Dedicated Teams on Demand: Terms and Definitions

A dedicated software development team is a type of business model offered by many software outsourcing companies. When a client hires a dedicated team, they get a fully-equipped, highly qualified group of software developers who focus exclusively on that client’s project. These developers work remotely, full-time, and report directly to the client, ensuring undivided attention and alignment with project goals.

Unlike shared resource models, dedicated teams do not split their time across multiple projects. This helps maximize productivity, improve communication, and deliver better quality software.

A dedicated team on demand is a business model offered by many nearshore software development companies, including CodeBranch, a Colombian-based firm with over 15 years of experience delivering high-quality software solutions.

Key Terms Related to Dedicated Teams on Demand

1. Scope-Based

Scope-based refers to defining the boundaries and objectives of a software development project. This includes setting clear goals, deliverables, requirements, timelines, and identifying risks. Proper scope baseline management prevents scope creep and keeps the project focused.

Example: A startup building a restaurant reservation app might initially include user registration, restaurant search, booking, and notifications. If later the client requests integrated payment processing, this change must go through a formal scope adjustment process.

2. Story Point

Story points are a unit of measurement used in agile software development to estimate the effort required to complete a particular task or user story. These estimates typically consider factors such as complexity, risk, and uncertainty. Many agile teams use story points to break down work into manageable pieces, helping them better plan and address uncertainties throughout the development process. For a deeper explanation, check out this guide on agile estimation by Atlassian.

Example: Changing a button color might be assigned 1 story point, while integrating a multi-method payment system could be 8 story points. This helps teams plan work within sprints effectively.

3. Seniority of Developers

Seniority indicates a developer’s experience, skill level, and autonomy. It’s commonly categorized as:

• Junior: New to the industry, requires supervision and learning.

• Mid-level: Can work independently on common tasks but still needs guidance.

• Senior: Experienced, makes technical decisions, mentors others, and leads critical components.

  
  

Example: A junior might fix minor bugs, while a senior designs system architecture or solves complex performance issues.

4. Product Owner

The Product Owner plays a crucial role in software development by defining and prioritizing the product’s features and requirements. Their main responsibility is to ensure the development team remains aligned with the overall vision and goals of the project. Throughout the process, the Product Owner faces several challenges, such as translating customer ideas into practical, deliverable solutions.

One of the toughest aspects of the role is deciding which features to prioritize. This requires making strategic decisions and effectively communicating them to all stakeholders to gain their support and consensus.

Example: In an e-commerce project, the Product Owner may prioritize implementing a functional shopping cart before adding personalized recommendations, based on business needs and customer feedback.

5. Tech Leader

The Tech Leader plays a vital role in the success of a software development project by overseeing all technical aspects. This includes making key decisions about the system architecture, selecting appropriate technologies, and defining coding standards that ensure consistency across the codebase. Beyond just setting guidelines, the Tech Leader actively mentors and supports the development team, helping solve complex technical challenges and fostering best practices.

Their responsibility also extends to ensuring the overall quality, scalability, and maintainability of the software. By conducting code reviews, coordinating technical discussions, and promoting continuous improvement, the Tech Leader helps deliver robust and efficient solutions that meet both current and future needs.

In addition, the Tech Leader often acts as a bridge between developers and other stakeholders, translating technical concepts into clear terms to facilitate collaboration and informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

Example: When performance issues arise, the Tech Leader analyzes the codebase, recommends optimizations, and coordinates improvements to ensure scalability.

6. UX Leader

The UX Leader is responsible for managing the entire user experience design process, ensuring that digital products are not only visually appealing but also intuitive and easy to navigate. Their primary focus is on understanding the needs, behaviors, and motivations of users to create interfaces that are accessible, user-friendly, and engaging.

This role involves conducting user research, creating personas, mapping user journeys, and designing wireframes and prototypes that guide the development team. The UX Leader collaborates closely with product owners, developers, and UI designers to ensure that the final product delivers a seamless and satisfying user experience.

Example: In a banking app, the UX Leader designs simple navigation and large buttons to facilitate quick, error-free transactions, enhancing user satisfaction.

7. QA Assessment

QA assessment involves a comprehensive process of testing and reviewing software to ensure it meets both functional requirements and performance standards. This includes identifying bugs, usability issues, and security vulnerabilities before the product reaches end users. QA teams employ various testing methods such as manual testing, automated testing, regression testing, and performance testing to validate the software’s stability, reliability, and user experience.

Effective QA assessment helps prevent costly errors, enhances product quality, and ensures that software behaves as expected across different environments and use cases. It is a critical step in delivering a robust, secure, and user-friendly application.

Example: Before releasing a mobile app, QA tests it on multiple devices and operating systems to verify all features work correctly and the app is stable.

8. Mocks

Mocks are static visual designs that represent what a webpage or app screen will look like but do not include interactive functionality. They serve as detailed visual guides showcasing layout, colors, typography, and basic content placement. Mocks are typically used early in the design process to gather feedback from stakeholders and users, allowing teams to refine the look and feel of the interface before development begins.

Example: A mockup might show the layout of a travel app’s homepage with images and buttons but won’t allow clicking or navigation.

9. Wireframes

Wireframes are simple, low-fidelity sketches or blueprints of an app’s layout and structure. They focus on organizing content, defining the placement of elements, and mapping out user flows without including visual design details like colors, fonts, or images. Wireframes help teams plan the overall user experience and navigation, ensuring that the interface is intuitive and functional before moving on to more detailed design stages.

Example: A wireframe for an online store shows placement of the menu, product listings, filters, and shopping cart, focusing on functionality and hierarchy.

10. Development Team

A development team is a cross-functional and self-organizing group, typically consisting of 3 to 9 members, that possesses all the essential skills needed to collaboratively design, build, test, and deliver incremental improvements of a product.

This team structure promotes autonomy, effective communication, and shared responsibility, enabling faster decision-making and higher-quality outcomes throughout the development lifecycle.

Example: A typical team might include frontend and backend developers, QA testers, UX/UI designers, and a Scrum Master or Project Manager.

11. Sprint

A sprint is a time-boxed development cycle, typically lasting between 1 to 4 weeks, used in Agile methodologies. During a sprint, the development team focuses on completing a predefined set of user stories or tasks, delivering a functional and potentially shippable product increment. Sprints enable iterative progress, continuous feedback, and regular adaptation to changing requirements.

Example: In a two-week sprint, the team might develop and test user authentication and registration features, ready for review at sprint’s end.

12. Pull Request

A pull request is a collaborative process used in version control systems where a developer submits proposed code changes for review by team members before merging them into the main codebase. This allows for thorough code inspection, discussion, and feedback to ensure quality, maintainability, and alignment with project standards. Pull requests help prevent bugs and facilitate knowledge sharing within the development team.

Example: A developer adds a new feature, opens a pull request so teammates can review and suggest improvements before merging.

13. Project Manager

The Project Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing all aspects of a software development project. This includes managing resources, setting and maintaining timelines, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring effective communication among stakeholders. By balancing project scope, budget, and quality, the Project Manager ensures that deliverables are completed on time and meet client expectations, playing a critical role in the project’s overall success.

Example: The Project Manager schedules daily standups, manages client expectations, and ensures the team meets sprint goals without delays.

Why Choose CodeBranch for Dedicated Teams on Demand Nearshore Development?

In today’s fast-paced digital world, having access to highly skilled software professionals through dedicated teams on demand is essential for accelerating innovation and maintaining a competitive edge. Based in Medellín, Colombia, CodeBranch specializes in providing nearshore dedicated development teams tailored to your project’s unique needs.

Our nearshore model offers the perfect balance of cost efficiency, time zone alignment, and cultural compatibility—key advantages that enable seamless collaboration and faster delivery. Whether you’re a startup scaling your MVP or an enterprise tackling complex software projects, our dedicated teams work exclusively on your product, ensuring focus, quality, and agility.

What Sets CodeBranch’s Dedicated Teams Apart?

• Highly Qualified Nearshore Developers: Access top talent skilled in Agile methodologies, modern technologies, and best practices.

• Flexible Scaling: Easily adjust your team size and expertise as your project evolves without the overhead of traditional hiring.

• Transparent Communication: Direct reporting lines and real-time collaboration thanks to time zone proximity with LATAM and North America.

• Comprehensive Software Services: From custom software development and mobile apps to AI, IoT, and cloud-based solutions.

• Proven Experience: Over 15 years delivering successful projects across fintech, healthcare, retail, logistics, education, and more.

  
  

Choosing CodeBranch means partnering with a reliable nearshore software development company in Medellín, Colombia that understands the nuances of dedicated teams on demand and is committed to turning your vision into scalable, high-performance software.

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Conclusion

In summary, a dedicated team on demand in software development is a specialized, outsourced group of experts fully committed to a single client project. This focused approach ensures maximum productivity, quality, and alignment with the client’s goals. Projects managed by dedicated teams are often estimated using story points to gauge effort and required expertise accurately.

These teams are composed of developers with varying levels of seniority, combining diverse skills and experience to deliver comprehensive solutions. Understanding the key terms and roles associated with dedicated teams is essential for anyone involved in or managing software development projects, enabling better collaboration and project success.