How to Hire a Dedicated Development Team That's Right For Your Business in 2023

The dedicated development team model has been growing in popularity among startups and well-established businesses that want to keep pace with the competition in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Opting to hire a dedicated development team has the potential to be a true game-changer. With their targeted expertise, commitment, and focused approach, a dedicated team can turn your vision into a reality and deliver great results, all while keeping your cost reasonable.

However, finding the perfect team that aligns with your project requirements can be challenging. In this post, we will take you by the hand and walk you through the steps necessary to hire a tailored development team for your business.

What are Dedicated Development Teams?

A dedicated development team is an agile software development model that involves hiring professionals who work as an integrated extension of a company's in-house team for a specific project. The hiring company manages These dedicated team members, even if they are located in different countries or continents.

The Advantages of a Dedicated Development Team

Choosing to hire a dedicated development team offers some undeniable advantages:

Cost Efficiency

This model's most apparent advantage is eliminating the need to hire full-time employees and saving on salaries, benefits, and overhead expenses. Onboarding costs are also eliminated as dedicated teams are already experienced.

Hiring from anywhere worldwide allows access to talent at lower rates and can significantly reduce costs without compromising quality. You only pay for the time and effort spent working with dedicated developers.

Expertise

Dedicated development teams comprise professionals with specialized skills and expertise in various technologies and domains. You can find the absolute best specialists that accommodate your project’s unique needs.

Suppose you’re a North American brand looking to enter the Chinese market. You will need a team of experts to cater to your target audience and understand the digital product required for that location. Hiring a team of experienced developers in China is a better solution.

Commitment and Focus

Unlike outsourcing to freelancers, dedicated development teams work exclusively on your project. They are fully committed and focused on meeting your specific requirements and project goals. This dedication often leads to enhanced productivity, better collaboration, and faster turnaround times.

Seamless Integration and Easy Management

Dedicated teams can seamlessly integrate with your existing in-house team. They become an extension of your organization, working closely with your team members, understanding your processes, and aligning with your business objectives.

For longer, more complex projects, you can add a dedicated project manager specifically assigned to manage the team of developers. This can remove unnecessary pressure and offer more transparency, with a project manager becoming an intermediate link helping integration.

Open Communication

A dedicated team model guarantees open communication that further promotes better conditions for collaboration between in-house specialists, hired developers, and top management.

Flexibility and Scalability

Dedicated teams offer scalability, allowing you to adjust the team size based on project requirements. Whether you need to ramp up resources for a demanding phase or downsize during a quieter period, dedicated teams can adapt to your changing needs without significant disruptions.

Reduced Time to Market

With a dedicated team, you can expedite your development process and reduce time to market. The team's expertise, streamlined workflows, and efficient collaboration enable faster development cycles, ensuring that your product or service reaches the market promptly and giving you a competitive edge.

Peace of Mind

Working with experienced, dedicated developers can provide you with much-needed peace of mind knowing that your project is in the best possible hands.

How Is The Dedicated Development Team Model Different From The Fixed Price Model?

The main difference between these two pricing models is the way the cost of a project is calculated.

With a dedicated team model, the hiring company has a clear breakdown of the time needed and an understanding of the cost of each specialist on the team. It works best for long-term projects and allows flexibility if the scope or requirements change. This model offers maximum transparency and close cooperation between developers and customers.

With a fixed price model, the price is agreed upon upfront and is usually based on the estimated project cost. This model is best for short-term projects with clearly defined requirements and goals, as it doesn’t allow much flexibility.

When Should You Choose Hiring Dedicated Developers?

• If your project needs a discovery stage

The discovery stage is a crucial and lengthy process that serves as a foundation for the entire project. The dedicated team model provides a clear breakdown of resources and time needed to explore and solidify your project’s requirements. It offers the flexibility you need to scale and adapt.

• If your project requires ongoing development and maintenance over an extended period

The dedicated development team model provides the flexibility to scale the team, adapt to evolving requirements, and ensure continuous support and improvement.

• If your project has a high potential for changing requirements or requires frequent updates and iterations

The dedicated team model is advantageous if your project has a high potential for changing requirements or requires frequent updates and iterations. It allows for agile development practices, close collaboration, and the ability to respond quickly to evolving needs.

• If your project demands specific technical skills or expertise

If you need experts not readily available in your existing team, opting for a dedicated team can provide access to the required specialists without committing to full-time hires. This is especially valuable when working on complex or niche projects.

When Does the Fixed Price Model Make More Sense?

• If your project requirements are clearly defined, with few anticipated changes

The fixed price model is a good choice for a simple project with well-defined requirements. It provides cost certainty and allows you to establish a fixed budget based on the agreed-upon scope.

• If your project has standard, straightforward requirements

The fixed price model can be a cost-effective choice for projects that can be executed using existing frameworks, templates, or plugins. It is commonly used for projects with standard functionalities and limited customization needs.

Let’s take website development as an example to illustrate the points mentioned above:

The fixed price model is best for you if you need to build a simple brochure-type website with a few static pages, standard features, and minimal customization.

Hiring dedicated developers is your best option if you need a custom-built ecommerce website with complex functionality and payment integrations optimized for multiple languages and regions.

Who Can You Hire for Your Dedicated Team?

The specific roles you need to fill in your dedicated team will depend on your project requirements, scope, and goals. Here are some key positions you can consider:

• UX Researchers
• UX/UI Designers
• Front-end Developers (Vue/React)
• Back-end Developers (Laravel / Node.js)
• Mobile Developers (Flutter / iOS / Android)
• DevOps Engineers
• Project Managers
• Product Managers
• Data Analysts
• QA Specialists

4 More Things to Keep in Mind When Hiring Remote Dedicated Developers

To maximize the chances of a successful collaboration with your dedicated development team, always remember these:

1. Clearly Define Roles and Expectations

• Clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of your internal and dedicated teams.

• Set realistic expectations regarding deliverables, timelines, and milestones.

2. Determine Time Zone Compatibility

• Ensure the team's working hours align with your business operations.

• Consider the geographical location and time zone differences of the team.

3. Foster Open Communication

• Encourage open and transparent communication between your team and the dedicated development team.

• Foster an environment where everyone can freely exchange ideas, concerns and provide feedback.

4. Establish a Transparent Workflow

• Define a straightforward workflow that outlines the development process, code repository, and version control practices.

• Establish protocols for code reviews, testing, and deployment.

What to Expect If You Choose Digital Creative For Dedicated Development

Choosing the right dedicated development team for your project is crucial for its success. At Digital Creative, we prioritize delivering high-quality solutions tailored to your needs.

As Digital Creative is based in Shanghai, China, we have the advantage of being strategically located in a global tech hub. Our location allows us to tap into a diverse talent pool and assemble a highly skilled and multilingual international team of highly-skilled specialists.

Our location and years of experience in the market enable us to offer remote dedicated development services to clients worldwide and uniquely position us to assist brands operating within China.

We can help your brand to navigate the local market and cultural landscape, providing valuable insights and connections to locate and onboard the best local talent to streamline your project.

Our experience and strong presence in China empower brands to bring their design and development projects to life while ensuring seamless communication, cultural understanding, and successful project outcomes.

Here is what you can expect if you choose us for your project:

Step 1: Initial Consultation

We start with an initial consultation - you can contact us and schedule a call or an in-person meeting at our Shanghai office.

During this stage, we take the time to understand your concept, vision, goals, and preferred timeline. It's an opportunity for you to share your expectations while we listen attentively to gain a deep understanding of your needs.

Step 2: Project Assessment - RFQ or Detailed Concept Description

If you already have a Request for Quotation (RFQ) ready, we carefully assess it to understand your project's specific needs.

However, if you don't have an RFQ, don't worry! We can work with a detailed concept description provided by you, and our team will perform a thorough assessment to help shape the project requirements.

Step 3: Proposal - Team Composition and Introduction

Based on the project assessment, we craft a comprehensive proposal that outlines the team composition, including roles and expertise, rates, and estimated time from kick-off to launch.

Our proposal will introduce you to your project's dedicated development team members. You'll have the opportunity to review their profiles and understand their qualifications and experience.

Step 4: Team Interviews with the Client

We value open communication and collaboration. If desired, we can arrange team interviews with you, allowing you to interact directly with the dedicated team members. This helps establish a personal connection and ensures the team understands your vision and requirements.

Step 5: Onboarding and Project Execution

Once all the details are finalized, we initiate the onboarding process. This involves providing the dedicated team access to the project documentation, systems, and tools.

We know how to ensure a smooth transition and foster clear communication channels between our team and yours. With a well-defined plan in place, our dedicated development team starts working on your project, following industry best practices and employing agile methodologies.

Step 6: Ongoing Support and Maintenance

We believe in building long-term partnerships with our clients. After the project delivery, we provide ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure the continued success of your software solution. Our team remains available to address any post-launch issues, perform updates, and implement enhancements based on your evolving needs.

FAQ

To summarize all the abovementioned points and address any other questions you may have about dedicated development teams (DDT), please refer to the FAQ section below.

1. How do I determine if hiring a DDT is the right choice for my project?
   Evaluate the project scope, requirements, budget, and timeline. Assess if the project requires specific expertise, scalability, and long-term collaboration.

2. What factors should I consider when selecting a DDT?
   Consider the team's skill set and expertise, communication and collaboration capabilities, cultural fit, portfolio and references, legal and intellectual property considerations, and scalability options.

3. How do I assess the expertise and skills of the DDT?
   Review their portfolio, case studies, and client testimonials. Request references and evaluate their experience in similar projects. Conduct technical interviews or assessments if necessary.

4. How do I ensure effective communication and collaboration with a remote DDT?
   Consider time zone differences, language proficiency, and communication channels. Ensure they have project managers or coordinators to facilitate smooth communication and alignment with your team.

5. Can a DDT accommodate changes in project scope or workload?
   Discuss scalability options and ensure the team can flexibly adjust resources and size based on your evolving needs.

6. When working with a DDT, how do I ensure data security and intellectual property protection?
   Have comprehensive agreements and contracts in place that outline confidentiality clauses, data security measures, and intellectual property ownership.

7. How do I evaluate the cost-effectiveness of hiring a DDT?
   Compare the costs of hiring a DDT to build an in-house team or other outsourcing options. Consider the value provided by the DDT in relation to your budget and project requirements.

8. What is the onboarding and integrating a DDT process with my internal team and existing workflows?
   Establish a transparent onboarding process, define roles and responsibilities, and align workflows. Foster open communication and encourage knowledge sharing.