In today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s critical for companies to have reliable and high-performing IT systems, which is why many businesses invest substantially in their in-house IT departments. However, even the most skilled IT team can struggle to keep up.
Perhaps this is why the practice of augmenting in-house IT with outside experts has become increasingly common. Yes, digital quality engineers and testing professionals can now be borrowed in the form of IT as a service (ITaaS). And it can be a real game-changer. Here’s why.
Digital quality engineers are highly skilled experts who can solve complex technology issues. They possess extensive knowledge of software development and testing methodologies, along with experience in using the latest tools and technologies. By hiring digital quality assurance engineers, companies can quickly and efficiently identify and resolve problems.
Quality engineers can perform a range of roles, including TQA analyst, defect coordinator, DevOps project manager or lead, architect, or program manager. Clients seeking augmentation testing services typically require assistance with functional testing, manual testing, and automation testing. Depending on the client’s requirements, they may have the authority to manage people and costs.
Augmentation testing services can help address specific requirements in the development lifecycle, such as automating testing, functional load testing, app performance, or performance monitoring of a specific release or timeframe. Companies with customer-facing apps, for instance, need regular upgrades and bug fixes, which require quality methods of operation.
After delivering the project or project phase, you can easily reduce or remove the contingent staff without any additional cost, thanks to the flexibility of staff augmentation services. Enterprise staff augmentation involves more than just loaning a few developers and can involve sending in many skilled professionals. 150 Qualitest engineers might be deployed to meet a client’s specific development requirements within a defined project timeframe. This rapid scalability is not achievable within a traditional IT department.
Enterprise clients are typically comfortable with more of a managed services deal. They know how offshore and onsite augmentation works. Conversely, clients experimenting with outsourcing for the first time, or clients who wish to retain control of project management, might choose to select a smaller project to pilot staff augmentation services.
That’s the dynamic nature of these services.
Testing is a critical component of any software development project.
However, even the most experienced in-house IT staff can struggle to keep up with the sheer volume of testing that needs to be done. Augmenting your team with expert testing professionals can bring new perspectives, skills, and processes that can significantly improve your testing capabilities.
Specialisms, too, can be traded in and out as required. For example, sourcing particular high-level expertise, like the testing of blockchain, training of business AI applications or the implementation of shift-left cybersecurity processes or better accessibility testing, or something more abstract such as a proof of concept.
The experience test professionals have is gained through their exposure to multiple high-pedigree enterprise clients’ dynamic and contemporary challenges. Regular exposure to these pedigree innovators means they’re ready to hit the ground running as and when your business needs.
Augmentation test staff can mobilize quickly at the point of need. For example, if a key member of the in-house IT team leaves. It takes a skilled Quality Engineer to drop in and instantly fill that requirement to standard and to do so quickly. That agility passes into the project and to the client’s overall output as a result.
Staff augmentation is also an outsourcing of responsibilities within an IT project.
The provider of the staff signs up to a service level agreement (SLA) they must stick to. Failure to do so will incur penalties, so they are not just accountable for the project’s success, they’re incentivized to make it one.
It’s for precisely that reason that some of the world’s largest tech companies and governments too – both of which would never outsource work outright for reasons including data security – have, and do, use circa 700 Qualitest staff in augmentation mode. In fact, nearly 500 organizations globally entrust Qualitest with staff augmentation and this big accountability factor is critical for them.
Hiring and training a full-time IT team is both time consuming and expensive, especially if your business is looking to bring in a specialized set of skills. The increased efficiency and improved performance that come with having a more commoditized expert team can lead to significant cost savings over time.
The value when compared to external consulting services, for example, is favorable to say the least. Your business is also less likely to have to make the sort of mass lay-offs associated with boom-and-bust full-time IT hiring, because it will have more predictable operational expenditure.
IT staff augmentation testing services is an investment that can bring significant benefits to your business. Whether you need help resolving complex problems, improving your testing capabilities, or just want to stay ahead of the curve, Qualitest digital quality engineers and testing professionals can help you achieve your goals and improve your bottom line, stay ahead of competitors, and ensure your systems are reliable, efficient, and performing at their best.
