What is Included in Managed Development? A Complete Guide to Full-Service Teams

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Building custom software is hard. Many business owners struggle when they try to build an app using freelancers or a small in-house team. You have to worry about finding good people, paying them, and training them. The overhead of recruitment and HR takes time away from your actual business goals.

There is a better way.

Managed software development services offer a solution. In this model, a partner takes on the burden of building your tech. You do not just hire a coder; you get a fully managed development team. This team handles the whole process for you.

But what exactly does this mean?

What is Included in Managed Development?

By definition, managed development is a comprehensive partnership. A provider gives you a complete team that handles the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). This is different from simple task outsourcing. It means end to end software delivery. The partner handles everything from the first idea to post-launch fixes.

This guide breaks down exactly what you get. We will explain development team roles explained, the full scope of work, and specialized help for industries like insurance.

Source: SingleClic - Outsourcing vs Managed Services

Development Team Roles Explained: Who is on a Managed Team?

A fully managed development team is an ecosystem. It is not just a group of people writing code. To build great software, you need many different skills working together. When you hire a managed provider, you get a full squad of experts.

You do not need to hire these people one by one. They come as a package.

Here are the key roles included in a managed team:

• Project Managers (PM): The PM acts as a bridge. They connect your business goals with the technical team. They handle timelines, scope, and daily communication. They make sure the team stays on track.
• Developers: These are the builders. In most managed teams, you get experts in full stack development services. This means they can handle the front-end (what users see) and the back-end (server and database logic).
• QA (Quality Assurance): These are dedicated testers. They try to break the software to find bugs. They make sure the product works perfectly before users see it.
• DevOps: These engineers manage the infrastructure. They handle the servers and the deployment pipelines. They make sure the software is stable and online.

A major benefit is that QA DevOps and PM included are standard. You do not hire them separately. They are part of the package to ensure quality. You do not need to micromanage them. They work together to give you a finished product.

Source: Svitla - IT Managed Services vs Outsourcing | Red River - Managed Services vs Outsourcing

End to End Software Delivery: The Scope of Managed Services

When people ask "what is included in managed development," they are often asking about the scope of work.

With standard outsourcing, you might hire someone for one task. For example, "I need a button built." Managed development is different. It focuses on end to end software delivery. The provider cares about the total outcome, like "I need a user flow that increases sales."

This covers the entire technology stack. You do not need one vendor for design and another for backend logic. The managed software development services cover it all.

The process usually follows these steps:

1. Planning & Architecture: The team designs the solution before writing code. This prevents errors later.
2. Coding: The developers build the actual software based on the plan.
3. Testing & QA: Rigorous quality checks happen to catch bugs.
4. Deployment: The team launches the software to the live production environment.
5. Maintenance: The team provides ongoing upkeep and optimization.

This approach also changes how you pay. Outsourcing often has variable costs per project. Managed development usually involves predictable monthly fees. This covers the full operations. It helps you budget better and avoids hidden costs.

Source: CMIT Solutions - Managed Services vs Outsourcing

24/7 Technical Support Insurance Software: Specialized Care

Some industries have very strict needs. This is especially true for insurance. If you run an insurance company, your software must always work. Downtime can mean lost money or unhappy customers.

Standard support might not be enough. You need 24/7 technical support insurance software.

Managed development providers understand this. They offer specialized services for high-availability sectors. For insurance, this means:

• Data Security: They use strong security to protect sensitive user data.
• Compliance: They help you follow laws like HIPAA or PCI. This is vital for handling financial and health data.
• Monitoring: They watch your systems day and night to prevent crashes.