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Team as a Service Outsourcing Model

Team as a service

What is Team as a Service (TaaS) & When to Choose This Model?

Across industries, customers demand modern, digitized solutions. To answer their requests, companies rush to build state-of-the-art apps and software, slowly draining the global pool of skilled developers.

Now that it is your turn to build a product, it’s impossible to recruit the right people. And even if you attract a few professionals, what to do when the time comes to scale (up or down)?

The worst thing you can do is put a strain on an in-house team – an approach we see way too many companies opt for. Ultimately, they realize this only leads to burnout, dissatisfaction, a drop in quality, and its final stages – high employee churn.

What if the project requires only a short-term team expansion?

Expanding the team to overcome a busy season is risky. What do you do when you no longer need those extra hands? You set aside the time and money to recruit top talent, and once the project is over, you are supposed to continue providing new and exciting career opportunities to retain them. And who knows if you’ll ever need their help again?

What you really need at this point is to downscale or switch up the internal team structure. But how do you do it without ending up with a detrimental hole in your budget or a bad brand reputation?

Here enters the team as a service outsourcing model.

What is the Team as a Service (TaaS) Model?

The team as a service (TaaS) outsourcing model refers to the temporary employment of a self-managed specialist team to build or maintain a software product. The external team quickly integrates with the in-house one and serves you only as long as you need them. TaaS enables companies to keep the team structure flexible and always match the current project requirements.

The TaaS brings on a group of specialists who don’t work directly with your in-house team. They work independently and are managed by an external or internal project manager or CTO. What differentiates the team as a service from other outsourcing models is that you have complete control over the team’s activities.

How the On-demand Dedicated Team as a Service Model Works

You hire an HR specialist with experience in software development recruitment to look for individuals instead of you. Since they have access to a broader talent pool of vetted and trained developers, they act as headhunters who find available experts for your project.

The outside recruiters do the grunt work: searching for developers with the right skills, experience, and mindset to integrate smoothly with your internal team. They narrow your search to individuals with the expertise that closes your in-house gap.

The idea behind the TaaS model is to deliver the same quality of products you would expect from your in-house team. The difference is that there is no need for additional desk space or resources you would otherwise spend on hiring and training new employees.

How is this different from hiring freelancers? With freelancers, you bring in individual members rather than an established team. This takes more time, and there’s no guarantee that you will get the right people to supplement your internal team.

TaaS doesn’t just add resources – you get a trained team of professionals who understand your vision and goals, and work diligently toward achieving them without you having to micromanage. Ultimately, this is more affordable than going through an entire recruitment, onboarding, and training process.

A Typical Team Structure: Who Do You Get With TaaS?

Building a team for a web development project can require filling different positions. In some cases, usually smaller teams, it is common to see one person assume multiple roles. However, as the project progresses, it becomes impossible for one person to multitask to that extent.

To successfully complete a software development project, you need people to take over:

The final team structure will depend on your specific requirements: whether you need a specialized developer to build a custom feature, iOS programmers for mobile app development, a manager to handle operations, or someone to ensure security. Some of these roles may only be involved at different phases of the project.

Some of the most common roles include:

Project Stakeholders

Project stakeholders are involved during the project initiation phase. For smaller projects, one persona can be the stakeholder and the project manager. Their job is to oversee the entire project, manage the budget, and approve the product roadmap.

Project Requirements Analyst

The requirements analyst defines the technical requirements based on your objectives. They ensure that everything is optimized for a smooth workflow.

Information Architect

An information architect organizes and categorizes structure early in the project. They collaborate with UX/UI designers to create wireframes based on end-user needs.

Project Manager

The project manager ensures that the team meets deadlines and requirements, coordinating the project and mitigating any obstacles.

UX/UI Designer

UX/UI designers study user needs and work on the visual design and structure of the product.

Back-End Developers

Back-end developers are responsible for the functionality of the website, ensuring data flows correctly between the back end and front end.

Front-End Developers

Front-end developers build the user-facing portion of the website or application, working closely with designers and back-end developers.

Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer

QA engineers design tests and identify bugs before the official product release.

7 Key Benefits of the Team as a Service Model

Users are becoming less tolerant of bugs and expect short turnaround times for software fixes and updates. TaaS helps avoid burnout and maintain high quality with several benefits:

1. Established Team Dynamic

TaaS provides a well-coordinated team with the right chemistry to work efficiently and get the job done right.

2. Better Working Flexibility

TaaS allows scaling up or down and canceling the partnership at any point, ensuring that your project is always supported by the best team for the task at hand.

3. Continued Growth Opportunities

TaaS gives you the flexibility to evolve your product quickly and efficiently, without burnout from internal teams.

4. Reduced Costs

You save on recruitment, onboarding, training, and administrative costs, making it a more affordable option than hiring in-house.

5. Improved Transparency

TaaS offers complete control over the development process, creating opportunities for close collaboration and aligning the project with company goals.

6. Greater Availability for Other Opportunities

TaaS allows you to delegate responsibilities, freeing up your internal team for other projects and initiatives.

7. Wider Talent Pool

With TaaS, you can hire from a global talent pool, ensuring you get the best professionals for your needs.

So Who Should Hire the Team as a Service?

TaaS is ideal for companies that struggle to find local experts or cannot predict future staffing needs. It’s a good fit for:

How to Build a Relationship With a Remote Team

Working with a remote team requires careful management to build strong bonds and ensure successful project outcomes. Here are some key strategies:

1. Set Up an Onboarding Process

Provide helpful materials about the project and set clear goals to align the external team with your vision.

2. Encourage Regular Feedback

Keep communication channels open to ensure concerns and advice are addressed promptly.

3. Make Time for Regular Check-ins

Schedule recurring meetings to maintain a personal connection and stay on top of project requirements.

Over to You

Even when companies recognize the need for resource scarcity, they may not be able to determine what exactly they are lacking and how to supplement it.

Nearshore helps define requirements and discover the right people for the job. We help you build the best team, reduce time-to-market, and minimize costs without wasting time on recruitment and onboarding.