Outsourcing can be a cost-effective strategy for meeting your business goals and expediting the problem-solving process. There are two common methodologies for tapping into specialized knowledge and additional staff: staff augmentation and consulting.
This head-to-head comparison of staff augmentation vs. consulting explores the nuances between the two approaches so you can decide which method is the best fit for your business needs.
What Is Staff Augmentation?
Staff augmentation allows you to support your internal team members by bringing in outside talent on a short-term basis. You can bolster your in-house staff by filling specific skills gaps, equipping them to handle increased workloads, and ensuring you can meet tight deadlines for short-term projects.
For example, suppose that your development team is not particularly skilled in a particular coding language. In this instance, you could bring in external expertise to fill the gaps and handle specific tasks that require the use of said language.
This talent operates under your direction and management. They fully integrate into your team and work alongside your in-house staff (on-site or remotely), giving you close control and oversight of their daily activities. Therefore, you would govern their day-to-day work, provide deadlines, and monitor their progress — much like you would a full-time employee.
Benefits of Staff Augmentation
One of the primary perks of short-term staffing is flexibility. You won’t have to take on the added costs of hiring full-time workers. Instead, your staff augmentation services provider can scale their level of support up or down as your needs change.
Staff augmentation can also be incredibly cost-effective. You can pay for the services and labor hours necessary to meet project requirements and nothing more.
Another one of the many advantages of staff augmentation is the opportunity to tap into niche talent. Staff augmentation companies specialize in providing plug-and-play talent. Their employees possess niche skill sets that can address shortages within your in-house team and help you get things done.
What Is Consulting?
Consulting involves bringing in external experts to provide specialized knowledge and advice. They can help your staff members tackle company culture issues, development hurdles, or virtually any other challenge that may be keeping your business from reaching its full potential.
Consultants are typically ingrained in the decision-making process. They will provide strategic insights and advice to help your company’s leadership make informed decisions at an accelerated pace.
However, they maintain a high degree of autonomy and don’t operate under your direct supervision — although they do typically work under clearly defined deadlines. They may also have other clients they work for. Think of them as a lifeline that you bring in to tackle tough problems and provide a fresh perspective.
Benefits of Consulting
Leveraging consulting services will grant you access to specialized knowledge and skills. Consultants have experience working with a range of companies and industries.
A great consulting firm can also assist with the strategic planning and implementation of new policies, initiatives, and technologies. Most importantly, it provides an objective, third-party perspective about the direction and demands of your business. A great consultant can reframe an old problem and help you uncover previously undiscovered solutions.
Staff Augmentation vs. Consulting: 4 Key Differences
There are several variations between staff augmentation vs. consulting. The main differences include:
1. Project Scope and Duration
Staff augmentation is typically used for short-term projects or as a way to boost your team’s capacity temporarily. You may rely on their services for a matter of weeks or months. The additional staff may not even stay embedded with your team for the entire project. In many cases, they only come in to fill in your talent gaps.
Conversely, consulting engagements tend to be longer-lasting. The consultant will typically be embedded in or collaborate with your business for many months, if not longer. This allows them to make targeted recommendations and be more involved in the strategic aspects of managing your business.
2. Cost Implications
Staff augmentation is often more cost-effective for short-term needs, as you only pay for the additional staff for the duration of their engagement. You’ll also enjoy both direct and indirect savings. Turning to augmentation is more economical than hiring additional full-time employees. Additionally, you can avoid the expenses associated with major project delays.
Consulting services may entail a higher upfront cost due to the expertise and strategic value provided. You can justify this investment by considering the long-term benefits and improvements your company will achieve.
3. Level of Control and Integration With Existing Teams
You’ll have more control over augmented personnel. While the augmentation firm will employ them, they will also be embedded with your team. If the contract workers operate on your premises, they will also be required to abide by your established processes and policies.
In contrast, consultants possess a significant amount of autonomy. They may even have multiple clients at once. The key to maximizing the benefits of this partnership is to establish clear and consistent lines of communication. Be transparent about your company’s challenges so the consultant can offer targeted guidance on how to overcome those hurdles.
4. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Needs
One of the big nuances between staff augmentation vs. consulting is the type of need it fills. A staff augmentation services provider will help you fill short-term project and talent needs. They offer the resources required to accomplish the task at hand. While you can always scale up the support you ask for or extend the partnership, your augmented workers can address daily projects.
In contrast, consultants play the long game. They will make strategic recommendations that may not pay off for months or even years in some cases. A consultant will help you adapt to your industry’s future and strengthen your company’s long-term competitiveness.
5. Degree of Autonomy
The most notable difference between consultants and staff augmentation professionals is that the former enjoys a higher degree of autonomy. Consultants have deliverables that they must provide and deadlines that they must adhere to, but they’re not directly embedded within your team or participating in day-to-day work. You may not speak with them for days at a time, and they usually operate completely remotely.
Consultants often work with multiple clients simultaneously, whereas talent acquired through staff augmentation is usually only going to be working for your business for the duration of the project.
Consultants aren’t under your direct management; they simply have to provide agreed-upon deliverables by established deadlines. In contrast, the external talent you bring in via staff augmentation operates under your direction and management. They fully integrate into your team and work alongside your in-house staff, giving you close control and oversight of their daily activities. You will guide their daily work and provide assignments to them based on project demands.
When to Choose Staff Augmentation
If you’ve got an immediate need, choose staff augmentation. A few examples include:
- Situations requiring temporary, specialized skills
- Short-term projects with defined end dates
- Budget constraints favoring temporary solutions
Any time your company encounters a challenge or need that must be addressed now, augmentation represents the better option. You can get your project back on track, avoid delays, and deliver on tight deadlines.
When to Choose Consulting
Consulting represents a valuable choice when you:
- Need strategic guidance and assistance with long-term planning
- Are taking on complex projects requiring high-level knowledge
- Want to facilitate major organizational change
Think in terms of the big picture and long term when hiring a consultant. They will help you reshape what your business looks like one, five, or ten years from now.
Staff Augmentation vs. Consulting: Which Is Right for Your Business?
The staff augmentation vs. consulting debate isn’t clear-cut. There are some instances in your company’s journey where staff augmentation services will help you get a specific project to the finish line and others where your internal team simply needs objective guidance from consulting firms. When used strategically, both project management tactics can contribute to your company’s big-picture goals and overall productivity.
