Picking the right dedicated development team is already half the battle for a successful AI project. How to choose the right people, and what should you keep in mind? We talk about all of that in this article – everything you need, all in one place.

What is a dedicated development team?

A dedicated development team is a collaboration model between the business and an IT company. You hire a dedicated team of IT specialists who will work exclusively on your projects, without distractions from other projects. They become an extension of your in-house team, working closely with your staff to deliver result-driven digital products.

For us, as an IT company, this cooperation model is based on a partnership approach where we are fully responsible for the code quality we write and the final product stability, performance, and business orientation. 

Here are some extra details on better understanding what the dedicated development team is in practice. 

1. The dedicated app development team is formed to solve specific business goals. We are considering the most important things that will affect the whole work: technology stack, domain, product development stages, etc. 
2. The team usually includes the core specialists set for the effective development process – developers, UI/UX designers, QA, PM/Team Lead.
3. The team works long-term, with full commitment, rather than “on a task-by-task basis.” 
4. The client has full control over priorities, roadmap, and workload, and can choose the level of his engagement by himself. 
5. Payment model, as a rule, is a fixed monthly rate per team or specialist. But in real conditions, this point is discussed between the business and an IT company individually. 

How does it differ from other hiring models?

The core difference between the hire dedicated remote development team and other hiring models is in terms of control, team involvement, and long-term effectiveness. 

A dedicated software development team works only on your project and focuses not on how to move technical tasks to the “Done” section, but on the business results the product will bring. The team is fully integrated into development workflows and your in-house team processes to get the most from such cooperation. But that’s not the whole story. The dedicated team will also support the product after it goes live and help to fix any technical issues that arise. It’s like doubling your team’s technical opportunities and getting more professional expertise from the team that clearly knows your business specifics inside and out. Such a cooperation model is a perfect fit for long-term projects, scaling, startups, and product businesses. 

The project-based model is suitable for short-term projects and for performing the specific task list. The hired team is not fully integrated into the product development; they only need to do some tech tasks, and that’s it. The other processes on a bigger scale are done by the in-house team. 

With the staff augmentation model, the business hires separate specialists, not the whole development team. This approach is a perfect fit in a case when you have a strong in-house team but need additional help with complex tasks. 

Why do AI projects need a dedicated team?

AI projects have a lot of layers and challenges, and usually require long-term cooperation since there is a lot to do, and what to explore during the work. The main tasks the dedicated software development team may face include continuous model training, data integration, and infrastructure scaling. The basic outsourcing model can’t keep up with these complex tasks and doesn’t offer the required involvement and flexibility. 

The dedicated development team for AI development is a perfect partnership that opens up lots of opportunities while building a scalable and complex AI system with lots of integrations and using a specific tech stack. Dedicated AI development team, as a rule, deeply understands the specifics of AI, monitors results, and responds quickly to changes in algorithms or data, while keeping transparent costs and scalability. That’s what makes them the best option for businesses who on their way to building a brand-new project powered by AI tools and innovations. 

When should a company consider hiring a dedicated AI development team?

The company should think about hire dedicated software development team when they evaluate the AI project work scope and understand that the in-house team may not handle all the tasks by themselves. Since AI projects are slightly different in their complexity from other projects, they require continuous model development, data integration, and rapid algorithm adaptation. So, when success depends on close collaboration between developers, managers, and data scientists, a dedicated team can step in and save the day.

Another case is when your AI project needs long-term scaling, rapid testing, flexible priorities, and retained expertise. Here, the dedicated team will also bring value and put a wide expertise into the AI development process to help you build a top-productive and business-oriented tool. 

What skills and experience should you look for in an AI development team?

To build a product with AI features and complex logic, the dedicated team should demonstrate a deep experience in AI development and have strong proof, realized in previous projects. That’s the extra tech points that you can also check or ask on first calls with the team. 

1. Experience with working on prediction models, NLP, and machine learning.
2. The team’s flexibility and hypothesis testing, since AI projects often evolve during development.
3. Preparation and integration of large volumes of engineering data.
4. Software development cases, based on modern frameworks connected with AI – Python, Java, C++.
5. Deep experience in cloud model deployment, infrastructure management, and CI/CD.
6. Knowing AI project management principles and experience in planning experiments, managing backlogs & prioritizing tasks for AI projects. 
7. Strong domain expertise in the client’s specific business across industries (finance, healthcare, HoReCa, e-commerce, wellness). 

The technical stack of AI developers

The hired dedicated remote development team must be familiar with the following tools and technologies to deliver quality products and measurable results. We’ve combined here those who support the team during AI solutions development, testing, and scaling. 

• Programming languages: Python, R, Java, C++.
• Frameworks for ML/DL: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Keras.
• Data processing tools: Pandas, NumPy, Apache Spark, Dask.
• Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis.
• Cloud platforms: AWS (SageMaker, EC2), Google Cloud (AI Platform), Microsoft Azure (Machine Learning).
• DevOps and MLOps: Docker, Kubernetes, MLflow, Airflow, CI/CD for models.
• Visualization tools: Matplotlib, Plotly, Tableau.

What is the typical process for hiring a dedicated AI development team?

To hire a dedicated software development team for an AI project, going through a clear flow. 

First, define your core business goals. Everything starts here and sets the direction for the next steps in development. Knowing what you want to achieve and get with your AI product makes it easier to build a roadmap to expected results. So, make a list of unique requirements, the problems the AI product should solve, and expected outcomes with clear metrics. 

Then, knowing the road you will go, it’s time to add extra points to the roadmap to move faster without “traffic jams.” Choose AI use cases, define data requirements, the tech stack team will use as a core engine, and the number of integrations. With this data, you will see the bigger product picture and visualize the product idea. 

Now, it’s time to pick the team that will drive this ride. Evaluate essential factors first – review the team expertise, case studies, AI portfolio, and clients’ feedback. When you make your choice, agree on communication with the team, reporting, IP, and security. After this, assemble the team in a way to meet the deadlines and set workflows. For this purpose, pick the right mix of AI engineers, data scientists, PM, and QA. Well, the prep work is done here.

And now the development process begins. Go with a step-by-step collaboration plan, starting right with the discovery phase, and moving forward to the development and iteration stage.

There is no one perfect plan for every project (that’s the truth you need to hear). They all differ from one another in terms of complexity, team size, workflow volume, and so on. But what connected all of them is the deep prep work that will affect all the next steps, all the decisions you make, and the tasks you set. Do everything right just from the start and see the payoff of your efforts. 

What are the common challenges when hiring a dedicated AI development team?

Hiring a dedicated app development team may bring a bunch of benefits and a few challenges that businesses must be ready to face. Defining them upfront allows you to plan the team and hiring process strategically, ensuring maximum results for your AI project. Here are the possible obstacles:

1. Since there is currently a shortage of qualified ML/AI engineers, the hiring process may take time to assemble a full team.
2. It also required some time for the remote team to establish communication and clear processes for quick decision-making.
3. You need to set up the right model quality control and align it with the hired team’s approach. Without the right metrics and regular testing, AI models can be ineffective.
4. If the team is remote, it’s important to document knowledge and processes so that work doesn’t depend on individuals.

How to keep a dedicated AI development team aligned with your business objectives?

To do so, you need to set up clear communication and transparent processes just right from the start. Explain your goals, describe your expectations, and show the references that you are inspired by. Give as much information as you can because it’s you who is primarily interested in achieving the best result. Thus, the development team will be driven by what you say and what you want to achieve. That’s how a true partnership looks like. When both the customer and the contractor are on the same page and equally want to put as much effort as possible into the brand new product, powered by AI.

While discussions talk about product priorities, key performance indicators, and expected results from AI models. Constant feedback and team participation in strategic decisions allow you and the team work together on product growth more effectively.

Conclusion

Hiring a dedicated app development team for an AI project, you are investing in your project’s success and business growth in advance. This process requires important steps you should take and some prep work you need to do. And when all the puzzles are completed in one picture, everything flows easily with those who will support the product development, its performance, and final effectiveness.