One of the outsourcing models that is becoming increasingly popular is the use of a dedicated development team. This provides access to third-party talent while also reducing hiring, administrative, and operational expenses. But is a dedicated development team the right approach for your project? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is a Dedicated Team Model?

The dedicated development team model is a type of outsourcing collaboration that provides a complete solution to long-term projects. This involves a hired outsourcing team that plans, develops, and deploys a solution based on the project’s needs and requirements. The model includes the selection of professionals for each role required for the project’s completion, with the team working from the service provider’s office.

This model is suitable for large, long-term projects with changing scopes and resource allocation. Companies often use this model when they need extra talent to start new projects or when they have limited experience with certain technical tasks, as well as for running long-term projects with updates. It is similar to in-house hiring but without administrative burdens, allowing for a focus on mission-critical business tasks.

The main benefit of the dedicated development team model is the team’s full focus on the project, which increases development speed and the quality of deliverables. Additionally, the provider will manage the staff to ensure they are not overworked or understaffed and that they are working towards predetermined objectives.

When should you hire a dedicated development team?

The dedicated software development model is not suitable for every project. However, it is well-suited for long-term initiatives that need substantial efforts from both the development team and stakeholders. You can gain a lot by using dedicated software development in the following circumstances:

Early-stage startups

Startups that are just beginning can benefit from dedicated development. A dedicated development team can help turn an idea into a market-ready product, while the startup owner can focus on other business aspects such as fundraising and marketing. Additionally, hiring a dedicated development team can assist startups in having a reliable team, reducing hiring expenses, and quickly releasing the product.

Projects with vague requirements

Vague project requirements can be a source of failure for any software project. A dedicated development team is a solution to this issue, as they work from the idea stage to delivery. This team is essential for the discovery stage, which includes comprehensive market research and assessments of audiences and competitors and the production of documents that will lead to definitive project requirements.

Long-term projects

Dedicated teams are a great choice for long-term projects that lack a clear concept or vision. They can easily and quickly adjust the direction of the project as needed since they are responsible for managing it throughout its lifecycle. Additionally, their deep expertise in the project allows them to make tactical adjustments while minimizing disruption to the application’s infrastructure.

How to Hire a Dedicated Development Team?

To ensure a successful dedicated development team, it is necessary to undertake preparation, planning, and careful selection of the right technology vendor. Here are the key milestones of this process:

Choosing your technical partner

To gain the benefits of a successful partnership with the right technology vendor, you need more than just a solution and the team to build it. A mature provider will provide you with a dedicated development team that will act as an extension of your in-house resources. Here are some steps to help you secure this partnership.

Investigating

Before selecting a vendor, it is important to conduct market research. Ratings, leader matrices, and review sites such as Clutch and Glassdoor are the best places to go to in order to find the right partner. When selecting a vendor, be sure to check if their primary service is mobile application development. Clutch, in particular, offers a breakdown of industry categories, enabling you to identify a company that has the relevant expertise.

Narrowing down the options

Choose a handful of potential vendors and take a more detailed look at the companies. Do some research online to see what people are saying about them, their previous projects, and customer testimonials. A reputable company should have all of their essential info on their website. This includes a portfolio of their work, company bios, contact information, and more. Make sure the vendor’s portfolio matches up with what you need for your project.

Discussing project requirements and cooperation model

Before you get a bid from the vendor you have chosen for your project, it is essential to have a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place. This is to guarantee that any confidential data you share with the vendor will be kept secure and not be revealed to any third parties. Once you have the NDA signed, you can disclose your business idea and discuss the project requirements and cooperation model.

Interviewing your dedicated development team

A video call is typically the first step of contact with the vendor. During the initial meeting, you can discuss your business concept, project requirements, and what you expect from the team. If the initial meeting goes well, you can progress to the interviewing stage.

Interviews are the best way to evaluate the abilities of your dedicated development team. You can ask a pre-determined list of interview questions to assess the hard and soft skills of each team member. Additionally, you can bring in a tech expert for the interview if you need to evaluate the tech skills of the candidates more closely.

Signing a contract

The last step in the selection procedure is to secure a dependable vendor contract. This contract should include the range of services, length and duration of the agreement, vendor pay, and other imperative particulars. Generally, a contract can be extended, providing the option for a longer-term partnership.

Why Orangesoft is a good choice?

If you’re looking to hire a dedicated development team, Orangesoft is an excellent choice. Our experienced, carefully-selected specialists are dedicated solely to scaling your delivery capacity with their in-depth knowledge and technical expertise. With our mobile and web development services, businesses of all sizes can benefit from our dedicated team services.

The post What Is a Dedicated Development Team Model and When You Should Consider One? appeared first on Flextype.

Operational analytics solutions and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are related in that they both can be used to improve business operations and increase efficiency.

Operational analytics solutions provide businesses with real-time data and insights into how their operations are performing. This data can be used to identify bottlenecks, optimize workflow, and improve decision-making.

RPA, on the other hand, automates repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more important tasks. By automating these tasks, RPA can help businesses to increase efficiency and reduce labor costs.

Both technologies can help companies in many ways, such as:

1. Streamline processes

 Operational analytics solutions can help companies streamline their processes by providing real-time data and insights into how their operations are performing. This can help managers to identify bottlenecks, improve workflow, and optimize resources. RPA can also be used to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more critical tasks. An operational analytics solution can provide real-time data on inventory levels, sales, and demand. This can help companies identify when they need to reorder products and optimize their inventory levels, reducing the risk of stockouts and overstocking.

2. Improve decision-making

 Operational analytics solutions can provide businesses with the data they need to make informed decisions. By analyzing data from multiple sources, companies can gain a comprehensive view of their operations and identify areas for improvement. This can help managers to make more informed decisions that can drive business growth. RPA can be used to automate the process of monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and alerting managers when certain thresholds are met. This can help managers to make more informed decisions by providing them with real-time data and insights.

3. Enhance customer service

 RPA can be used to automate customer service tasks, such as answering frequently asked questions and handling customer complaints. This can help companies to provide faster and more efficient service, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Operational analytics solutions can provide businesses with data on customer demographics, purchasing habits, and preferences. This can help companies to segment their customer base and tailor their marketing efforts to specific groups of customers.

4. Reduce costs

 Operational analytics solutions and RPA can help companies to reduce their costs by identifying areas where they are wasting resources. By identifying inefficiencies and automating repetitive tasks, companies can reduce their labor costs and improve their bottom line.

5. Enhance scalability

 As companies grow, their operations can become more complex, making it difficult to maintain efficiency and productivity. Operational analytics solutions and RPA can help companies to scale their operations by providing real-time data and insights, as well as automating repetitive tasks. This can help companies to maintain efficiency and productivity as they grow.

Use case 

One example of using robotic process automation (RPA) in a company to improve operational efficiency is using RPA software to automate the data entry process. This can be done by programming a “robot” or software bot to input data from physical documents, such as invoices or purchase orders, into a company’s electronic systems. This automation can significantly reduce the time and effort required for data entry and can also reduce errors caused by manual data entry. Additionally, by automating the data entry process, companies can free up employees to focus on higher-value tasks such as analysis and decision-making.

JPMorgan Chase, a financial services company, has implemented RPA to automate a variety of tasks, such as data entry, account reconciliation, and compliance checks. This has allowed the company to reduce the time and effort required for these tasks and also improved the accuracy and consistency of the data entered. Additionally, by automating these tasks, JPMorgan Chase has been able to free up employees to focus on more complex and higher-value tasks such as fraud detection and customer service. Other examples of companies that have implemented RPA include American Express, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America.

To sum up

Operational analytics solutions and RPA are powerful technologies that can help companies to streamline their processes, improve decision-making, enhance customer service, reduce costs, and enhance scalability. Companies can gain a competitive edge and improve their bottom line by implementing these technologies. As technology evolves, businesses that invest in operational analytics solutions and RPA will be well-positioned to take advantage of new opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.

The post 5 ways how tech can help with business operations appeared first on Flextype.

When developing an application, businesses have two choices: either they can utilize their own resources to establish an in-house department or outsource app development.

At Orangesoft, we provide you the two pricing options:

• Fixed pricing model
• Time and materials model

These are two price models that are now the most common in software development, and there is a significant gap between them. This article will help you decide which option is most suited to meet your requirements by examining the benefits and drawbacks of each option.

What Exactly is a Fixed Price Contract?

A fixed price contract is a contract in which a customer and a vendor agree on a set scope of work, deadlines, and payments. To define the project’s parameters using this model, you do not need prior software development experience. At Orangesoft, we can assist you with determining the pain points of your project and writing a comprehensive project specification. Based on the requirements, we can then produce cost and time estimates for the project.

The Advantages of Using a Fixed Price Contract

Fixed Budget

When using a model with fixed pricing, the customer is aware of the total amount of money that will be required to build an application. The price is stipulated in the contract and won’t change at any point.

Fixed Deadlines

Because the app’s specifications are laid out in advance, a customer may expect to get a ready app on the initially estimated date. In addition, when the customer is aware of the deadline, they can better prepare for post-launch activities in advance.

Minimal Efforts in Management

All of the features of the project have been thoroughly documented to facilitate their speedy transfer to the development team without the need for extra participation from the client.

Predictable Results

The project’s desired outcome is discussed with the client and included in the scope upfront so that the client is aware of what to expect.

Disadvantages of a Fixed Price Contract

• Less room for flexibility
• Customers may be charged extra fees if there is a need to change project requirements.
• Slow Project Launch

The client and the development team can invest a significant amount of time in mapping out the product development roadmap in detail. Since this procedure might be time-consuming, it may become a possible barrier to meeting tight deadlines.

Less Control

You, as the customer, won’t have the ability to evaluate the quality of the code, the members of the team, or the skill level of the developers who will be working on the project. When using this approach, the vendor is entirely accountable for the management of both the team and the project. However, it doesn’t mean you would be kept in the dark about the process.

Higher project cost

When estimating the cost of a project, a vendor would often include risks; hence, the project’s ultimate cost may be higher when compared to the fee incurred using the time and materials technique.

When Is It Appropriate to Use a Contract With a Fixed Price?

Small projects that include just the most fundamental features and lasting no more than three months.

Minimum Viable Products that have a restricted budget and need fundamental functionalities initially

Projects with stringent deadlines and budget

Projects that have been designed with a predetermined feature set in mind

What Is a Time and Materials Contract?

A time and materials contract, often known as a T&M contract, is quite different from the fixed price approach, in which you are given a fixed amount of money before beginning your development project. Your software project will be developed according to the terms of a T&M contract, which stipulates that you will pay the vendor for the work hours, materials, and equipment used. In addition, the T&M model is quite adaptable. Thus, it can easily accommodate new features and modifications.

The following strategy is effective when it is impossible to predict how much a project will cost or how long it will take to finish development. When using this approach, there are no predetermined time limits or costs for the project’s development.

The Benefits of Utilizing the T&M Contract Model

The high degree of adaptability

Because the Agile methodology is used, it is easy to make quick adjustments to a project whenever such adjustments are required. In this situation, the vendor can use a product approach to swiftly respond to users’ feedback and market trends. Re-prioritizing tasks in the development process, adding or eliminating features, etc., are all examples of this kind of change.

Fast project launch

Because the project’s specifications don’t need to be as thorough, the planning stage is quicker than in a fixed pricing project, so you may start the work on app development earlier.

More control over the project

You will take part in all the stages of the development process, including sprints, iterations, and meetings at which you will be able to discuss the work that has been made and determine the next steps.

Cost-Efficiency

The T&M model does not charge a flat rate. When a client hires senior software engineers, they pay a more significant expense than when hiring junior specialists. In addition, you can control the amount of time a team spends working on a particular task.

Which Pricing Model Is Right for Your Project: Fixed Price or Time and Materials?

Each kind of collaboration comes with a unique set of benefits and drawbacks; for instance, the T&M model’s adaptable nature allows it to cover any unplanned overages, but a fixed budget and deadline may ensure that your product is completed on time.

Summing Up

Both cooperation models have advantages and disadvantages, and different kinds of software development call for different types of cooperation. To choose an appropriate pricing model, you must first grasp the requirements of your project, including its scope, budget, and deadlines, as well as your desired degree of involvement.

At Orangesoft, we have the expertise in dealing with the time and materials contract type and the fixed price contract model. Because of this, we believe we have sufficient knowledge to contrast the two pricing models and present you with our recommendation as an expert on how to choose the best model to fulfill the specific needs of your project.

Despite the fact that we usually use the T&M model in our work, the fixed price contract is an alternative that might be considered if a project calls for a different approach.

Contact our team at any time if you would want to confirm your choice with an outsource development agency.

The post Fixed Price vs. Time and Materials Contract: Which One to Choose for Your Project? appeared first on Flextype.

Once created, any content needs to be published and then it needs to be managed, updated and distributed online. Regardless of the size of the website, this is a time-consuming task that is accomplished with a content management system (CMS).

There are currently about 300 different CMSs available on the market. When managing content with their help, programming skills are not needed at all, and administration is reduced to simple repetitive functions – for example, creating new sections and copying text from Word in the built-in editor. It uses a graphical user interface that is intuitive for most people in the smartphone age.

The software itself is an interactive resource, a so-called web application. In practice, it works in such a way that employees go to their login page to get to the part of the site that is invisible to visitors. This part is called the backend. The publicly accessible part of the website is the interface.

The backend is used to customize the resource and manage content. Without a CMS, website operators would have to edit the page for each change using an HTML editor and then upload it to the server using an FTP program. With a CMS, this is no longer necessary.

The ease of management makes these systems ideal for supporting both large and single-page sites. Some of the CMSs are free and some are open source, which means that each owner can make edits to meet the requirements of their own unique projects.

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