Last Updated on April 3, 2023
The software development team has been the go-to since the rise of digital marketing. Unquestionably, every business requires web application development that guarantees profits in the expanding world of digital marketing. Whether you’re a fully established business or a start-up striving to make it big. Software has become a basic need. However, the question here stands; how do you get in stride with the advancing world? And the answer lies here.
Even under the best circumstances, software development can be challenging. For this reason, experts advise getting the best software development team on your side. Moreover, hiring the industry’s experienced professionals will ensure your software project is a success. Therefore, before deciding what’s best for your project, give this article a read.
What should you be Mindful of, Before Hiring Software Developers
However, before diving deeper into the discussion you must keep in mind that software development is not the only part of the IT budget. Infrastructure, software complexity and emerging tech are elements of it too. Furthermore, what is the capital budget for each of these elements? Detailed study analysis shows that most companies are raising their IT budget. However, significant budget flows toward IT infrastructure, such as hardware and cloud accounts. Meaning, that while the software development cost will be affected, it will not break the bank.
A 2023 Statista report anticipates that the IT services market will reach US$1,204.00 billion. Yes! That’s a billion with a “B”. We will also see a growth of 5.4% in the US in 2023 alone -Zippia.
What is a Software Development Team?
A software development team designs, develops, tests, and upkeeps the software. Furthermore, this team includes professionals with broad skill sets. Hence, the main focus is on creating software that is user/client-centered, effective, efficient, and on the mark with standards. Thus, ensuring the project’s success.
What is a Freelance Software Developer?
A freelance software developer, however, is a professional who offers software development services on a project-by-project basis. In addition, freelancers do not work full-time instead, they work independently.
However, freelance software developers are usually only specialized in one criterion.
Why should you choose between a Software Development Team and Freelancer Software Developer?
Firstly, as a tech expert, you must allocate the budget wisely for software development. Secondly, you must locate the finest software engineer within your budget to acquire value for your money.
However, in this regard, to whom should you turn for assistance? A freelance software developer or a dedicated software development team? A calculated move to hire software engineers can either help your business succeed or get you in trouble. However, both have their perks and detriments. Keep reading to find out!
Project Manager
For streamlined software development project management, a project manager is required. Firstly, determine whether you need to hire a remote project manager or do you have one in your company. The project manager is an integral part who aligns with the requirements and standards of the project. In addition, here are some aspects to remember if you’re outsourcing a project manager:
Upshots of Freelancing a Project Manager
Hiring a freelancing project manager can be daunting. Because you need your PM fully aligned with the vision of your project. However, this alignment will be less than ideal if you require a PM from the freelancer market. In addition, you might want to remember that you can quickly put your project at high risk.
Furthermore, seamlessly incorporating work from independent contractors whose prior experience and skills are unknown can be tricky.
Upshots of Hiring a Software Development Team
The software team is an expert in every aspect of custom software development. A dedicated software development team can do wonders for your project. First of all, they’re fully fledged in what they do. And secondly, they have a qualified PM as a part of their team. This brings forth new dimensions and techniques to your project.
Complexity of the Project
Importantly, it is crucial to determine the complexity of your project. Since this makes or breaks your decision on hiring a freelancer or a software development team. A well-thought-out project is a complex one. Furthermore, the project’s complexity requires thorough research and includes some key factors:
Functionality: The more features and functions the software is supposed to have the more complex it will be.
Interactions and dependencies: The complexity grows with the rise in interactions and dependencies among the software systems components and subsystems.
Data Management: The volume and complexity of datasets that a software system manages, and the variety of data sources and formats it supports, all increase the complexity of the software system.
User-Interface: The software system becomes more complicated to use and more expensive to develop and maintain as a result of the user interface’s complexity.
Performance: Software becomes more complex to design if you need it to perform optimally. It increases the complexity of algorithms and data structures to design it.
Construction: The need for software to execute multiple tasks smoothly within the timeframe. And the incorporation of multiple component services and microservices particularly makes the software more complex.
Use Of Modern Technology: Whether the software will use modern technologies like, AI, machine learning, or the internet of things makes it complex.
Hence, a freelance software developer might make finishing an already complex project almost exhaustive. In these instances, you are better off recruiting a software development team.
Conforming with Quality Management Systems
Since technical expertise, tools, and frameworks are only minor aspects of completing a project successfully. You might be able to find freelancers with technical knowledge and familiarity with the necessary platforms and tools.
However, there’s more at stake than just technical skills when it comes to designing sophisticated software. More importantly, the consolidation and cohesion of quality management systems are crucial for them to succeed. Thus, it becomes complicated for freelancers with little to no knowledge of QMS. However, a software development team is at an advantage here because they invest proactively in setting up extensive quality management systems. In addition, based on their prior project management data, many even develop their project management tools.
The Need for Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) in the Project
The SDLC will help you determine what kind of team you will use. For example, the UX SDLC model focuses on web designers building a user-friendly interface. It ultimately brings emphasis to actual business value. However, the UX model involves understanding customers’ needs, preferences, and behaviors and incorporating them into the software design process.
Therefore, a UX model undergoes extensive research to determine user requirements, and through this research, the software’s interface usability goes under test. Hence, to accomplish this task software developers and testers work closely. For this reason, many big enterprises opt for a software development team for better collaboration. Because this kind of alliance is easier with a software team than with inexperienced freelancers.
Requirement of Technical Expertise in a Project:
On one hand, some software does not need extensive knowledge of the work. On the other hand, more complex software requires advanced technical skills. However, the question is what differentiates an excellent developer in contrast to an average one? Their passion for continuous learning vs. Someone who just gets the job done, and goes home. An excellent developer yearns for continuous learning. Excellent software developers make sure that their work makes a difference.
However, with hiring a freelance software developer, you will never be sure whether or not they are learning new things. On the contrary, a dedicated software development team always stays ahead of time to stand out in the digital marketing world.
The best teams always keep the focus on:
- Acquiring personal skills: They have a space to learn new tech.
- Can work under the organization’s systems and value them.
- Always bring new and creative ideas to the table.
- Have shared visions and values.
- Last but not least, they’re in constant pursuit of knowledge.
Continuous Integration: The Utmost Need for a Project
CI is a routine of processes where the developer constantly updates codes into a shared repository. Moreover, it helps fix problems and bugs in the early software development cycle and promotes smooth deployment.
However, you will need CI to feed the CD as well. In this case, we will take an example of the AGILE model. It will help us understand it in depth. In AGILE, there’s a constant need for an upgrade as it deals with customer services. To build a complete CI pipeline and CD system, you require DevOps engineers, developers, scrum masters, and testers. Therefore, you need them to work head-to-head. This, however, becomes hard to enable among freelancers with different thought processes.
Hence, before deciding whether to hire a software development team or freelancers, consider all your options carefully. Because every job is unique.
Let’s discuss the pros and cons of hiring each:
Strengths and Weaknesses of Hiring a Freelance Software Developer
Fitted to manage one specific type of task in which your dev team doesn’t have expertise.
Up to several months.
Freelance hiring platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork.
$25 – $50 per Hour.
Pros of Hiring a Freelance Software Developer
- Cost-Effective: Freelancers usually work from home and hence, charge lesser than most software teams. One more fitting advantage is that you wouldn’t have to worry about paid leaves, sick leaves, or paying for work equipment or office spaces.
- Easy to Locate: Good freelancers are relatively easier to find on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. Connect with them and sought the ones matching your requirements.
- Increased Flexibility: Freelancers do not mind working extra hours, they have a flexible schedule according to your fitting. Though, you will have to pay them extra.
Con’s of Hiring a Freelance Software Developer
- Lack of Reliability: However, one concerning thing is that freelancers are not to be trusted. Since they handle multiple projects at a time they tend to disappear or appear at their own will.
However, you can gauge the situation by drawing up a well-thought-out contract. - Narrow Room for Innovation: Albeit, freelancers are not in constant touch with the latest innovations in the tech world. They have expertise in fewer nooks and hence can’t be expected to build a project from the ground up.
- Lack of Dedication to your Project: Moreover, freelancers work on their own terms and cannot be expected to do your tasks loyally. However, this happens because they’re dealing with multiple tasks all at the same time.
Ins and Outs of Hiring a Dedicated Software Development Team
For long-term projects that need to be built from the ground up like Mobile Application Software.
For as long as it is relevant and benefits them.
Employment websites.
Depending upon your IT budget.
Pros of Hiring a Dedicated Software Development Team
- Similar Goals: Firstly, a full-time employee stays longer with the organization compared to a freelancer. Secondly, he knows the better the company grows, the better prospects he has for growth. Lastly, he gives more time to the organization naturally and tries to perform the tasks efficiently.
- Effective Supervision: In addition, you can supervise the new team in performing the tasks effectively when they’re working on your office premises.
- Reliability: Most importantly, it is easy to rely on the employee when they’re working with you. Plus, there’s an assurance that the company’s data is safe with them. Moreover, they will not just ghost you at their first convenience!
Con’s of Hiring a Dedicated Software Development Team
- Building a Team from Dirt: You will have to build a software team from the very start. Hence, the development team should be able to work efficiently under a CTO. However, this can be challenging at the start.
- Additional Expenses: As it’s said: “The one who wears the crown, bears the crown”. Thus, you will have to bear this crown if you want a streamlined development team in the future.
Wrap-Up: Software Development Team Better than a Freelance Developer
In conclusion, there are various concerns at hand before deciding how you want your project to be maneuvered. On one hand, freelancers can cost much cheaper, but they lack reliability and resourcefulness. A software team, on the other hand, brings inventive measures, creative ideas, and expertise to execute a project. Digital Auxilius proudly brings strategic business plans to the table, for its clients. We never deter from communicating with our clients transparently. We employ a client-centered work methodology and make sure we give our clients value for their money.
Have no technical background?
No worries, schedule a session with our head of sales for expert advice.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
What does a freelance software developer do?
Freelance software developer support website operations, applications, and computer software systems. Using programming languages or a no-code platform like AppMaster, they create the “back end” of apps, such as web apps or mobile apps.
What makes a good software engineering team?
Common goals, constant learning, effective communication skills, and clear responsibilities make a software development team unconquerable.
How is the software development team organized?
Business analysts, product owners, project managers, product designers, software architects, software developers, software testing engineers, test automation engineers, and DevOps engineers make up a standard software development team structure.
What are the dedicated software development team roles and responsibilities?
A dedicated software development team is in charge of conceptualizing, creating, and supporting novel applications. They offer complete software development services and are in charge of creating the application’s features, testing them, deploying them, and maintaining them.
Why should you hire a software development team over a freelance software developer?
There are many perks of employing a software development team over a freelancer. Choosing a skilled software development team will ensure that you get the most out of your project, from improved communication and collaboration to scalability and security.
What is better: A dedicated software development team vs a freelance software engineer?
If you need assistance choosing between a freelancing software engineer and a committed software development team? Think about each one’s perks and drawbacks, including the cost, dependability, scalability, and level of knowledge. Find out which one best suits your project requirements.
