshipping Youtube channel

“We have a wonderful project manager [from Sombra] that feels very much like an extension of the Wineshipping team […]. He does a wonderful job of managing day-to-day priorities, activities, and the composition of the development team,” — shares Pawel Smolarkiewicz.

For our client that is especially important because of a 10-hour time difference with the Sombra development team. But because of “effective local project management” that overlap became an advantage.

“Our working day across time zones essentially never ends,” — says Pawel Smolarkiewicz, Chief Experience and Innovation Officer at Wineshipping.

Want a dedicated development team that works like part of your own? Contact us today to form your well-coordinated team.

Key benefits of a dedicated software development team

From our observation, a dedicated team model allows you to focus on your strategic goals. Working with a well-coordinated team gives you confidence in the development process.

Saved time on building a team

You save time selecting and interviewing candidates for your dedicated development team. A service vendor helps you verify requirements for each team member role and forms a team composition for you. For example, Sombra’s requirement verification process involves our Chief Technology Officer Yuriy Nakonechny and his team of Competence Leads.

Reduction of costs

The costs of employing in-house employees include health insurance, superannuation, commissions, and workplace equipment. When you choose a dedicated team model, a service provider handles payroll and budgeting. It is also responsible for processing salaries, recruiting, and terminating employees. When someone leaves, the service provider replaces them.

Access to global talent pool

You can hire dedicated software developers overseas. For example, software development companies from Ukraine have access to over 200 000 specialists. The country is in the top 25 for data science expertise, according to Coursera’s 2022 report.

Focus on your strategic objectives

Project managers are responsible for the performance of the dedicated development team. You can focus on your strategic vision and goals. You also save at least three hours on daily management. Instead, the project manager informs you about development progress.

Feedback from Sombra client on project management

Client’s review of Sombra project management

Proactivity

Team members of a well-coordinated team trust each other. That’s why they feel more confident about sharing ideas and discussing disagreements. Team members also focus on the result. Even if it’s not their task, they offer better solutions that add value to the client. They want to know how the client’s business works and what their target audience expects.

Want to hire a dedicated development team that works proactively? Contact us now and form your team!

How to overcome the dedicated software development team challenges

Sometimes our clients have had bad experiences working with an offshore software development team. Thus, when they hire a development team at Sombra, they worry about these challenges:

Build trust

If you’ve hired a remote development team, you may still have some doubts. Although every engagement model looks good on paper, what if you’ve chosen the wrong software development partner? Our clients often need 2 weeks to 1 month to establish trust with their dedicated development team. We provide regular updates on every aspect of your project. Even if there are no new updates, our project manager will still keep you informed. During critical tasks, the project manager will update you every 10-20 minutes.

Feedback from Sombra client on performance

Client’s review of Sombra performance

Less control over each dedicated team member

In some companies, project managers don’t update clients every day. They think there is no news for the client if there is no progress in development. That’s why you can feel anxious and start writing project managers for updates. The project manager must communicate with you every day. You also must have the opportunity to communicate with dedicated developers.

Dedicated software development team structure

A dedicated project team structure is a dedicated team composition. Typically, it comprises a project manager, dedicated developers, quality assurance engineers, and UI/UX designers. Additionally, a dedicated project team includes business analysts and DevOps engineers.

Here are IT team roles and responsibilities to consider:

Project manager

A project manager communicates with you most often about your project’s progress. As part of the project, the software development life cycle was established. Here are some of the responsibilities of the project manager:

Ensuring that the development team understands your project goals.
Sharing feedback and information among the development team.
Setting up time tracking progress.
Communicating with you and the development team regularly.

Business analysts

A business analyst defines all of the stakeholders and identifies their needs. This specialist helps you determine your objectives. Business analyst’s role in software development life cycle:

Studying the product or service your business provides.
Gather information from customers and end users to create a Business Case.
Ensure that the scope of the project is clear and complete.
Elicit, analyze, and present requirements.
Creating diagrammatic process flows of the system in the current and future states.
Verifying that the solution meets the requirements.

Software engineers

Front-end and back-end engineers participate in most stages of the software development life cycle. The front-end developers create a visible part of your product. And the back-end developers handle the server side of the product. Also, mobile app developers may be part of the dedicated development team.

A dedicated software developer communicates with customers regularly. They discuss technical vision and share their ideas.

UI/UX designers

UI/UX designers are a part of the software development team. They are responsible for the user interface and user experience of the product. UI/UX designers participate in all user flows.

Quality assurance engineers

Quality assurance engineers ensure a high level of quality. They identify bugs and potential problems with the software. Also, QA engineers plan and perform testing steps, document test progress and results.

DevOps engineers

DevOps engineers set up a Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery process. They write specifications and documentation. Also, they may manage infrastructure as a code and keep infrastructure up-to-date. In addition, DevOps engineers create a reliable disaster recovery process. Other responsibilities of DevOps engineers include:

Infrastructure and application monitoring.
Make infrastructure reliable and recoverable if needed

Factors to consider when hiring dedicated developers

Start with the review of software development companies’ websites. Also, you can browse case studies and reviews on Clutch. But among all factors, face-to-face communication is the most crucial.

Possibility of talking with software engineers face-to-face

Some software development companies don’t allow software engineers to talk face-to-face. Instead, they propose communicating only with project managers. But such an approach has a negative impact on trust. It also slows down development.

A well-coordinated dedicated development team talks with customers face-to-face. You communicate with project managers, software engineers, and other team members.

Experience and expertise

For example, a software development company has eight years of experience in fintech app development. Or it specializes in backend and frontend development. Software engineers attend a variety of tech events. They also consider professional development.

The chart of Sombra industries

Industries Sombra serves

They can work in different time zones

For example, a dedicated IT team works with clients from the United States, Canada, or Australia. Project managers have a plan for handling the development process in different time zones.

Also, the company has an option for clients who want to work in the same time zone. For example, Sombra has an office in Medellin, Colombia.

The map of Sombra’s clients

The map of Sombra’s clients

English level and communication

Software engineers must have an appropriate English level to understand technical vocabulary. Fluent English is also necessary for project managers, business analysts, and scrum masters. Moreover, team members must be confident in sharing their ideas. Active listening and willingness to dive deeper into the project are crucial.

Cultural fit

Team members can discuss the best approaches for your project. They don’t just agree on everything you say. They offer their ideas and provide feedback.

Feedback from Sombra client on Sombra proactivity Client’s review of Sombra performance

How to hire a dedicated development team?

1. Create a vision of your product

That is what you can do before looking for a software development company. Once you have a vision, you can go through the discovery phase before choosing a dedicated team. The main goal of the discovery phase is to gain a clear understanding of the product, which in turn helps define goals, requirements, scope of work, and limitations.

2. Choose your product/project manager

The product/project manager from your side communicates with a project manager from a software development firm. They also contact dedicated team members. Your product/project manager should know the technical aspects of developing your product. They also must understand your product vision and requirements. With a product/project manager by your side, you can focus on achieving your strategic goals.

3. Select a software development company

Such a partnership allows you to focus on scaling up your business. Your recruiters don’t need to spend up to 90 days conducting interviews and handling the hiring or dismissal process. Instead, a software development company handles HR processes, performance growth, and paperwork.

Here are factors to consider when choosing a software development company:

Check the ability to talk with each team member

Communication with only the project manager slows down development. Being able to communicate technical details with a dedicated software developer is crucial. Or call business analysts to verify solutions meet requirements. A software development company has to allow you to communicate with team members.

Check if the company proactively suggests team members

A software development company does not just wait for you to send them requirements. Company specialists help you create a team composition. Whenever they offer suggestions, they provide examples and numbers. In this way, you can understand the value that each team member provides.

Check if the company meets your technical needs

Companies can list the technologies they use on their websites, for example. You can usually find them on the “Expertise” page. But it is also critical to talk to a chief technology officer. If you want to try new technology, discuss it with them.

4. Prepare access for the dedicated development team

Sometimes it takes two months to prepare access and permissions for the dedicated development team. As a result, you waste your time and money during that time. Consider meeting with a Competence Lead who will help you define what access the dedicated team needs.

5. Onboard team

Participate in onboarding your dedicated IT team. Tell them more about your business. Share your vision about the project and how it helps to achieve your business goals. Also, describe your expectations.

6. Give feedback regularly

Be open when the project manager or team members ask for feedback. It will help them to understand your product vision better. Thanks to your feedback, they will identify areas for improvement.

Client's review of Sombra's performance

Client’s review of Sombra performance

Dedicated team vs other models

Want to select the most suitable engagement model for your project? Observe the difference between dedicated teams and other alternatives.

Dedicated team vs staff augmentation

Staff augmentation is an engagement model that allows you to involve specialists in your in-house team. In contrast, a dedicated team is a model for engaging a specific team to work on a particular project.

Dedicated team vs project-based team

A project-based team is a model for outsourcing specific tasks within a set budget and timeframe. The software development company chooses team composition. In contrast, a dedicated team model allows you to form a dedicated project team to perform iterative development.

Type of engagement model	Dedicated team	Project-based team	Staff augmentation
Sombra responsibility	Recruiting, HR, office premises. Team management. Propose team composition.	Recruiting, HR, office premises. Project, team and budget management. Choose team composition.	Recruiting, HR, office premises.
Client responsibility	Project vision and requirements. Provide a responsible person (project/product manager) from their side to unblock us on any issue; who is responsible for the final result of the project.	No interview with candidates. Interaction with each candidate without additional charge. Provide requirements, approve project conditions, and accept project results.	Interviewing and selecting candidates. Project communication, planning, management.
Duration	Long-term assignments.	Short-term assignments. Usually, 6-24 months. Then, clients choose a dedicated team model.	Long-term assignments.

How to Hire a Dedicated Software Development Team: Use Case, Tips, Benefits

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