A Different Kind of Staff Augmentation Model

Have you ever said any of the following?

• “My web developer just left and I need an expert with Wordpress to keep my site running and to train whoever I hire to replace them”
• “I just need an Episerver expert for 6 weeks to roll out a new piece of functionality”
• “I can’t hire a full-time Drupal expert, but I need them to be a part of this upgrade I have planned”
• “I need a Ektron developer to help my team complete this work next month”                  

If you have, then you have identified a need to augment your staff – at least on a temporary basis. This is one of the core offerings of our company, Ameex, and it works extremely well in the situations described above. Ameex is also able to provide these staff augmentation resources to your team on a remote, domestic or on-site basis, ensuring that we can meet your specific needs.

However, we have also found that in these kinds of engagements, there are additional ways in which the Ameex team can provide additional value. For example, we recently had an opportunity to work with a client who approached us with a traditional staff augmentation need – in this case, it was for a developer to be added to an existing team. As we explored the request in detail, we learned that the client didn’t have a formalized methodology for the project and was also lacking in quality assurance testing resources, but had all of the other key roles covered.

To address these unique needs, Ameex offered a new kind of staff augmentation model: we call it the Blended FTE (Full-Time Employee) model. Using this approach, Ameex provided the core development resource that was needed, but augmented this developer with a CMS Architect (who would map out the development plan for the entire team) and provided access to the Ameex Quality Assurance Testing team, all for a blended rate that was marginally higher than the core rate for just a developer. The Ameex Quality Assurance Testing team also brought to bear our unique mobile device testing lab, which is a dedicated center that features more than 50 of the most popular smartphones and tablets in use today. This device testing lab provides the ability to test responsive web sites and even native mobile applications, as well.

With one move, Ameex was able to not just fill this customer’s initial stated request for development resources, but also drove supplemental value that will result in a successful delivery for the customer. The simple truth is this: if this client hadn’t elected to use this model, they would have had to hire a developer for a temporary period of time, then hire a CMS Architect to map out the development plan and then, finally, would have had to hire a separate testing team to come in and complete the testing. Following the Ameex approach, they were able to hire a single developer and then have that same developer provide access to development planning and testing approaches.

While the example above showcases the ability of the Ameex team to augment a developer with Architect and QA testing roles, the reality is that Ameex can also offer other forms of supplemental role support beyond these. For example, Ameex can add infrastructure specialists, security experts, performance and load testing resources, graphic designers, information architects and trainers as roles to augment core development or CMS Architect jobs. Any kind of role that has a special, unique or short-term role in a larger web development project can be delivered using this unique approach. This flexibility allows the model to serve the needs of a variety of customers, including those who are looking for small, targeted support to those looking to outsource complete teams of skilled development resources.

Taken together, it is clear that the Ameex blended FTE model really is about guaranteeing success for our customers. By providing niche services in a supplemental way to the core resources building the site, we ensure that all aspects of the development process are considered, implemented and successfully deployed. And the best news of all? The costs of the Ameex blended FTE model typically are only 20%-30% more than just core resources. That’s a tremendous amount of added value for a small additional investment.

Contact Ameex

Contact Brian Browning (brian.browning@ameexusa.com or at 804-920-1956) to learn more about how Ameex can assist you with a team of skilled, experienced developers, QA testers and more.