Non-dedicated teams, assigned to your project but not fully dedicated to you for the long term. The goal in this approach is to meet the time and cost estimates agreed upon with you and which we prepare based on the requirements that you provide or that we gather;

Hybrid teams, which combine dedicated teams assigned for your long term needs with teams that work on a per project basis to temporarily extend the distributed teams, execute projects that require little domain knowledge or to cover other short term needs.

Experience in Multi-site Projects with Distributed Teams

A significant proportion of our new customers expressed their concern regarding our experience with multi-site software projects, where parts of the team work from different locations and where time and cultural differences may impose challenges. We have been working both with software houses and with end customers, in projects with work performed at two or more sites and even projects where multiple teams located in different parts of the world were involved. In such a project the nearshore team works from Usin’s office and the client’s team at hundreds to thousands of miles away. We are therefore seasoned in managing mixed, distributed team projects and can prevent pitfalls that occur in such contexts

Models Based on Team Organization

Team extension

Recommended for long term engagements, this model implies that we build teams fully dedicated to the client’s projects. Depending on the level of our involvement in managing the dedicated team, this model can range from a structured dedicated team, where we are involved in project planning and development, in sharing the vision and the long term plans with our client, to an unstructured dedicated team, where the client manages the dedicated team directly, taking care of allocations, workload, and others. Regardless of the level of involvement, the client can take part in the selection and motivation of the team members, being permanently in direct contact with us and benefiting from a transparent workflow and flexible engagement contract.

Value for our customers:

● People with the right skills and attitude;

● Capacity to scale;

● Know-how is built and kept long term within the distributed team.

Project outsourcing

This model is recommended when the need is to execute and deliver a custom software development project, either in a time and materials collaboration or for a fixed price. The main focus is on results and deliverables and we provide both the team and the project plans.

Value for our customers:

● Project executed and delivered.

Hybrid model

In this model, dedicated teams are complemented by teams that work on specific projects, to temporarily extend the distributed teams and cover temporary needs.

Value for our customers:

● Increased flexibility in allocation

Approaches Based on Effort

Time and materials

This model is employed when the total effort cannot be estimated in advance and the scope of the work can be changed during the development process. A charge based on the total effort reported by the team and accepted by the client is issued on a monthly basis. This approach offers the flexibility to balance team size and project workloads and offers continuous control over time, budget and deliverables.

Fixed price

This model is appropriate for projects developed in several fixed price iterations. It indicates clearly what needs to be delivered, when and what the costs will be (on-time, on-budget delivery of projects). It is most effective when the scope and specifications of the software development project are clearly defined

Approaches Depending on Location

Nearshore or offshore team

In terms of location, we normally engage in nearshore or offshore collaborations. In this model, teams located at Usin act as virtual extensions of our clients’ teams. Such an approach brings costs optimization to our clients due to flexibility and quick resource allocation. It also provides our clients with access to a large pool of software engineers and IT professionals.

Mixed location

If necessary, we can also accommodate on-site presence at the client’s premises. This implies that the team or part of the team members travel to the client, usually at the start of a complex project. The on-site presence may be needed when intense knowledge transfer is required or when the requirements definition and planning stages demand direct contact.

All Engagement Models include:

● Strong Non-Disclosure Obligations

● Statement of Work

● Management and Reporting Terms

● Maintenance and Support Conditions

● Full transfer of intellectual property rights on the code and documentation that we will develop for you

● Payment terms depending on the contract type as the rates on software development might vary

● Other general conditions typical for master service agreements

Workflow

After choosing a type of software development contract, it is time to decide on the most suitable type of workflow. SCAND engineers are skilled at implementing any kind of workflow requested by the customer. We could split traditional frameworks and use the hybrid approach, taking the best suitable elements from Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and ‘old faithful’ Waterfall.

Agile

Agile development methods are more efficient when the final goal of the project is not defined and the customer wants the development team to react to the changed requirements rapidly and effectively.

● Emphasis on the experimental software development and flexible design pattern

● Oriented on the teamwork environment and collaboration

● Stands for evolutionary development and adaptive

Waterfall

Waterfall software development is ideal for static projects when the customer’s requirements are set and the changes are not likely to happen through the development process.

● Works well for small scope projects where requirements are clearly defined

● Reliable budget and time estimation

● No overlapping as all the tasks are sequential

Scrum

To manage the development of complex software in fixed-length iterations, the Scrum approach could be the best matching. The development process is divided into sprints, and the team interacts with the customer once the sprint is completed.

● Ideal for the swing project development

● Testing is performed throughout the development

● Changes are anticipated along the way

Kanban

This approach is based on Agile but involves a bigger visual component. The benefit of Kanban is that it gives businesses an opportunity to be reactive towards customers’ demands instead of trying to predict the needs.

● Increased flexibility

● The visual component makes it easy to learn

● Optimized workflow