Illustration comparing IT staff augmentation services with a managed team: work passing to a ticked-off clipboard
Specialists under one agreement, with the management handled by Azendo.

What IT staff augmentation services include

These services supply specialists who join your team under your management. The provider recruits and employs them. You plan their work, run their standups, review their output and handle performance and replacements.

It’s a good fit when you have a clear skill gap and a lead with time to direct someone. When your leads are already busy, the management load is the part to look at closely.

What staff augmentation leaves out

Management included. Planning, quality and reporting run through an Azendo service delivery manager.

Product knowledge that stays. The same specialists stay on your roadmap for years, and our specialists stay with Azendo for 3.3 years on average.

One fixed monthly fee. The same figure every month, with no surprise invoices in a busy one.

Growth without extra overhead. A second specialist doesn’t mean a second person for you to manage.

When you need a full team, a dedicated software development team is the setup that fits.

IT staff augmentation services compared with a managed offshore team

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

ComparedTypical augmentation providerManaged offshore team from Azendo
Who manages the specialistsYouOur service delivery manager
Who answers for outputYouAzendo
BillingHourly or daily, varies each monthOne fixed monthly fee
How long it lastsUntil you end itAs long as your roadmap runs

The full comparison of the two models is in staff augmentation vs managed services.

How the fee works

You pay one fixed monthly fee for a committed monthly capacity in hours. The fee stays the same in August and at Christmas, so budgeting is simple.

If you’re comparing suppliers, the differences between a staff augmentation agency, a marketplace and a managed partner matter more than the day rate.

Talk to us about the specialists you need

Thirty minutes with a service delivery manager. You’ll leave knowing which specialists we’d suggest, how many hours the work needs and when your remote team could start. If you’d rather hire developers you manage yourself, we’ll help you think that through too.

Where staff augmentation and a managed team differ.

The hourly rate is only half of the comparison. These three views cover the half that doesn't appear on a quote.

What the monthly fee covers Both models handle employment. A managed team also handles delivery, and that is what the difference in hourly rate pays for.
Covered by the provider IT staff augmentation Azendo managed service
Recruitment and selection Yes Yes
Employment, payroll and local compliance Yes Yes
Office, equipment and network Yes Yes
Sprint planning and day-to-day management No, stays with you Yes
Quality gates and code review standards No, stays with you Yes
Training and development No, stays with you Yes
Performance management No, stays with you Yes
Knowledge retained if a specialist leaves No, stays with you Yes
Accountability for what ships No, stays with you Yes
Total covered 3 of 9 9 of 9
Coordination hours a week falling on the client As the team grows, it staff augmentation takes on the hiring and leaves the management with you. Azendo's estimate from our own engagements, at the midpoint of four to eight hours per specialist per week.
Bar chart: client coordination hours per week rise from 6 to 48 under it staff augmentation as the team grows from one to eight specialists, and stay between 2 and 4 hours under an Azendo managed service. 0h 12h 24h 36h 48h 6h 2h 1 specialist 18h 2.5h 3 specialists 30h 3h 5 specialists 48h 4h 8 specialists
Client coordination hours per week, by team size
Team sizeIT staff augmentationAzendo managed service
1 specialist6 hours2 hours
3 specialists18 hours2.5 hours
5 specialists30 hours3 hours
8 specialists48 hours4 hours
What stands behind the person doing the work Both models put a specialist on your roadmap. A managed team also puts a development programme behind them, which is what keeps them with you, and improving, in year three.
IT staff augmentation
Your teamdirects the work
Assigned specialist
Behind the specialist

Employment and payroll. Development, coaching, reviews and retention are usually left to you.

Your side carries
  • Priorities
  • Scope
  • Technical decisions
  • Acceptance
  • Sprint planning
  • Quality gates
  • Performance reviews
  • Training
  • Retention
  • Continuity
Azendo managed service
Your teamsets the roadmap, reviews output
Azendo service delivery manageraccountable for what ships
Assigned specialist
Talent Success programme, around every specialist
  • Talent Success and Workplace Experience managers Two per specialist
  • Well-being check-in Every 2 weeks
  • Coaching and development Monthly, in-house
  • Development plan Reviewed monthly
  • Client delivery score Every Friday
  • 360° performance review Quarterly
  • Growth track and promotion readiness Live skill profile
  • AI certification Before assignment
3.3 years Average time a specialist stays with Azendo, which keeps your product knowledge in the team
Your side carries
  • Priorities
  • Scope
  • Technical decisions
  • Acceptance
What stands behind an assigned specialist in each model
ElementIT staff augmentationAzendo managed service
Who directs the workYour teamAn Azendo service delivery manager, accountable for what ships
Talent Success and Workplace Experience managersNot part of the arrangementTwo per specialist
Well-being check-inNot part of the arrangementEvery 2 weeks
Coaching and developmentNot part of the arrangementMonthly, in-house
Development planNot part of the arrangementReviewed monthly
Client delivery scoreNot part of the arrangementEvery Friday
360° performance reviewNot part of the arrangementQuarterly
Growth track and promotion readinessNot part of the arrangementLive skill profile
AI certificationNot part of the arrangementBefore assignment
Average specialist retentionNot published3.3 years

Questions about IT staff augmentation.

Does Azendo offer IT staff augmentation services?

Azendo offers the managed version. Your specialists work only on your roadmap, and an Azendo service delivery manager manages them and answers for their output.

How can a managed team cost less if the day rate looks similar?

The day rate is only part of the cost. Augmentation takes management hours from your own engineers, and those hours cost money even though no invoice shows them.

How fast can specialists start?

Four to six weeks after signing. You get a firm date in the proposal.

Which disciplines can you cover?

Software development, mobile, UX/UI design, QA, cloud and DevOps, data engineering, data science, AI engineering, AI automation and MLOps.

Not sure which engagement model fits your roadmap.

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