One of the biggest challenges that enterprises face during a growth phase is having the right people in place.

Finding the right talent is an ongoing concern for most enterprises. Very often when you bring somebody on board, it’s not until three or so months down the line that you may find out they’re not really the right fit.

Today your enterprise likely has a backlog of projects and plenty of ambitious projects in the pipeline that are becoming more of a pipe dream. By allowing outside experts to support your internal teams, you’ll be able to make progress. This is why you need staff augmentation.

What is Staff Augmentation?

Staff augmentation is a vetted staffing service where one of our experts here at Collectiv becomes an extension of your team for longer and larger initiatives.

With staff augmentation, you are assigned a consultant who joins your team and works in-house for an extended period of time. This staffing service is available for projects that require full-time resource support (30+ hours) for a block of several months (i.e. 3-6 months or longer).

Collectiv’s consultants have a broad range of technical expertise—Power BI, Azure…really, the entire Microsoft data stack. We take an in-depth look at your company’s needs and assign you the right consultant for the job.

The matching process is fast. In many cases, we’ll find the right fit within 24 hours, and the consultant will be able to start working within a month of your initial request.

At this point, your organization will onboard the consultant so they can officially start working with your in-house team. This Collectiv consultant is fully available to your team and can help with multiple projects or a larger complex project.

Staff augmentation services are designed for long-term commitments that typically range from three to six months. If you need to extend these services at the end of this time period, you always have the option to do so.

Staff Augmentation vs. Consulting as a Service: What’s The Difference?

Staff augmentation and Consulting as a Service (CaaS) are both viable options for enterprises that need expert support. While staff augmentation and CaaS seem similar at first glance, they are actually designed for two very different scenarios.

CaaS is intended for short-term engagements, such as a specific project or an internal problem that needs to be solved. It’s a flexible framework that allows you to fill resource gaps as they arise. CaaS is a great option when you need:

• A few hours of support one week
• 40 hours of support the next week
• And 0 hours of support the week after that

Staff augmentation is a better move when you need a particular resource for an extended period of time. Let’s say you need an Azure expert and architect for 3-6 months at 30-40 hours per week. Staff augmentation is an effective outsourcing option when you require in-house support for these major initiatives.

Who is Staff Augmentation for?

Staff augmentation is a great resource for enterprises who need a specific type of expertise on a long-term basis.

For example, you might be implementing Power BI across multiple departments or projects and need an expert on hand for the entire transition. In this case, staff augmentation would give you expert access on a full-time basis for the entire project to keep things running smoothly.

With staff augmentation, your enterprise should be prepared to onboard the consultant and work with them as an in-house team member for the duration of the project. If your team can’t commit to full-time hours and a long-term engagement, again, CaaS may be a better option for your needs.

What Are The Benefits of Staff Augmentation?

The biggest benefit of staff augmentation is that it gives you access to expert consultants without having to hire someone yourself. Interviewing and hiring a new team member can be expensive and time-consuming, and it can also be tricky to find someone with the exact skill set you need.

With staff augmentation, Collectiv matches you with someone on our talented team right away. This person is more than qualified to get the job done and they can get started quickly

Staff augmentation can reduce quite a bit of stress with your existing team members. Even if you already have in-house team members with Power BI knowledge, for example, they might be too busy to fully immerse themselves in a Power BI implementation project. Staff augmentation gives you the resources you need to reach your goals without overtaxing your existing team members.

Even with an incredible team in place, your enterprise might need outside support to achieve your goals and best serve your client base. Staff augmentation helps you scale intelligently by leveraging Collectiv’s team of knowledgeable and capable consultants.

If you’re interested in learning more about staff augmentation, schedule a call with the Collectiv team.