How to find DevOps with a Consulting Firm

A DevOps strategy is critical for software development. The methodology ensures speedy delivery for an application or software. Faster product development and quick delivery provide a competitive advantage in the market. 

DevOps also improves collaboration across development. By its nature, it encourages communication and collaboration between development and operations teams. Teams share responsibilities, and combine workforces to improve innovation and timeliness. 

These benefits, and many others, are key for health tech development. DevOps allows for continuous development, and ensures operations are in place to deliver software on time, and to a good standard. In digital health, the end-user is the priority.

However, it can be extremely challenging to find DevOps workers at the moment. Outsourcing may seem like the best option, but low cost outsourcing presents difficulties in development teams, too.

DevOps with Outsourced Development

In order to feel the maximum benefit, DevOps teams need to be at the heart of software development. DevOps strategies require collaboration and integration between development and operations teams.

However, this can be easy to forget when looking to outsource development work. It is also easy to assume that an outsourced company is running DevOps teams. 

Outsourcing typically results in segmented teams, which is what the DevOps methodology aims to avoid. Teams are working in different locations, and this presents challenges. 

Typically, teams are located in different time zones. This is a real problem for effective collaboration. Each time will operate during their working day. Depending on the location, time zones could prevent any real-time communication or collaboration. 

For example, a Californian tech company might outsource development to India. The time zones in these two countries do not overlap at any time. Collaboration between development and DevOps teams is near impossible.

Language barriers can also cause major difficulties. Assuming that the time zones are similar, the primary language could then prevent effective communication. 

Ultimately, conventional outsourcing doesn’t support the DevOps methodology. Long-distance collaboration with offshore teams cannot run as smoothly, to improve speed and efficiency.

Nearshore with DevOps

To combat issues raised by outsourcing to further countries, many companies opt for nearshore outsourcing. 

Nearshoring involves collaborating with outsourcing companies in a neighbouring country. It is possible to outsource developers or DevOps. However, this is still not an ideal setup.

Time zones may align much better with a neighbouring country. However, there is still no guarantee that teams will speak the same language. Direct communication issues are still a possibility. 

Assuming that they can speak the same language, they are still not as familiar as in-house teams. 

Employees build bonds within their teams, and their departments. This is what creates a cohesive workforce, and improves efficiency. A positive working environment breeds innovation, and engaged employees. 

Outsourced teams cannot build this relationship. Processes can vary, and it can be challenging to communicate methods of working. 

Unfortunately, nearshoring is often not the solution that it appears to be.

Shortage of DevOps

Recruitment of DevOps employees is another challenge for health tech companies. There is currently a global shortage of developers, and this includes DevOps. The developer shortage is currently one of the biggest challenges facing the technology market. 

Reliance on technology continues to grow, and this is especially true within the health market. Research suggests that there has been a 42% increase in demand for tech jobs since June 2019. In 2020, 69% of employers had challenged filling tech roles. 

The majority of tech companies, including health tech, cannot hire developers with the speed they would like. This could be put down to an overall lack of available talent, within the market. Whilst this is true, it is not the only reason that tech companies are struggling to hire. 

The tech job market is extremely volatile. Due to the increased demand, salaries continue to rise. This means that many tech companies, especially startups, are struggling to meet employee expectations. Unfortunately, the salaries are out of their budgets. 

Job-hopping is also on the rise, and this is again due to the increased demand. Tech employees know that their expertise is required elsewhere. In the US, staff turnover is at 13.2% in the tech industry. Employees are happy to look elsewhere if their current employment isn’t meeting their needs.

This makes for an extremely challenging combination of recruitment issues. As a result, the majority of IT companies will begin to feel the pinch, if they haven’t already.

Consultancies Can Find DevOps

Whilst it might be challenging to hire DevOps engineers within tech companies, consultancies have more success. They can provide solutions to a lot of skilled workers’ problems. 

Firstly, consultancies have the freedom to recruit everywhere. Individual companies are generally restricted by their operating country. 

In order to hire from outside their resident country, they would need to set up a subsidiary. This can be costly and time-consuming. It can also get out of hand if each freelancer or remote employee is in a different country. 

Consultancies can also offer employees stability, which isn’t with cheap outsourcing companies or freelance. Freelance or remote outsourcing doesn’t offer the contractual security of traditional employment. Consultancies can offer benefits, such as retirement plans, career opportunities and working rewards like healthcare. 

A consulting tech company can also provide a change of scenery, whilst still maintaining employment. Many developers cite exhaustion or boredom as a reason for searching for alternative employment. Within a consultancy, developers can switch projects in-house to provide new interest. 

Finally, consultancies offer the opportunity to work with other talented developers. Talent breeds talent. Developers like to be around like-minded people, in order to bounce off each other and innovate together. Small outsourcing companies or freelance work cannot offer collaboration to this extent. 

Work with a Consulting Partner to Solve Talent Shortages

Partnering with a consulting company is the best approach to tackling DevOps outsourcing and recruitment challenges. 

Consultancies can offer both DevOps and development teams, depending on requirements. Collaboration between DevOps teams, both in-house and outsourced, improves efficiency and communication.

At Vertrical, we have expert developers based around the world. They are experts in digital health software development and we have roles from DevOps and developers to business analysts, UX experts and more. Get in touch today to see how we can supplement your health tech solution.