DevOps Everywhere: Choosing Between In-house, Outsource and Outstaff
DevOps allows businesses to bring products to market faster. It helps to improve quality, increase efficiency, adapt to transforming market conditions, and provide better collaboration. So, adopting DevOps practices can help businesses stay competitive in today's fast-paced digital landscape by enabling them to deliver high-quality software products quickly and efficiently.
However, business often faces the eternal, nearly Hamlet question — to hire or not to hire? Having DevOps engineers in the office sounds good. But leasing whatever you need in relevant companies and, thus, cutting expenses — even better.
If you are at a breaking point choosing between in-house, outsource and outstaff, use our article as a short guide to help you make the right choice.
Let's get started!
In-house profile
A company is like a box of chocolate: there is always something to any taste. In an average IT company, you will definitely find a developer, a QA engineer, an analyst, a designer and many other professionals who help the project evolve from an idea to a product. So why don't you hire a DevOps engineer who could improve the quality and efficiency of the development process, manage growth and scalability, and reduce costs while ensuring the reliability of systems?
Well, a company might benefit from having an in-house DevOps engineer if:
- It has a complex infrastructure
- It wants to improve its development process
- It needs to scale the infrastructure
- It wants customized solutions
- It requires compliance and security
- It wants greater control
An in-house DevOps engineer deeply understands the company's infrastructure and can tailor DevOps practices to fit the organization's specific needs, which will definitely be a plus. In addition, in-house DevOps engineers can respond to issues quickly, reducing downtime and ensuring that systems are always available to end users. Moreover, companies have greater control over the development process and can ensure that the engineer follows the company's operations and standards.
However, despite all the pros, having an in-house employee also means high cost, recruiting challenges and constant investments in training. In addition, companies become dependent on their DevOps engineer and may face challenges if the engineer leaves.
Outsource profile
Okay, what if you give the work to outsource specialists?
Outsourcing DevOps can be helpful when a company lacks expertise, wants to reduce costs, requires flexibility, wants access to the latest technology, focus on core business activities, or speed up time-to-market for products and features. It is becoming common worldwide, and even billion-dollar companies like Skype and GitHub have adopted this model.
Common DevOps services offered by outsourcing companies include cloud services, delivery pipelines, security and infrastructure audits, process optimization and automation, and more. If you don't require a stable in-house team, outsourcing DevOps can be more beneficial for your company. You can choose experts, define terms, and hire multiple outsourced DevOps services for different tasks or a single outsourcing company that handles all details. And yes — outsourcing demands lower budgets than a full-time in-house team.
However, outsourcing comes with security risks. Entrusting your business to another company can be challenging, so protocols and regulations must be discussed beforehand to avoid misunderstandings. Dealing with the wrong provider can limit your decision-making regarding the entire development process. So it's essential to establish control from the outset of the collaboration.
Outstaff profile
Last but not least — outstaffing DevOps.
Outstaffing DevOps helps build a high-performing DevOps team while minimizing costs and maximizing flexibility. Like outsourcing, outstaffing involves hiring DevOps specialists or a team of specialists from an external company. However, outstaff is more about working as a part of the client company's in-house team rather than a 3-d party working on a project.
Businesses can hire DevOps specialists on a project-by-project basis, which allows them to expand their teams quickly and efficiently without the long-term commitment of full-time employees.
Moreover, outstaffing DevOps can also be more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team, particularly if the business operates in an area with high salaries. By outsourcing to regions where wages are comparatively low, companies can save money while still accessing skilled talent.
It's worth noting that outstaffing DevOps also requires careful planning and management to ensure that the team is fully integrated into the client company's operations and aligned with their goals and objectives. So if you want a smooth work relationship with your outstaffing DevOps team, ensure you are on the same page.
In-house vs Outsource
Okay then, what to choose?
Well, if you are a small company with budget constraints, a full-time in-house team might be too costly. In such cases, outsourcing to an IT team can be an optimal option, as they already have experienced professionals who have worked on various projects.
Sometimes finding qualified staff in your city or country can be challenging, so creating an international team through outsourcing can be more practical.
Unlike in-house teams that work within standard hours, outsourcing teams offer around-the-clock support, providing greater objectivity and experience in different scenarios and cost savings. Additionally, outsourcing can help your business advance to the next level and deliver even better products or services.
To sum it up, compared to in-house teams, outsourcing is a more cost-effective solution since it eliminates the need for monthly payments, office space, and management. The decision to outsource or keep DevOps in-house depends on your specific needs and resources. Some companies may benefit from the flexibility and cost savings of outsourcing, while others may prioritize control and specialized expertise and choose to keep DevOps in-house.
Choose your fighter, but first, take a look at…
Outsource vs Outstaff
Outsourcing and outstaffing are both common strategies for hiring DevOps specialists, but there are some critical differences between them.
Outsourcing involves hiring an external company to take on specific projects or tasks on behalf of the client company. The external company manages the project, including hiring and managing its own DevOps specialists to complete the work. In this model, the client company typically has little control over the team's activities or the project's direction, as they have outsourced the entire project to the external company.
On the other hand, outstaffing involves hiring individual DevOps specialists or a team of specialists from an external company to work as a part of the client company's in-house team. In this model, the client company has more control over the team's activities and can direct the project's course as they see fit. The external company is responsible for finding and managing the DevOps specialists, but they work as a part of the client company's team and are fully integrated into their operations.
To summarize, outsourcing involves hiring an external company to manage a project or task independently. In contrast, outstaffing involves hiring DevOps specialists or a team to work as part of your in-house team. Outstaff DevOps could be a perfect choice if you need expertise, involvement and cost-efficient solutions. Besides, outstaffed resources are more flexible than an in-house team, as they offer greater scalability when increasing or decreasing the team size. With outstaffing, the dedicated team of DevOps specialists becomes an extension of your team, working solely on your project and integrating more fully into the business. This can lead to more effective communication, more efficient workflows, and a better understanding of your specific needs and goals.
Where to find such companies?
Here we are.
Quema is a European company that focuses on delivering DevOps services. We believe development and DevOps should be interconnected to construct a product and its IT infrastructure. We aim to assist clients in creating a reliable and flexible IT infrastructure that enables them to launch and operate their products seamlessly. Companies of any scale can hire our services.
If you have any questions or need any help with DevOps tasks, please get in touch with us.