Dedicated team or staff augmentation: three ways to add engineers
With staff augmentation, named engineers join your team and answer to your manager. A dedicated team brings a delivery lead of its own and works to your goals. A fixed-scope project hands a defined result to a supplier. The table sets the three side by side.
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The three options side by side
- What you get
- Staff augmentation1 to 3 named specialists, such as backend, frontend, mobile, data, DevOps or QA
- Dedicated team (pod)A squad of backend, frontend and QA engineers plus a delivery lead; 4 to 8 people
- Fixed-scope projectA defined result, built to acceptance criteria
- Who directs the work
- Staff augmentationYour manager, in your process
- Dedicated team (pod)You set goals; the pod lead runs the work
- Fixed-scope projectThe supplier, against the agreed scope
- Who picks the people
- Staff augmentationYou approve each person
- Dedicated team (pod)You interview and approve every engineer
- Fixed-scope projectThe supplier
- Where the work happens
- Staff augmentationYour repository, board and CI
- Dedicated team (pod)Your repository, board and CI
- Fixed-scope projectA shared repository; you own the code from the first commit
- Accountability for output
- Staff augmentationYours
- Dedicated team (pod)One named lead at the supplier
- Fixed-scope projectThe supplier, against the scope
- Commitment
- Staff augmentationOne month minimum; 30 days' notice
- Dedicated team (pod)Three months minimum; 30 days' notice
- Fixed-scope projectPriced phase by phase; you may stop after any phase
- Change in direction
- Staff augmentationFree
- Dedicated team (pod)Free
- Fixed-scope projectA change request, priced before work begins
- Time to start
- Staff augmentationAgreed at the start of the engagement
- Dedicated team (pod)First meaningful merge in the first fortnight
- Fixed-scope projectAfter discovery and a signed scope
- When a person leaves
- Staff augmentationReplacement overlaps at Brihat's cost
- Dedicated team (pod)Replacement overlaps at Brihat's cost
- Fixed-scope projectThe supplier's task
| Criterion | Staff augmentation | Dedicated team (pod) | Fixed-scope project |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | 1 to 3 named specialists, such as backend, frontend, mobile, data, DevOps or QA | A squad of backend, frontend and QA engineers plus a delivery lead; 4 to 8 people | A defined result, built to acceptance criteria |
| Who directs the work | Your manager, in your process | You set goals; the pod lead runs the work | The supplier, against the agreed scope |
| Who picks the people | You approve each person | You interview and approve every engineer | The supplier |
| Where the work happens | Your repository, board and CI | Your repository, board and CI | A shared repository; you own the code from the first commit |
| Accountability for output | Yours | One named lead at the supplier | The supplier, against the scope |
| Commitment | One month minimum; 30 days' notice | Three months minimum; 30 days' notice | Priced phase by phase; you may stop after any phase |
| Change in direction | Free | Free | A change request, priced before work begins |
| Time to start | Agreed at the start of the engagement | First meaningful merge in the first fortnight | After discovery and a signed scope |
| When a person leaves | Replacement overlaps at Brihat's cost | Replacement overlaps at Brihat's cost | The supplier's task |
How to choose
Answer three questions.
- Do you have a manager with time to direct engineers? If yes, augmentation fits. If your own leads are stretched, a pod brings its own.
- Is the outcome defined in advance? A fixed list of screens, integrations and acceptance tests suits a project. A product that keeps changing suits a pod.
- How long will you need the capacity? Under a quarter points to augmentation. A year or more points to a pod, and a permanent unit points to a delivery centre or build-operate-transfer.
What each costs you in management time
- Augmentation: the most. You plan their work, review it and carry the output risk.
- Pod: a product owner giving two hours or so each week, plus release reviews. The pod reports throughput, cycle time and defects that escape to production.
- Project: a few hours a week from people who know the process, plus acceptance testing.
Moving from one to another
Contract shapes can be switched during an engagement by amendment, with no penalty. An augmented engineer can join your payroll: Brihat charges no conversion fee after six months and a prorated one before. A pod can become a unit you own through build-operate-transfer, with the handover date, price and method written into the opening contract.
Before you sign
Ask any supplier for the same five answers in writing: who approves each engineer, who replaces someone who leaves and at whose cost, what the notice period is, whether the work sits in your repository, and where the team goes when the work ends.
If you are weighing hires against a team in India, see where each role belongs. Service pages: team augmentation, dedicated teams.
Questions buyers ask
Staff augmentation adds one or more named engineers to your existing team. You manage them day to day, and the supplier handles employment, equipment and replacement.
They overlap. A pod is a squad of 4 to 8 people. A delivery centre is a larger unit under one head, run in your name and process, with statutory work and equipment handled by Brihat.
Tell us what you want to build.
The first call is 45 minutes with an architect, usually the founder. It is free, and we will sign an NDA first if you ask.