Introduction

In today`s competitive business landscape, organizations increasingly turn to offshore Dynamics 365 development services to leverage the power of Microsoft`s robust business application platform. Offshore services offer cost-effective and flexible solutions that can accelerate the development and implementation of Dynamics 365. This article explores the differences between outsourcing, outstaffing, and support services. By highlighting the respective pros and cons and the responsibilities of each team involved, we hope to help you choose the type of interaction that best suits your business`s initial needs, goals, and capabilities.

Outsourcing Dynamics 365 Development Services

Outsourcing involves delegating the entire Dynamics 365 development process to an external service provider. The service provider delivers the project within specified timelines and budget.

Pros and cons of outsourcing include:

Pros:

  1. Comprehensive solution: engaging a software outsourcing company can transform your project idea into a reality from start to finish. They will carefully assess your requirements, preferences, and budget to deliver a fully customized solution that meets your needs.
  2. Expertise and specialized skill set: outsourcing allows organizations to tap into a pool of highly skilled professionals experienced in Dynamics 365 development.
  3. Cost savings: by outsourcing, companies can avoid the expenses of maintaining an in-house development team, such as salaries, benefits, and infrastructure costs.
  4. Scalability: outsourcing offers the flexibility to scale up or down resources based on project requirements.
  5. Focus on core competencies: by entrusting Dynamics 365 services to a reliable vendor , companies can redirect their internal resources towards core competencies, such as strategic planning, innovation, and customer relationship management. It allows the organization to concentrate on activities directly impacting its growth and success.

Cons:

  1. Communication challenges: offshore outsourcing can sometimes pose hurdles due to language barriers, time zone differences, and cultural nuances.
  2. Lack of control: organizations may have limited control over the development process and decision-making, as it rests primarily with the service provider.
  3. Data security concerns: sharing sensitive business data with an external partner may raise security concerns. Robust confidentiality and data protection measures should be in place.

Duties of the outsourcing team:

The outsourcing team typically comprises project managers, business analysts, developers, testers, and quality assurance specialists. Their duties include requirements gathering, solution design, development, testing, and project management, ensuring the timely delivery of a quality Dynamics 365 solution.

Outstaffing Dynamics 365 Development Services

Outstaffing involves hiring dedicated resources from an external service provider to work as an extension of the client`s in-house team. The client retains control over the project, while the outstaffing partner provides additional skilled professionals.

Pros and cons of outstaffing include:

Pros:

  1. Complete control and flexibility: the client controls the project, including decision-making, task allocation, and resource management.
  2. Access to specialized skills: outstaffing allows organizations to fill skill gaps in their existing team with technical professionals.
  3. Enhanced productivity: by adding skilled professionals to the team , outstaffing can accelerate project timelines and increase productivity.
  4. Cost efficiency: outstaffing allows companies to access highly skilled Dynamics 365 professionals without incurring the costs of hiring and retaining full-time employees. This model eliminates expenses such as benefits, office space, equipment, and employee overhead, resulting in significant cost savings.

Cons:

  1. Increased management overhead: managing a distributed team requires effective communication and coordination to ensure seamless collaboration.
  2. Dependency on the client`s management capabilities: the success of outstaffing relies heavily on the client`s ability to manage and integrate the outsourced resources into their existing team.
  3. Potential conflicts within the team: differences in culture, work methodologies, and time zones may lead to conflicts and challenges in collaboration.

Duties of the outstaffing team:

The outstaffing team typically consists of developers, consultants, or other professionals who work remotely as part of the client`s team. Their responsibilities include coding, development, implementation, testing, and ongoing support of the client`s Dynamics 365 project.

Dynamics 365 Support Services

Dynamics 365 support services focus on post-implementation assistance and ongoing maintenance of the Dynamics 365 solution. This service can be provided by either the development service supplier or a separate support team.

Pros and cons of support services include:

Pros:

  1. Continuous system maintenance: support services ensure the smooth operation of the Dynamics 365 solution, addressing any issues or bugs that arise.
  2. System updates and enhancements: the support team can handle updates, patches, and upgrades, ensuring the solution remains current with the latest features and security measures.
  3. Expert technical assistance: support services provide access to a team of dedicated Dynamics 365 experts who can offer timely technical guidance and support. Whether it`s resolving system issues, answering user queries, or providing guidance on best practices, having reliable support ensures smooth operations and user satisfaction.
  4. User training and assistance: support services often include end-user training and troubleshooting assistance, helping users maximize the benefits of Dynamics 365.

Cons:

  1. Dependency on external support: organizations relying solely on support services may experience delays in issue resolution if the support team lacks sufficient resources or expertise.
  2. Additional cost: support services typically involve an ongoing fee, adding to the overall cost of maintaining the Dynamics 365 solution.

Duties of the support team:

The support team handles user queries, resolves technical issues, performs system updates, manages security, and provides ongoing training and assistance to Dynamics 365 users.

Summary

Offshore Dynamics 365 development services offer organizations diverse options to accelerate the development and maintenance of their Dynamics 365 solutions. While outsourcing provides an end-to-end solution, outstaffing offers additional resources to supplement the client`s team. Support services focus on maintaining and enhancing the deployed solution.

When selecting an offshore development team for your project, it is essential to carefully consider your project goals and requirements and realistically evaluate your ability to manage the development process.

Need to outsource or outstaff your product? Contact us today.