Staff augmentation
Staff augmentation: experienced engineers inside your team
Developers, data engineers, analysts, architects, project managers and scrum masters who join your team for a few months or a few years. They work in your tools and your process, and you direct the work.
Compare the models
How the four models compare
When each one fits, who owns the work, how involved your team is and how it is billed.
Managed services
- What it is
- Our team manages some or all aspects of your platform for you.
- When to choose it
- You want someone else to support and maintain an application or platform.
- Your involvement
- Lower. You set priorities and service levels; Smart Data handles monitoring, support and updates.
- Project ownership
- Smart Data. We own the deliverables, you review the outcomes.
- Billing model
- Usually a monthly contract, set by the systems covered and the response times.
- Best for
- Application or platform maintenance and other managed service needs.
Scoped projects
- What it is
- A discrete set of work that Smart Data manages and delivers from beginning to end.
- When to choose it
- You have a specific project that you want estimated and executed by a partner.
- Your involvement
- Lower. You set the goals and review milestones; Smart Data plans, builds and delivers.
- Project ownership
- Smart Data. We own the deliverables, you review the outcomes.
- Billing model
- Time and materials or fixed bid. Both options come with up-front pricing.
- Best for
- Defined programs: modernization, migrations, new platforms.
Staff augmentation
- What it is
- Smart Data developers join your internal team for a period of time.
- When to choose it
- You need to supplement your team with specific skills for a period of time.
- Your involvement
- High. You manage the project, we provide expert talent.
- Project ownership
- You. Our people follow your lead.
- Billing model
- Monthly contract.
- Best for
- Addressing temporary gaps, scaling quickly, avoiding hiring delays.
Contract-to-hire or direct placement
- What it is
- Smart Data sources individuals for you to hire permanently.
- When to choose it
- You're adding permanent IT staff and want help finding the right people.
- Your involvement
- You interview the pre-screened candidates we present.
- Project ownership
- Shared. We source and screen candidates; you interview and make the call.
- Billing model
- A one-time placement fee, or a monthly contract during contract-to-hire.
- Best for
- Permanent hires screened before you meet them.
Staff augmentation in practice
“Smart Data offers more than the typical staff augmentation or software development company… Rather than just delivering our projects, their team has taken a step further by providing mentorship and training to our developer and project teams.”
Roles on the Winsupply team
- AS400 and RPG developers
- Java and Angular developers
- QA automation engineers
Who joins your team
The roles we fill, from Dayton and Hyderabad
For a few months or a few years, screened by our technical team before you see a profile.
- DevelopersApplication, web and legacy platforms
- Data engineersPipelines, platforms and integration
- AnalystsBusiness, data and reporting
- ArchitectsSolution, data and cloud
- Project managers and scrum mastersDelivery inside your process
Where they work from
- Onshore
- From Dayton, Ohio, working your hours and on site when the work needs it.
- Offshore
- From the Smart Data Global Center in Hyderabad, India.
- Hybrid
- A mix of both, so the work keeps moving across time zones.
A few practical questions
Questions about staff augmentation
Who directs the work?
You do. Our people join your team, use your tools and follow your process, and you set the priorities.
How are people screened?
Our technical team screens every engineer against the skills the role needs before you see a profile.
Can someone we like join us permanently?
Yes. Contract-to-hire lets you see the work first and then bring the person onto your staff.
Whose AI tools do they use?
Yours. The client provides and pays for any AI tools used on its work, and our company accounts are never used on client data without the client’s permission.
Can the team change size?
Yes. Add people when the work grows and roll off when a phase ends.
Next step
Tell us who you need
The roles, the skills and how long. We come back with people who fit.
A short call about the roles
Skills, seniority, start date and how your team works.
You review matched profiles
Engineers whose skills fit the roles, screened by our technical team before you see them.
You interview and decide
Interviews on your schedule. The people you choose start inside your team, tools and process.