The Benefits of Outsourcing Non-Core Tech Development as a Start-Up.
One of the biggest mistakes a tech start-up can make is having its core development team working on non-core tasks. As a start-up (or any stage of business, for that matter), growth in core aspects is the greatest asset to scale your business. So, how do you ensure your core developments are getting the attention they need? It’s simple, by outsourcing your non-core tech developments. The specific functions of core vs non-core developments will vary depending on a company’s vision; however, the categories remain pretty much the same. Core developments include feature development, architecture, and back-end development, whereas non-core includes front-end development, limited modules and components, internal tools, systems integration, and customization.
Outsourcing the latter through an independent consulting firm or other large corporations can lead to several benefits; Access to Skilled Experts, Increased Productivity and Efficiency, Saving Money, and Availability for Growth.
1. Access to Skilled Experts
Although not the case for all, it is common for start-ups to hire new, junior engineers as members of their core team; this comes with a slew of benefits, but not without a paring downside. No matter how eager or impressive their work ethic, junior engineers simply don’t have the experience that a senior engineer would. It’s common for start-ups to lack the appropriate in-house resources and skills to complete all tasks, which is a solution outsourcing can solve. Outsourcing gives companies access to skilled experts with experience in a wide range of technology domains. Start-ups benefit from this access and see results in better and more efficient work that would not be achievable through exclusively internal teams.
2. Increased Productivity and Efficiency
Having your core team placing time and energy into the development of non-core tasks is a time drain. You want your in-house team to be utilized for what you hired them for, developing and driving your critical tasks, which in turn propels your company forward. Keep your team focused by delegating peripheral tasks to someone else. As a start-up, time and labour are valuable; you can’t afford to have non-core developments taking up these resources. Outsourcing to a consulting firm streamlines work environments, allowing freedom to focus on strategic, creative and innovative thinking around fundamental developments, maximizing the productivity and efficiency of your central team.
3. Saving Money
Now, it may seem like a backwards solution to spend what little money a start-up has hiring another party to develop non-core functions, but you’ll find that outsourcing actually saves you money (and stress!). This is because you avoid the cost, time, and stress of recruiting a new employee(s), who you will then have to onboard, train, and pay a full salary and benefits. Instead, outsourcing gives you access to highly skilled workers on an as-needed basis, significantly lowering costs without jeopardizing the quality of work. In fact, with a bit of research, you’ll find a lot of consulting firms that operate offshore, decreasing costs even further.
4. Availability for Growth
Having an external team completing tasks simultaneously to your core developments sends the scalability of your company through the roof. Functions are conducted at a significantly increased capacity without sacrificing quality. Your start-up can reap all the benefits of a large, developed team without the time, money and resources it takes to build such.
