IT staff augmentation: balance your workforce remotely

Keeping the balance between your software development and business teams can be a daunting task, especially with the effects of the Covid pandemic still upon us.

Modern software development teams typically follow one of the various Agile models, which means staffing requirements can shift up or down at a moment’s notice. This brings with it additional challenges, such as dealing with onboarding, briefing new staff, delays in getting new staff up to speed on current projects, and, conversely, having to deal with reducing the team size when the project demand declines.

This is where IT staff augmentation comes into play. One of the major workplace changes brought on by the pandemic is remote working; even companies that have traditionally eschewed remote working find themselves with a large mobile workforce, regardless of the Covid restrictions in their area.

An interesting sub-plot of this growing mobile workforce is that people can work from anywhere, which means UK and Europe-based companies are no longer limited to hiring staff from their immediate geographies. In fact, many companies are looking beyond their country’s borders for potential scarce skill hires. This opens up interesting opportunities for companies that need to rapidly shift their staff numbers up or down, especially when they need very specific skillsets for particular roles on a team.

For example, instead of following the same cumbersome processes of onboarding new staff, remote or otherwise, companies can partner with DVT as a supplier of specialist software development skills, which not only fast-tracks new hires and fills very specific skill requirements, but also works the other way in allowing companies to decommission unneeded skills as and when required without penalty.

This type of IT staff augmentation service is different to outsourcing in that augmented staff become active members of the hiring company’s team, rather than working for a separate entity. Aside from the obvious advantages of streamlining the augmented staff member’s role and activities within the hiring company’s structure, it also means:

With severe IT skills shortages in the UK, and also in more established markets like the US, and with pressure on skills from traditional skill pools like India being further constrained by the pandemic, South Africa is fast becoming an attractive source of in-demand IT skills for UK and European companies. Working with DVT can solve multiple staffing challenges, with additional benefits that deliver greater value, responsiveness to business demands and shorter time to market on digital initiatives.

DVT's technology teams have been turning great ideas into great software for more than 20 years. Founded in 1999, DVT provides high impact business software solutions for clients in South Africa and across the globe. Our comprehensive solutions and resourcing services are delivered by high performing Agile technology teams that are either dedicated teams on-site/working remotely, client co-sourced, turn-key project teams or staff augmentation and professional services.

DVT, founded in 1999, has grown to over 500 staff helping clients globally with making an impact in their digital technology transformation. With offices in South Africa, the United Kingdom (London) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam) we build long-term partnerships with our clients.