When embarking on a project as significant and important as developing an application, a crucial dilemma quickly arises: choosing between a specialized agency or recruiting your own in-house team to accomplish the work. One thing is certain, both options present distinct advantages and constraints.
To make an informed decision, it's important to examine these two alternatives considering the key aspects of a software project: costs, project management, team, and expertise.
Costs
Let's not hide it: developing an application is expensive! Costs are often the variable that prompts many decision-makers to opt for recruiting an in-house digital team. However, the decision depends on several factors, but mainly on your own business objectives.
If the goal is to develop and create your product alongside operational activities and adopting a more progressive approach, recruiting an in-house team may prove to be the appropriate and most cost-effective option in the long run. If the ambition is to quickly create a proof of concept (MVP) to validate the idea with the market without committing too much financially and without having to undertake a time-consuming and expensive recruitment campaign, then collaborating with an could be the optimal solution.
Project Management
Planning, controlling, and piloting a digital project can be complex, especially if it's your first one. Involving a development agency offers the advantage of accessing a team of specialists accustomed to working together who, in addition to possessing diverse experience and expertise, have a deep understanding of the issues and pitfalls to avoid. Managing challenges related to design, user experience, software architecture, security, performance, and development is second nature to them! This knowledge and skills enable building and maintaining a project on solid foundations following best practices.
Some may say we are never better served than by ourselves, however, such mastery of the development process requires a lot of time and experience. Developing these skills in-house is certainly a long-term investment but, once again, it all depends on the objectives?
360-Degree Expertise
The expertise required for development, whether it's a mobile or web application, goes far beyond code. To create a product that meets the criteria of your users and yours, it's imperative to include strategy, research, design, development, and testing in the creation process.
Setting up an in-house team with such a diversity of expertise can be complex and time-consuming, and ensuring effective synergy among these stakeholders is an even greater challenge. That's why most specialized agencies offer the majority of services from these different domains. This approach facilitates project management by allowing communication with a single product owner or project manager, who will effectively coordinate interactions with the various stakeholders.
The Team
Attracting, developing, and retaining employees are basic theoretical concepts regarding human resources management but, in reality, they can quickly become a challenge. Although the idea of forming an in-house team seems attractive and a long-term investment, the challenges associated with creating, managing, and growing a digital team should not be underestimated, especially if software development is not at the core of your company's main activities.
Collaborating with a development agency ensures the involvement of an experienced, committed, and motivated team, composed of developers and digital experts who operate in an environment tailored to their needs and professional ambitions.
Each alternative presents distinct advantages and limitations, requiring a thorough evaluation to make an informed decision. While financial, temporal, and human considerations play an essential role, the decision between an in-house team and a specialized agency closely depends on your company's objectives, and unfortunately, there are no right or wrong answers.
Other articles
May 22, 2024
Optimizing Synergy with Your Software Development Partner
The digital realm, especially that of custom digital solution development, is constantly evolving—between fast technological advancements and changing consumer needs, it's quite challenging to predict what the future holds for web players.
.png)
May 3, 2024
Simplified Infrastructures for Enhanced Agility
At Thirdbridge, we believe that project-oriented teams deliver superior quality results, and do so more quickly. Given that they are responsible for the entire value creation flow, these teams can increase their velocity by eliminating bottlenecks themselves. Moreover, entrusting end-to-end flow responsibility to our developer teams makes their work even more engaging and motivating.
.png)
.png)
.jpg)