Thinking of scaling? Consider a dedicated development team

Remember the official Olympic motto: “Faster. Higher. Stronger.”? Today, these words apply not only to sports but to the business world. The competition is killing, and market demands are changing in the blink of an eye. So, businesses must accelerate if they want to stay afloat – 90% are already undergoing some form of digital transformation. However, they need agile, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for this.

For the tech ecosystem, these changes are also associated with high costs, unrealistic deadlines and talent shortages.  That is why a more adaptable development approach appeared – a dedicated web development team. Let’s explore this concept, its mechanics, advantages, potential challenges, and how you can effectively implement it in your organization.

What is a dedicated development team?

Software development outsourcing is not a new thing - remote specialists or freelancers are often hired for individual tasks. But imagine you have a whole remote development team that works only on your project like a natural extension of your in-house team. This is a dedicated web development team. This model lets you handpick team members based on their skills, experience, and how well they fit with your company culture.

The rough dedicated development team structure includes:

• Developers. Front-end, back-end, or full-stack engineers.

• QA specialists. Specialists responsible for testing.

• UX/UI designers. Creators of user experiences.

• DevOps engineers. Experts in deployment and infrastructure

• Project managers. Specialists who coordinate activities and communication

• Business analysts. Professionals who control business requirements and technical implementation.

You will hire a dedicated development team through a third-party provider, but it will work exclusively on your projects. Each team is custom-built to match your tech stack and goals – you may need to hire UX designer or have special demands for a project manager. You will never get a cookie-cutter solution. About 41% of developers have experience in dedicated teams. It proves how common and effective this model is becoming.

How a dedicated team works

This team extension model allows you to scale instantly and add dedicated software developers to your company without going through the stress of traditional hiring. These teams are usually based in places like Eastern Europe, Asia, or Latin America, where you can access tech talent pool at more affordable rates.

What makes this model special is that the team works full-time just for you. They’re not jumping between clients - they focus only on your project. You can talk to them directly, just like you would with your own team. It makes software development collaboration simple and clear.

The provider takes care of everything else. They recruit the right people, set up office space, handle payroll and HR, and provide product development team with everything they need. This way, you get to stay focused on building your product, and offshore development team supports you behind the scenes.

When to choose a dedicated development team

A dedicated development team isn’t for every project. However, it can offer unbeatable value if you use it in the right situation. Here are four scenarios where this model works best:

1. Long-term projects
   For long projects that last six months or more, it’s important to have the same people working on them. A dedicated team handles your project from start to finish. Over time, they really get to know your business, your goals, and how things work. This saves time because you don’t have to keep training new people.

2. Specialized technical needs
   If your project needs niche expertise - like AI, blockchain, or IoT - a dedicated team makes it easier to find the right experts. You can hire dedicated development team that really understands the specific technology you’re using.  

3. Rapidly growing startups
   Startups often struggle with software project scalability. A dedicated team offers flexible scaling – you may add or reduce team members when you need. This means you can meet market demands without delays and avoid the headache of traditional hiring.

4. Budget-friendly development
   A dedicated team allows you to avoid a lot of additional costs -  recruitment expenses, training, office space, and employee benefits. Yet, you get a long-term development partner working for you full-time at competitive rates.et a long-term development partner working for you full-time at competitive rates.
   
   These are just a few examples of when a managed development team can be the best solution. Actually, you can use this approach for any development project, be it doctor appointment app development or you need to build e-commerce website.

Benefits of a dedicated development team

A dedicated support team model offers a lot of benefits, especially to quickly growing businesses.

• You spend less. You don’t have to worry about office space, employee benefits, or full-time salaries. On average, businesses save 30–50% compared to building an in-house team.

• You get access to global talent. You can hire top developers from Eastern Europe, Asia, or Latin America. Around 70% of companies outsource to reach talent.

• You shorten time-to-market. Traditional recruitment takes a lot of time. You can get a team up and running in just 2–4 weeks. This can speed up product launches by up to 40%.

• You can scale effortlessly. Whether you need to grow your team or scale it down, dedicated teams make that easy. 60% of businesses say flexibility is one of the biggest dedicated team benefits.

Overall, your project gets more focus as your in-house team handles strategy and the dedicated team takes care of development.

Challenges and how to overcome them

A dedicated software engineering team is a great solution, but there are a few nuances. Most companies report three main issues -  cultural differences, communication gaps, and quality control. Different time zones, holidays, or work habits can cause delays or misunderstandings. Communication can also get tricky, especially if you are not using the same tools or don’t have regular check-ins. And when it comes to quality, you should explain all expectations upfront. 

How can you avoid these issues? Start with clear goals and timelines. Use team productivity tools to stay in touch and share updates. Set up regular meetings, even if you're in different time zones. And take time to onboard the team properly. Remember about security - VPN, two-factor authentication, and other strict security rules will help you avoid critical data loss.

How to build and manage a dedicated team

Building a dedicated team can be a game-changer for your project—but only if you do it right. From defining your goals to onboarding your team, each step matters. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you find the right people and set them up for success:

Step 1. Know what you want
Before you start, analyze your needs. Are you building a simple MVP or a complex SaaS platform? It helps you decide on a rough budget and the technologies you want to use. The clearer your vision, the smoother everything else will go.

Step 2. Look around
Now, it’s time to find the right team. Check Clutch, Toptal, and Upwork platforms, and don’t underestimate the power of your professional network. Look for vendors with similar projects in their portfolio, and stay away from anyone who’s vague or promises too much.

Step 3. Study their experience
Shortlist a few promising teams and take a closer look. Read reviews, ask how they handle delays or scope changes, and talk to people beyond just the developers - project managers or designers are equally important. If possible, give them a small test task to see how they work.

Step 4. Make it official
Once you’ve chosen a team, get everything in writing. A solid contract protects both sides. Cover all the essential stuff - deadlines, payments, deliverables, and how to handle changes.

Step 5. Onboard the team
After the contract is signed, focus on a smooth start. Share your goals, tools, and any design or project files. Start with smaller tasks to build trust and get into a rhythm. The better the onboarding, the better the project will run.

Real-world use cases

Amazon used its own team and outside experts from around the world to build Alexa. The main team in Silicon Valley created the core AI, and teams from other countries helped Alexa understand different languages. Developers in Ukraine and Poland improved Alexa’s backend to make it faster, and teams in China and Taiwan helped connect Alexa with over 140,000 smart home devices. Freelancers helped create more than 100,000 Alexa Skills. This approach helped Amazon quickly grow Alexa into a massive platform with over 500 million devices in just a few years. Dedicated teams were key to this amazing process.

Dedicated team vs Other outsourcing models

Hiring developers remotely has different formats. The table below offers outsourcing models comparison so that you can understand which one is better for you.

Conclusion

The dedicated development team model is a great way for businesses to innovate quickly, manage costs, and maintain high quality. You can move faster and stay ahead of the competition with a team of experts who will work solely on a project for the time you need. Digital transformation continues across industries, and this model will play a key role in the future for businesses of all sizes. Need more information on IT staff augmentation? Don’t hesitate to contact DreamX. We are here to help and can provide any additional details you need!