Building a Practical AI Engineer Career Framework: From ML Model Building to MLOps and Real-World Delivery
Why We Needed a Clear Framework for AI Engineers
At Ontik Technology, as we grew our applied AI and machine learning practice, we faced a challenge many companies know well:
How do we clearly define what an AI Engineer truly is—not just in theory, but in daily work, model development, and production deployment?
Across the industry, AI roles often adapt to specific projects or the unique strengths of individuals. While this flexibility can be helpful, it often results in vague job expectations and unclear career paths. Without a solid framework, it’s tough to support engineers’ growth, evaluate their skills objectively, or prepare them to deliver production-quality AI systems.
We realized we needed a practical, delivery-driven AI engineer career framework—one that reflects the full machine learning lifecycle and real-world AI system delivery, especially in fast-moving startups or product teams.
It’s about:
- Not just building models, but building and deploying robust ML pipelines that run reliably in production.
- Not just writing code, but designing scalable, maintainable AI infrastructure.
- Not just chasing accuracy numbers, but ensuring reproducibility, latency optimization, drift detection, and other key MLOps practices.
Our Perspective: AI Engineering is More Than Just Using Pre-Trained Models
Using GPT APIs or building workflows with pre-trained large language models is valuable work, but in our view, that belongs more to AI solution development.
True AI Engineers go a step deeper.
They understand the fundamentals of building models from scratch. They write modular, clean, and testable code. They think carefully about reproducibility, latency, drift detection, model versioning, and production readiness.
They don’t just plug in pre-trained models—they design and build AI systems end-to-end, often starting from raw data, through model training, tuning, and integration into scalable applications.
Their work brings together multiple key areas:
- Data engineering, which involves preparing and transforming large datasets to make them usable and reliable for modeling.
- Model building, where they design, train, and fine-tune machine learning and deep learning models—often building them from scratch to solve specific problems.
- API development for models, creating interfaces that allow other systems or applications to interact seamlessly with the AI models in production.
- MLOps and system integration, focused on deploying models into production, setting up monitoring to catch issues like data drift, and maintaining the AI systems to ensure they perform reliably over time.
This comprehensive approach ensures AI solutions aren’t just experiments—they are real, scalable, and maintainable machine learning systems.
The AI Engineer Career Ladder: From Intern to Lead
We designed a career ladder to help AI professionals grow and companies to set clear expectations. This ladder includes six levels, each with distinct roles, responsibilities, and goals.
1. AI Intern
Focus: Learn the basics of data preprocessing, scripting, and simple model building.
Key skills:
- Python, pandas, NumPy
- Simple models (like logistic regression)
- Version control and reproducible notebooks
Goal: Contribute to data cleaning and initial model experiments in a structured, collaborative setting.
2. Junior ML Engineer / AI Analyst
Focus: Run well-defined machine learning experiments and track results carefully.
Key skills:
- Feature engineering, exploratory data analysis (EDA)
- Baseline modeling and validation metrics (AUC, accuracy, F1 score)
- Experiment tracking tools like MLflow or n8n
Goal: Support model evaluation and reproducibility for early-stage ML projects.
3. Associate AI Engineer
Focus: Own small ML pipelines and prepare models for system integration.
Key skills:
- Classical ML algorithms (XGBoost, SVM), small CNNs/RNNs
- Identify data leakage and alignment problems
- Package models with FastAPI and Docker
- Use tools like DVC and MLflow for pipeline modularity
Goal: Deliver reliable, testable ML components ready for production integration.
4. AI Engineer
Focus: Take end-to-end ownership of production-ready machine learning features.
Key skills:
- Fine-tune pretrained models (BERT, GPT) and build from scratch
- Handle imbalanced datasets, time-series splits, and advanced loss functions
- Deploy via CI/CD pipelines and monitor with tools like SHAP or drift detection
- Integrate models into batch or real-time production systems
Goal: Deliver scalable AI solutions aligned with MLOps best practices and infrastructure requirements.
5. Senior AI Engineer
Focus: Architect scalable ML pipelines and mentor junior engineers.
Key skills:
- Design modular, versioned pipelines
- Advanced hyperparameter tuning (Optuna), fairness audits
- Robustness testing and orchestration using Airflow or n8n
- Lead reproducibility and performance improvements across projects
Goal: Drive technical standards for scalable ML systems and guide team growth.
6. Lead AI Engineer
Focus: Provide technical leadership, align strategy, and oversee AI delivery.
Key skills:
- Evaluate architecture trade-offs across multiple projects
- Align timelines and scope with product, backend, and DevOps teams
- Collaborate on secure, automated ML deployment pipelines
- Lead POCs and platform-level AI innovation efforts
Goal: Set vision and execution strategy for AI delivery across teams and projects.
Why This Framework Matters
At Ontik Technology, having a clear, transparent AI engineer framework helps us:
- Define roles and responsibilities clearly, making career paths measurable and fair.
- Guide structured mentorship and learning opportunities across the team.
- Align technical maturity with real project delivery needs.
- Separate AI solution development (like prompt engineering with LLMs) from core model engineering and MLOps.
- Build scalable ML pipelines and maintainable AI infrastructure grounded in real-world best practices.
Let’s Build the AI Engineering Ecosystem — Together
This framework reflects how AI and machine learning systems are truly built and delivered—from data collection and model building to deployment and ongoing monitoring. It’s not a rigid rulebook, but a practical starting point designed to spark conversation, alignment, and shared learning.
Our goal is to build a community that:
- Defines what it means to be a true AI Engineer—with clarity, structure, and a strong focus on delivery.
- Nurtures the next generation of machine learning talent.
- Builds sustainable, robust AI ecosystems in Bangladesh and beyond.
If you’re involved in machine learning engineering, AI model development, building MLOps pipelines, or leading AI teams, this framework offers practical guidance to:
- Clarify roles and expectations,
- Improve collaboration between data scientists, engineers, and DevOps,
- Deliver reliable, scalable AI applications that truly add value.
We see this as a living framework—one that can be continually improved with input from engineers, leaders, and teams working on real-world AI projects. As the AI ecosystem in Bangladesh and beyond grows rapidly, creating shared language and clear expectations will help all of us raise the bar for AI engineering.
We welcome your feedback, suggestions, and collaboration to refine this framework further. Together, we can shape a stronger, more structured, and delivery-focused AI engineering culture—building scalable, robust AI systems that make a real impact.
#AIEngineering #CareerFramework #MLOps #BangladeshTech #OntikAI
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If you’ve been searching online for “how much does it cost to outsource app development?” or “outsource mobile application development”, chances are you've seen a lot of numbers but not enough clear answers.
As a startup, you don’t just want a price you want to understand why it costs that much, what affects the cost, and how to make the smartest decision for your business. That’s where this guide comes in.
We won’t just throw random figures at you. Instead, we’ll break down the real costs of application development outsourcing, show you how application outsourcing works for startups, and explain the difference between hiring a full outsourcing application development team vs. adding a few developers to your team through outstaffing.
If you’re a startup with a big idea, mobile application development outsourcing can help you build it fast without spending too much. And if your goal is to grow quickly, software application outsourcing lets you do more without hiring a full inhouse team. In this article, we’ll help you make smart and budget friendly decisions. No more confusion we’ll show you what works best for your startup.
This guide explains everything in simple terms. You’ll learn what affects the cost of outsourcing application development, how prices change in different countries, and the types of outsourcing models you can choose. We’ll also explain why Ontik Technology is a great partner in 2025, offering the right mix of low cost, fast work, and great quality.
How IT Companies Handle Outsourced App Development.
Before jumping into the details, first, you should understand what application development outsourcing means. In short, it’s when anyone can hire or work with another company or tech service provider to manage and handle their specific tasks and build different types of apps instead of doing it in house.
In 2025, many industries will try to save money or time by outsourcing to other companies. They rely on application outsourcing to some extent. From startups to mid and large companies, many founders prefer or suggest outsourcing application development because it saves money. Without burning too much cost, any startup or company can scale very quickly. At a low cost, they can hire expert resources through outsourcing.
For example, a startup or mid level company may outsource mobile application development teams to fulfill their tasks based on their requirements. They can handle everything from design to deployment. This is the ordinary framework in mobile application development outsourcing startups or mid level companies move faster without hiring a full tech team.
There are lots of companies that do not have the capability to build high quality apps due to lack of skilled team members and funding. That’s why they choose software application outsourcing or application software outsourcing to solve complex app problems and build high quality apps, especially when they need more advanced tech or AI features. The whole service from design to build time is overseen step by step when more advanced tech or AI features are required.
Choosing the right pricing model helps avoid surprises in your app development cost estimator. Whether you’re building for Android or iOS, your cost of Android app development or iOS app development cost will depend on the model you pick.
Startup companies may benefit from application outsourcing solutions because they can build high quality mobile applications at a low cost and receive high quality service from the outsourced team. This happens when you choose the right application outsourcing services provider, which makes it easier to scale with less risk.
What are the Factors That Influence App Development Outsourcing Costs
Cost to Outsource App Development by Regions
Outsource App Development Cost by Industry
Note: Ontik developers use the best technology to build mobile applications, and they have very hard skills to build any type of complex app within a few months. They build various types of mobile applications that show their credibility, so startups to large organizations can easily trust Ontik technology.
How to Choose an App Development Outsourcing Company
AI Expertise Is a Must
Choose teams experienced in AI app development and automation. Startups want smart features from day one.
Experience with MVPs
Many startups start small. Pick a company skilled in MVP development to launch fast and scale later. Before choosing an outsourcing MVP development company, find out how many skilled developers they have and Is they fulfill your requirements or not.
Low-Code/No-Code Familiarity
Look for partners who can handle low-code tools—they speed up development and cut early costs. Find out the partner who has to capability to build your mobile app first without doing any coding. And having knowledge of Low-Code/No-Code approaches and familiarity with retools and Bubble to build MVP products or MVP mobile apps quickly.
Proven Remote Collaboration
Companies with good remote work culture and tools like Slack, Notion, and Jira are now preferred.
Mobile First Development
Focus on agencies with strong mobile application development outsourcing experience mobile is still king.
Transparent Pricing Models
Choose providers who clearly explain cost breakdowns many now use cost estimators or calculators on their websites.
Security & Data Compliance
As apps handle more sensitive data, pick teams that follow strict security and GDPR compliance rules.
Skills in Building Cross Platform Apps
Teams that offer iOS, Android, and web app support under one roof are trending high.
Bangladesh & Eastern Europe on the Rise
Offshore app development hubs like Bangladesh are booming for quality work at low cost.
Outsourcing App Developers vs. In-House Teams: What’s Best for Building a Mobile App?
When any small company or startup founders who do not have a big team or skilled developers, they think that there is a big question startups and companies face: Should they hire in house developers or outsource the mobile application developers from another company? Both models have their advantages and disadvantages depending on their business goals and other elements of the business.
Average Costs of Outsourcing Mobile App Development
To give you an idea of the typical costs involved, here’s a rough breakdown of what you can expect when outsourcing mobile app development and Affordable Solutions: We know startups need to be careful with money. That's why we offer cost effective options without compromising quality. You can start by building a mobile application to test your idea without spending too much. Plus, we save your time by assembling a development team, so you can focus on other important tasks.
Why Outsource App Development to Ontik Technology?
Ontik Technology is a top choice when you want to hire offshore remote mobile app developers. With years of experience in mobile application development and a strong portfolio of successful offshore mobile app development projects, Ontik ensures that your app is built with the best quality. Whether you're looking for offshore iOS mobile app development services or offshore mobile app development services, Ontik is your trusted partner for creating high quality mobile apps.
1. Smart Development for Fast Results
Ontik Technology specializes in delivering high-quality applications quickly and efficiently. We follow agile methods and use the latest tech to build results driven apps tailored to your business goals.
2. MVP First Approach for Startups
We help businesses launch faster by focusing on Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). This lean approach saves cost, reduces risk, and validates your idea early, perfect for startups and scaling teams.
3. Flexible Team, Scalable Solutions
Outsource confidently with our flexible team structure offering both dedicated developers and full project teams. You can scale up or down based on your project needs.
4. Built In Efficiency with Modern Tools
We use modern frameworks and cloud technologies to build apps that are secure, scalable, and future ready. Our toolset ensures faster delivery with optimized performance.
5. AI Enhanced Workflows Where It Matters
While not all apps need AI, we integrate smart features like automation, personalization, or chatbots when it adds real value to your product. Our team can guide you on where AI fits best.
6. End-to-End Support From Concept to Launch
From idea validation and design to full-stack development and launch, Ontik offers full cycle development support. We act as your extended team throughout the journey.
7. Proven Results Across Multiple Industries
We’ve worked with clients in e-commerce, healthcare, logistics, SaaS, and more. Our apps are designed to meet industry specific challenges while maintaining speed, quality, and flexibility.
Final Thought
The outsourcing model is not just about saving money it’s a smarter and more effective move for any business to reach its goals. Startups and many companies solve their problems and tackle difficult challenges through outsourcing, allowing them to launch apps quickly, work with expert developers, and reduce hiring costs.
Whether you need a simple app or a full featured product, outsourcing app development helps you focus on your business while expert developers handle the tech work for you. Ontik Technology is a great choice for this. They have experience, skilled developers, and they understand what startups need. They can build your app fast and at a good price.
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a simplified version of a product designed for easy customer use. It allows users to help themselves, discover the product on their own, and start using it with minimal guidance.
If you’re building a new product, launching a startup, or testing a fresh idea, you’ve probably heard the term MVP (Minimum Viable Product). It’s a smart way to launch fast, learn what works, and avoid wasting time or money.
Turning your idea into a real product feels amazing, and making money from it is even better.
Building an MVP is the smartest way to turn your startup idea into a real product without wasting time or money. This guide explains how much it costs to build an MVP, what factors affect the budget, and how Ontik Technology helps founders launch fast with clarity and confidence.
At Ontik Technology, we work with startups across every stage of the MVP journey. Whether you’re just validating an idea, upgrading a rough prototype, or preparing to scale your product, this guide shows exactly how we help you get there.
Why is Budget Planning Essential for MVP Development?
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) a is the first step for startup founders, and businesses to test a new idea. It allows them to build a lean, workable version of their digital product to check if it works without spending too much time or money.
This approach is ideal for new businesses still shaping their core idea or for teams looking to add new features but unsure how users will respond.
With an MVP startups, founders, and businesses can get real feedback early, fix issues before they grow, and avoid wasting money and time on something people don’t want. Before you build your digital product or MVP, you need to plan or calculate how much it costs to build an MVP.
Many people ask, "How much does an MVP cost?" The answer depends on your idea, features, design, and the team you choose. If you are building a software business, understanding the SaaS MVP development cost is important. Even if you use low code tools, you still need to know the low code MVP development cost. Planning your budget helps you pick only the most needed features. This way, you can reduce MVP development costs and launch your product faster. It also helps you understand the MVP app development cost, MVP prototype cost, and the full cost of MVP development.
Knowing the cost of developing an MVP is an indication that you're serious and well prepared when speaking with investors. That's why you should have a well defined plan in place, whether you are discussing how much does MVP cost or how much does MVP software development cost.
Ontik Technology focuses on helping visionary founders, early stage teams, and startup builders bring their ideas to life through meaningful MVP solutions. Our services are ideal for:
How Much Does It Cost To Build An MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Here’s a simple breakdown of the cost to build an MVP based on real startup situations. From idea research to support after launch, every step has its own cost and matters a lot. If you know the early stages, that can help you plan and avoid burning money.
Various elements or factors can affect MVP development cost as in how complex your app is, how skilled your developers and team members are, and how much time it takes to launch your MVP product. There are lots of parts involved here, like frontend design, backend work, third party tools, and product testing costs, which can increase your MVP cost. If you want something quicker and more affordable, low code MVP development cost options are available, but they may not scale well in the future.
If you're wondering how much does it cost to develop an MVP, the usual cost is between $15,000 and $50,000, based on how advanced your idea is. But it’s not just about the price, it’s about smart planning. Startups should try to reduce MVP development costs by choosing the right team.
🟢 Note: Ontik Technology is one of the top choices for MVP product development. They offer clear pricing, fast delivery, and trusted MVP development services for startup companies. Whether you’re building a mobile app or an SaaS MVP, Ontik helps you build an MVP quickly and efficiently.
Core Cost Component of MVP products Development
Workflow Breakdown of MVP Development
Here is the workflow breakdown of MVP product development:
Step 1: Discovery Kickoff
- Stakeholder session to understand the vision
- Define product goals and user needs
- Finalize scope and roadmap
Step 2: Design Start
- Deliver Figma flows and user stories
- Set up task board in Jira or ClickUp
- Begin user experience design
Step 3: UX Alignment
- Review feedback on designs
- Refine UI and UX scope
- Lock core user journeys
Step 4: Dev Setup
- Start with user management module
- Prepare base architecture
- Deliver first internal demo
Step 5: Dev Phase 1
- Build core product features
- Create 2nd demo with flows working
- Track progress with weekly updates
Step 6: QA Prep
- Reach 50% code completion
- Start writing test cases
- Prepare for functional testing
Steps 7–8: QA Phase
- Run regression testing
- Fix bugs and improve usability
- Handle minor scope additions
Step 9: Final QA
- Freeze the code
- Polish the product experience
- Prepare for deployment
Step 10: Release Ready
- MVP is now deployable
- Complete all documentation
- Handoff for internal review
Step 11: Final QA + UAT
- User Acceptance Testing with 90–100% test case coverage
- Create a user guide and support docs
Step 12: Launch Support
- Sign off from team or client
- Final code handoff
- Internal training and post-launch prep
Hour and Time Cost Breakdown of MVP
Ontik follows a structured timeline approach for MVP delivery based on your startup stage.
- For idea stage founders, the process takes around 4 to 6 weeks
- For startups building or upgrading an MVP, it takes 8 to 12 weeks
- For launch ready startups needing scale or polish, it takes 6 to 16 weeks
There's also a sample 12-week breakdown showing each weekly activity like discovery kickoff, design, development, testing, QA, and launch support. This makes it easier to track time spent across different phases and align resources at each step.
People and Developer Cost Breakdown of MVP
Each stage of MVP development involves different experts to keep quality high and delivery fast. Ontik assigns dedicated professionals depending on your MVP type:
Idea Stage MVP
- Product Strategist
- UI UX Designer
- No Code Developer (if needed)
- Business Analyst
MVP Builder or Upgrader
- Product Manager
- UI UX Designer
- Frontend and Backend Developers
- QA Engineer
- DevOps (if needed)
Launch Ready MVP
- Senior Developer or Architect
- DevOps Engineer
- QA Lead
- Automation Specialist
- Technical Project Manager
This team setup shows the human cost involved in combining strategy, design, development, and QA to deliver a complete MVP.
Cloud Hosting Options for MVPs
Choosing the right cloud hosting is very important when building an MVP. It helps your product run well, grow easily, and stay within budget. Cloud hosting gives you flexibility, saves money, and lets you launch faster without spending too much. Here in this table, we can show the three most renowned cloud provider and their overviews, processes, pricing rates, and key features:
Factors Influencing the MVP Development Cost
If you're a startup founder planning to build your first minimum viable product (MVP), one big question is: How much does it cost to build an MVP? The answer depends on many things from your product idea to your team setup. Here’s a detailed look at the real factors that influence the MVP development cost, especially for startups.
- Project Complexity & Features
The more features you want in your minimum viable product, the higher the MVP development cost. A simple MVP with core functions is cheaper, while advanced AI or SaaS features increase the cost of MVP development.
- Team Location & Hiring Model
Team location matters for building MVP products. The cost to develop MVP can vary based on which country the developers are in, how skilled they are, and where your development team is located. There are 3 hiring models: offshore, nearshore, and onshore. Hiring offshore developers from Asian countries helps reduce MVP development cost while still delivering high quality products and services at a much lower price than U.S. based options.
- Three Development Approaches: No-code, Low-code, or Custom
There are three approaches available. If you're wondering how much does it cost to develop an MVP, it can vary based on your approach. No-code tools like Retool and Bubble can lower costs, rather than preparing custom coded MVP products. Low-code MVP development costs are usually lower, but they may not be scalable. Custom software development costs more but allows more control and growth.
- Different Platform Types: Web, iOS, Android
MVP cost can vary based on different factors, and it depends on your requirements, like whether you’re building for a single platform or multiple ones. A web app is more budget friendly, whereas developing for iOS and Android increases your MVP app cost.
- Design Needs: UI/UX Simplicity vs. Detail
Sleek and modern UI/UX design can improve user retention, but it adds to the cost to build MVP. Custom visuals, animations, and prototypes raise the MVP prototype cost.
- Technology Stack
Your chosen tools and frameworks affect the development cost of MVP. Some tech stacks take more time to consume, which increases both development time and the overall MVP cost.
- Team Structure: In-house vs. Outsourced
Having an in-house development team gives full control but raises the MVP development budget due to salaries and overheads. Outsourcing to MVP development services or agencies offers flexibility and a lower average cost.
- Post Launch Support
The cost of MVP software development isn’t just about building it. It includes support, updates, and improvements. Make sure your MVP development process includes post Launch maintenance in the cost estimate.
Convert Your Business Idea into Reality with Ontik Technology’s MVP Development Services
1. From Idea to Impact Start with an MVP
Building a complete app at once takes time and money. Ontik helps you start small with a clear MVP that lets you test real users early. This lowers your mvp development cost while proving your idea fast.
2. Clear and Honest Pricing
Not sure how much does it cost to develop an MVP? We offer fixed pricing and transparent scope, so you get clarity from day one from mvp prototype cost to a full launch plan.
3. Fast Delivery Without Quality Loss
Our team focuses on fast delivery. You get your MVP within 9 to 12 weeks so you can move forward quickly without sacrificing quality.
4. Full MVP App Development Support
From planning to launch, we handle the entire process. Whether it's a mobile app, SaaS MVP, or low-code MVP, our roadmap shows you exactly what to do and when to do it.
5. Scalable and Future Ready Solutions
We help you build an MVP that grows with your users. Our post MVP support and scaling lets you improve and expand without starting over keeping your long term costs low.
6. Skilled In-House and Offshore Teams
You choose how to work with our dedicated product and tech team or a flexible offshore setup. Either way, we give you quality, control, and cost balance.
7. Trusted SaaS MVP Development Cost Models
For SaaS founders, our SaaS MVP development cost plans are built to match your product roadmap and business goals.
8. Maximize Efficiency, Minimize MVP Costs
Our strong UX and dev execution means we use smart tools, reusable code, and automation to build fast and reduce waste keeping your MVP development costs down.
9. Industry Trusted MVP Development Services
We are trusted by real startups who choose us for MVP development services. From design to launch, we give you solid results with a clear timeline and proven delivery.
10. Partner with a Proven MVP Expert
Ontik is not just a builder we are your partner. We help you design, budget, and deliver your MVP with confidence and support your growth from day one.
Why Founders Choose Ontik To Build an MVP
Why Founders Choose Ontik To Build an MVP Product
- Experience with startup ecosystems
- Transparent pricing and timelines
- Lean, startup-friendly delivery process
- Fast turnarounds and feedback cycles
- Support beyond launch: scale, automate, or hand off
Final Thoughts
Building an MVP product or digital solution is one of the smartest first steps for any startup. It allows founders to test their ideas, scale their business, and achieve a high return on investment (ROI). In today’s world, building an MVP quickly is possible. You just need to choose the right and experienced team that specializes in MVP or SaaS product development.
This article covers everything you need to know: a full MVP cost breakdown, key factors that influence development costs, and how to plan your MVP development budget wisely. An MVP lets you launch smarter, test early, and grow faster. With the right team like Ontik, you can keep costs low, build what users need, and move from idea to success in your business.
Today, businesses don’t need to hire people to get their work done. Businesses don’t need to go through the hassle of hiring, onboarding, and retaining resources, which can be done by experienced, talented resources from other parts of the world, while also saving on your expenses. Thanks to technology and remote work, they can find skilled workers from anywhere in the world.
Employees are one of the most valuable parts of any company. With technology and remote work, businesses now have more hiring options. They don’t have to stick to one location—they can find skilled people from anywhere in the world. Many companies are now choosing to outsource important tasks and projects. The global outsourcing market is already worth over $260 billion and could double by 2030.
This article will explain two popular IT staff hiring models that help businesses grow: staff augmentation and managed services. While these two approaches might look alike at first, they function differently. Understanding how each one works can help you make the right decision and create a smarter plan for your business growth.
Global Market of Staff Augmentation Vs Managed Services
In 2022, IT services around the world were worth about $821.58 billion. In the near 2030, many Experts say and predict that the market will grow at a 9.1% rate. Also, in 2020, the IT outsourcing market was around $318.5 billion, and by 2026, it could reach $425.19 billion, growing about 4.5% each year.
These numbers indicate that startup founders and mid-level business owners do hire people from outside of the country, and it also helps to save their money and hire skilled people at a low cost, and save their time as well. These numbers show that companies today are not just depending on their teams. Instead, they are hiring skilled experts from outside to help with new ideas and better solutions. Staff augmentation and managed services are two popular ways businesses engage with offshore staffing teams.
Both offer benefits like saving money, gaining expert help, working more efficiently, and being able to scale easily. But these two methods apply to totally different use cases. If a company needs full project help for a long time, managed services might be a better choice. But if a business needs short-term support or help with a specific task, staff augmentation is a smart option.
Let’s talk about the main differences between managed services and staff augmentation. This will help you choose the right option for your current work. Let’s begin:
What is Staff Augmentation?
Staff augmentation means hiring resources from outside the country or a nearby company to help fill resource gaps for a short period. You don’t need to hire them full-time; instead, they are hired on a project basis. These resources can join when the project starts and leave once the project is completed.
This is a smart option for companies when they need special skills or more people for a short time. It’s also helpful when deadlines are close, but the team isn’t big enough to finish everything on time. Instead of spending a lot to hire permanent staff, companies bring in the right experts only when needed.
This is a smart move for any business owner or founder when they need skilled people for a short period. It can be very helpful when project deadlines are near, but the company doesn’t have enough resources to complete the work. Instead of spending on permanent hires, a company can find the right talent at a lower cost and bring in experts only when needed.
Note: Ontik Technology has the right resources to meet your needs. They have already worked on many staff augmentation projects and successfully fulfilled their clients’ requirements.
Example from Ontik Technology – Staff Augmentation in Action
Instead of hiring someone full-time, they asked Ontik for support. Ontik provided a Flutter expert who joined their team for two months. The expert worked with Chippit’s team, helped build the app smoothly, and left once the project was finished.
Ontik Technology is your go-to partner for smart staff augmentation. When Chippit faced a tight deadline and lacked React Native experts, Ontik stepped in with the perfect solution. Ontik tech-skilled Flutter developer who worked seamlessly with Chippit’s team for two months. No long hiring process. No wasted resources.
The result? The app was launched into the market on time, with high quality, and the client was fully satisfied. This is how Ontik helps businesses scale fast and efficiently. This way, Chippit didn’t waste time or money. The app was done on time, and everyone was happy.
Ontik Technology has done many projects like this. They have the right people to join your team when you need extra hands, just for the time you need them. Simple, fast, and budget-friendly.
Types of Staff Augmentation Models
There are various types of staff augmentation models available. Here, we'll discuss some popular models:
Onshore Staff Augmentation:
In this process, you can hire additional personnel from within the same country or region where your company is based. It provides advantages such as easier communication due to shared time zones. Sometimes, it may come with higher labor costs when you compare it to offshore or nearshore options.
Offshore Staff Augmentation:
This process involves hiring resources from a different country, often located in a different time zone. This model offers cost savings due to lower labor expenses in offshore locations But yes, there are potential challenges in communication and cultural differences. Leveraging time zone differences can provide access to a wider talent pool and round-the-clock productivity.
Nearshore Staff Augmentation:
In Nearshore staff augmentation, you can hire staff or resources from neighboring or nearby countries. This model strikes a balance between cost savings and proximity. It also offers advantages such as similar time zones, cultural affinity, and reduced travel time for collaboration.
Short-Term Support:
Bringing in extra help for a short time to handle urgent or temporary tasks, like seasonal work or a sudden rise in projects.
Long-Term Partnership:
Hiring professionals for a longer period when companies need ongoing help, but don’t want to hire permanent staff.
Blended Model:
Mixing different models by using local staff for one part of the job and remote or offshore staff for another part to balance cost and control.
Skill-Focused Hiring:
Hiring people with specific skills for a project when in-house teams don’t have those skills.
Expert-Level Talent:
Getting top experts who are very experienced or have special knowledge for complex tasks that need high-level talent.
So, it's up to you which one you prefer for your particular projects or business. If you're struggling to decide which one to choose, Ontik Technology's professionals can help. All you have to do is contact our expert team.
What are Managed Services?
What is Managed Service?
Managed service means giving some of your company’s IT work to another company (called a service provider) to handle for you. Businesses often do this through a monthly or yearly contract. You can outsource many types of tasks like software development, keeping your data safe (cybersecurity), moving data (data migration), or managing your databases. Types of IT Managed Services Models
The service provider does the job on their own—they don’t become part of your office team. Once you permit them, they’ll share how much it will cost and how long it will take. Then they work to get the job done as planned. Managed services are a smart choice for companies that want to save money and time. It helps reduce the pressure on your internal team while making sure the work is done well and on time.
Types of IT Managed Services Models
Ontik Technology offers flexible IT managed services that help your business run smoothly, stay secure, and grow faster, just the way you need it.
Looking for full-scale IT support? Ontik Technology’s Managed Services team delivers everything from: Dedicated Development Team, Team Augmentation, Outsourced MVP Development, Integrated Business Automation, Custom Software Development, Web Development, Web 3 Development, Mobile Development, Artificial Intelligence, UI/UX Design, BI & Data Science, Enterprise Resource Planning, Cybersecurity, to project-specific solutions all tailored to your business growth.
Staff Augmentation vs Managed Services: Discover the Strategic Benefits
Why Choose the Staff Augmentation Model?
Staff augmentation means hiring resources from outside the country or a nearby company to help fill resource gaps for a short period. It will help the company to move work faster, easier, and cheaper. Let’s look at how it helps:
1. Add or Remove People Easily
In the staff augmentation model, you can quickly hire resources and easily release them after the project ends. But in other models, you can't remove resources as easily. Based on the project requirements, you can hire or release team members without any restrictions
2. Finish Projects Faster
When you bring in skilled people quickly, your work gets done sooner. This means you can launch your app, website, or service before others do.
3. Get the Right Skills for the Job
Every project is different. Sometimes you need a designer, sometimes a developer. Staff augmentation lets you pick just the right person with the skills you need—no need to train anyone.
4. Grow Your Team Quickly
If your company suddenly has a lot of work, you can grow your team fast. You don’t have to wait for interviews and hiring steps. You just bring in ready-to-work people.
5. Save Office and Equipment Costs
You don’t need to spend money on a new office or tools. These people already have what they need. This helps your company save money.
6. You’re Still the Boss
In the staff augmentation model, even if new resources or team members come from outside the company or organization, you can still manage the project. You can assign tasks to them like a boss and make all the important decisions.
Why choose the IT Managed Services Model?
Managed services mean giving a full project or task to an outside company. They take care of everything—from planning to delivery. You don’t need to guide them every day. This model is perfect if you want to save time and focus on other business tasks. Let’s see how it helps:
1. Let Experts Handle Everything
You give the full job to a team that already knows what to do. You don’t have to explain every step. They plan, build, and deliver your project on their own.
2. No Need to Hire or Train People
You don’t need to spend time on interviews or training. The service provider already has skilled people who are ready to work from day one.
3. Focus on Business, Not the Tech Work
You can spend more time growing your business while the outside team takes care of the technical stuff. No need to worry about day-to-day problems.
4. Save Time on Project Management
In this model, you don’t manage the team. The managed service provider handles everything—timelines, quality, and delivery. You just review updates and give feedback.
5. Lower Long-Term Costs
Even though it might seem costly at first, managed services save money in the long run. You don’t pay for office space, tools, or full-time staff. You only pay for what you need.
6. Get Ongoing Support
Managed service providers often give 24/7 help. If something breaks, they fix it. If you need updates or changes, they handle it quickly without extra hiring.
7. Flexible Plans and Payments
IT Managed Services Model most of the approaches work on a monthly or yearly contract basis, based on your requirements, you may choose. There is no hidden cost here.
8. Better for Long-Term Projects
If you have a big or ongoing project, this model is a good choice. The team works like your tech partner and helps your company grow steadily.
9. Fewer Risks, More Peace of Mind
IT Managed Services Model the services follows some specific methods, like tested methods and so that there is less chance of mistakes, and they have proper backup and manage high security, and they can make sure the systems run smoothly and accurately.
10. Easy to Scale
If your business grows or changes, managed services can adjust quickly. They add more people or reduce the team based on your needs, without delays.
Key Differences Between Staff Augmentation and Managed Services
Staff Augmentation & Managed Services: Which Is Fit with You?
Ontik Technology provides both staff augmentation and managed services to help businesses meet project needs and team demands in the best way possible. Staff augmentation gives more flexibility. You can easily hire skilled people from outside for a short time or just for one project. Once the job is done, they can leave. You’re in full control of who joins and when.
Managed services don’t just mean signing a long-term contract—it fully depends on what the client specifically needs and how clearly those needs are defined. Once the tasks and deliverables are identified, the contract can be structured as mid-term or long-term. Instead of billing by man-hours, the pricing is often based on measurable outputs, such as the number of data migrations completed, issues resolved, or features delivered. In this model, Ontik Technology acts as a vendor managing the entire service delivery, not just providing people.
In short, If you want to control the whole team and manage the project, and you need the power to make changes at any time, then Ontik’s staff augmentation can support you. But if you need ongoing help with less hassle, our managed services are ready for long-term support.
Staff Augmentation & Managed Services: Which Is More Market Worthy?
At Ontik Technology, we enable scalable growth through both models, depending on your business goals. Managed services are usually easier to scale. With a managed team, you can quickly add services, people, or tools as your business grows because they already have the resources and systems to support it. With staff augmentation, scaling takes more effort. As you grow, you need to hire new people, and sometimes it’s hard to find the right talent.
In short, if you want to grow your business quickly, Ontik’s managed services can give you smoother and faster support, while staff augmentation keeps you flexible as you scale.
Staff Augmentation & Managed Services: Level of Control and Oversight
Ontik Technology ensures you get the right level of control depending on how hands-on you want to be. With staff augmentation, you stay in control. You manage the work, choose tasks, and follow up directly. It is helpful to track every step of the project. In a managed service model, you have full power to control everything or the service provider. They handle the work based on the agreement. You trust them to manage it well, but you won’t be involved in daily tasks.
In short: Pick staff augmentation from Ontik if you want to stay fully involved, or choose managed services if you prefer to focus on business while we handle the delivery.
Staff Augmentation & Managed Services: Which Is More Customizable?
Ontik Technology gives you full freedom to customize your project or hiring process based on your unique needs. Staff augmentation is highly customizable. You can bring in people with very specific skills for each task. They can work directly with your team, in your style.
Managed services are more fixed. The provider uses their way of doing things. It’s harder to ask for unique setups or changes outside their regular service.
In short, if you need highly skilled resources or to work with anyone who is an expert based on your requirements, then Ontik’s staff augmentation model is fit for your business.
Staff Augmentation & Managed Services: Which Scales or Uses More Security?
At Ontik Technology, both models are built with a strong focus on performance and protection. Managed services give stronger security. The providers are experts in data safety, threat detection, and system protection. They work 24/7 to keep your data safe.
With staff augmentation, it depends on your systems and rules. The external team might be skilled, but security still depends on your internal setup.
In short, for higher protection and full-time security help, managed services from Ontik are the better choice. But with our staff augmentation, you can still ensure compliance by aligning the team with your internal processes.
Staff Augmentation vs Managed Services: Pros & Cons
Here is a simple table showing the pros and cons of staff augmentation:
Here is a simple table showing the pros and cons of Managed Services:
How Leading Companies Leverage Staff Augmentation & Managed Services
🟡 Staff Augmentation for Agile Scaling
When Spotify needed to accelerate the development of its AI-powered recommendation engine, it used staff augmentation to quickly onboard machine learning specialists and data engineers for a 6-month project. This approach gave Spotify immediate access to niche expertise without long-term hiring commitments. Interestingly, while Spotify builds its core algorithms in-house through augmented teams, it relies on managed cloud services from Google Cloud to host its massive music catalog, showing how companies blend both models strategically.
🔵 Managed Services for Operational Excellence
Netflix's entire streaming infrastructure runs on AWS managed services, handling everything from global content delivery to autoscaling during peak demand. While Netflix outsources its infrastructure management, it simultaneously uses staff augmentation to bring in specialized video encoding engineers for short-term optimization projects. This dual approach allows Netflix to maintain 99.99% uptime (via managed services) while staying technologically competitive through targeted talent augmentation.
Choosing the Right Model for Scaling Your Business
Picking the right way to handle your IT work is important. Many companies now look at two main choices: staff augmentation vs managed services. Both models help your business in different ways, so choose based on your goals and needs.
Staff augmentation services mean hiring resources from outside the country or a nearby company to help fill resource gaps for a short period. This is helpful when your existing team needs support or you don’t have a certain skill in your company. The best part is, staff augmentation allows you to hire experts just for the time you need them. You stay in control and manage their work directly. That’s why staff augmentation offers more flexibility and quick help.
On the other hand, the managed services model is when you give a full job or task to a third-party provider. You don’t manage them daily—they handle the work for you. Managed services involve outsourcing, which means giving some of your company’s IT work to another company (called a service provider) to handle for you. Businesses often do this through a monthly or yearly contract.
When deciding between staff augmentation and managed services, think about how much control you need, how long you need the help for, and how much budget you have. Staff augmentation services are fit for short-term projects or if you need skilled people for a short time. You can add people quickly, work with them, and release them when the job is done. It also costs less for small tasks. But if you need full support all the time, managed services provide a more stable solution.
Yes, managed services may cost more each month, but they save you time and reduce stress. You don’t need to manage people yourself. You can trust the managed service provider to take care of things. Some companies use both models at the same time. This way, they can enjoy the strengths of both. For example, they use staff augmentation for a short project and managed services for long-term support.
When choosing your outsourcing model, think about your business goals. Do you need help right now for a short time? Go with staff augmentation. Want to stop worrying about IT and get full-time help? Then choose managed services. There are pros and cons to both models. Just make sure to look at what your project needs. If you're still unsure, talk to an expert.
At Ontik Technology, we understand the difference between staff augmentation vs managed services. We’ve helped many businesses choose the right model. If you want to outsource your IT work the right way, we’re here to help. Why Ontik Technology is a perfect fit for both Staff Augmentation and Managed Services models:
- Flexible to Your Needs
Ontik Technology can provide the right people when you need them and for how long you need them—perfect for short projects or long-term support. - Fast Team Building
They can quickly give you expert developers, designers, or testers without you waiting for weeks to hire full-time staff. - Skilled and Trusted Experts
Ontik already has skilled people who have worked on many different projects. You get experienced hands without the training hassle. - Stay in Control or Leave It to Them
If you want to manage the project yourself, Ontik supports that. If you want them to handle everything, they can do that too. You choose your comfort level. - Cost-Saving Solutions
They give you high-quality services at a lower cost than building a big in-house team. You get more value for your money. - Great for Small or Big Projects
Whether it’s a small task or a full mobile app, Ontik can support both staff augmentation and managed services with equal success. - Smooth Communication
Their team talks, updates regularly, and always listens. So, there’s no confusion—just smooth work. - Proven Track Record
Ontik has already worked with different clients worldwide under both models and helped them finish their projects on time.
Final Thoughts
In the end, both staff augmentation and managed services help businesses based on the requirements of the business owner or founders. Both models can save money and help to improve the work quality, provide resources at low cost, and provide expert help when needed. To pick the best software development outsourcing model, first of all, you may decide what your requirements are, what is needed for your services, how long your project is, how much you need to control your business, and your budget. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages, so choose the right model that fits your business goal and which helps you to get high ROI, and pick one model that fits your team, your projects, and your plans.