Businesses have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to IT. From immediate expenses to long-term planning and more, the list of decisions just goes on.
Do you need in-house IT staff, or can you outsource your needs? What about IT consulting services – are they worth the investment?
These are the questions most modern organizations are seeking answers to—but answering them seems more difficult than it looks.
In this blog, we’ll compare staff augmentation vs. consulting services in detail and help you decide which is best for your business.
Staff Augmentation and IT Consulting Services: Definitions & Benefits
Staff augmentation and IT consulting services are often confused with each other. In reality, they are different. To better understand the concepts, let’s have a look at the definitions and then benefits of these methods.
What is Staff Augmentation?
When most people think of staff augmentation, they think of IT consulting services. However, staff augmentation services can be used in a variety of industries and businesses.
Staff augmentation is defined as the process of supplementing a company’s existing workforce with additional manpower from an outside source.
This additional manpower can come in the form of temporary workers, independent contractors, or even full-time employees.
The main reason companies turn to staff augmentation is to save time and money on the recruiting and training process.
When a company uses staff augmentation, they are not limited to only hiring employees that are already familiar with their company culture and work style.
This can be a major advantage when trying to fill positions that require specific skill sets.
Despite these potential drawbacks, staff augmentation is becoming an increasingly popular option for companies looking to save time and money on their workforce needs.
As the world of work continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see even more businesses turning to this staffing model in the years to come.
The Benefits of Staff Augmentation
There are numerous benefits of staff augmentation. However, these vary depending on your business practices and how you operate in today’s evolving world.
Let’s have a quick look at some of the common benefits of staff augmentation.
Increased Capacity
Staff augmentation can be used to increase the capacity of an organization in order to meet increased demand or take on new projects.
Fill Skills Gaps
Staff augmentation can be used to fill skills gaps within an organization. This can be helpful when there is a need for specialized skills or expertise that is not readily available.
Reduced Costs
Staff augmentation can be used to reduce the overall costs of an organization. This is often accomplished by reducing the need for full-time employees or by utilizing lower-cost staffing options.
Improved Quality
Staff augmentation can be used to improve the quality of deliverables. This can be accomplished by bringing in better-skilled workers who can help raise the standards within the organization.
There are many other potential benefits of staff augmentation, which makes it a popular option for businesses of all sizes. When implemented correctly, staff augmentation can have a positive impact on an organization in a number of ways.
What Are IT Consulting Services?
Consulting services, also known as IT consulting services or project-based consulting services, refers to when companies or businesses choose to hire a complete software development team for their development needs, usually from a consulting firm or agency.
Consulting agencies or firms usually employ expert software developers and engineers with vast experience, knowledge, and expertise in specific or multiple domains and are aware of all the phases that any software passes through. These can range from ideation to execution and support.
These services are required when companies don’t have in-house software development teams or lack pertinent expertise for a specific project.
Teams hired through IT consulting services are often proficient enough to take charge of the project from any stage of the project and contribute to better planning the project, and define requirements explicitly.
The Benefits of IT Consulting Services
The benefits of IT consulting services are many and varied. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider getting the help of IT consultants.
Save Money
By outsourcing your project or hiring a team for your software development project, you can save money and time that you might have spent on hiring, retaining, and serving full-time employees.
Better Use of Time
When you outsource your project to a software consulting firm, you can save a lot of time. An IT consultant can take care of this for you, freeing up your time to focus on other areas of your business.
Mitigate Threats
Investing in new technology is always a risk, but with consulting services, you can be confident that you’re making the right decisions for your business and be sure about what you will be doing next.
Stay Ahead of The Curve
Because they are always up to date with the latest developments in the world of IT, an IT consulting service provider can help you to ensure that your business is always one step ahead.
Independent Advice
As an independent third party, an IT consulting firm can generally offer impartial advice that is not biased toward any particular product or vendor.
Staff Augmentation Vs. IT Consulting Services: Comparing the Two Approaches
Staff augmentation and IT consulting services both approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but which one you should choose depends on your requirements.
Staff augmentation is often seen as the more cost-effective option, as businesses only need to pay for the additional staff members that they require.
This can be a good option for businesses that have a limited budget or who only need IT support on an ad-hoc basis.
However, it can be difficult to find the right staff members with the necessary skills and experience, and there is always the risk that they may leave the company once their contract comes to an end.
IT consulting services, on the other hand, can be more expensive than staff augmentation, but they offer a number of advantages.
Firstly, businesses can be assured that they are getting expert advice and support from experienced professionals.
Secondly, IT consulting firms usually have a team of specialists who can provide support in all areas of IT, meaning that businesses can get comprehensive coverage.
Lastly, IT consulting services are often more flexible than staff augmentation, which can be important for businesses that need to scale up or down their IT support on a regular basis.
When To Use Staff Augmentation Services
There are several situations when staff augmentation would be the best solution for your business needs:
- You need additional capacity but don’t want to make a long-term commitment
- You need the flexibility to scale up or down quickly
- You need access to skills and experience that you don’t have in-house
- You prefer to use your own internal resources
- You have a limited budget
Staff augmentation can provide many benefits for businesses, but it’s important to consider all factors before deciding if it’s the right solution for your needs.
When To Use IT Consulting Services
There are several situations when IT consulting services would be the best solution for your business needs:
- You need expert knowledge and advice
- You want to improve efficiency and productivity
- You want access to strategic planning and project management assistance
- You have a complex problem that requires Troubleshooting
- You prefer an outside perspective
Like with any business decision, it’s important to weigh all pros and cons before deciding if IT consulting services are right for you.
The Bottom Line: Choosing the Right Approach for Your Business
In the end, it all comes down to what you, as a business, feel more comfortable with. Going either way, depends on what you need the most.
If you want more control over how things are done, then staff augmentation is the way to go. It is a no-brainer for everyone.
However, if you would rather have someone else take care of everything and just want the project completed quickly and efficiently, IT consulting services may be better suited for you.
No matter which route you decide to take, remember that your ultimate goal should be to generate more value for your company—whether that means expanding your team’s skills through IT staff augmentation or hiring a consulting service provider to get the project done.
If you are still unsure about which option is best for you, feel free to get in touch with us today, and we will guide you through the decision-making process.
How much does IT staff augmentation cost?
The cost of IT staff augmentation services will vary depending on several factors, including the specific services being provided, the expertise and experience of the consultants, the length of the engagement, and the location of the company and the consultants.
In general, IT staff augmentation services are typically priced on an hourly or project basis, with rates ranging from $50 to $200 or more per hour, depending on the expertise and experience of the consultant and the specific services being provided.
How much does IT consulting services cost?
IT consulting services can have varying costs, mainly differing based on requirements, location, the experience of the workforce, skills and certifications, technology you want them to work with, number of resources required, time frame, and more.
The cost of IT consulting services is not much different and can range from $50 to $150 or more, according to the requirements.
Should I choose IT staff augmentation or consulting services?
That is up to you to decide. Choosing either staff augmentation or IT consulting services depends on your specific business needs, and you must be the one making the decision. However, if you find it difficult to choose between the two, our industry experts are always there to help you differentiate based on your needs and assist you throughout the journey.
