What is Included in Managed Development Services? Roles and Workflow
What is Included in Managed Development? Services, Roles, and Workflow Explained
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Managed development provides a complete team, not just individual coders.
- It focuses on outcomes and results, unlike simple staff augmentation.
- Services cover full stack development, from frontend to backend.
- Essential support roles like QA, DevOps, and PM are included.
- This model is ideal for non-technical founders seeking end-to-end delivery.
Table of Contents
What is included in managed development? This is a big question for business owners and founders who want to build software but do not know how to code. In simple terms, managed software development services mean you hire a company to do everything for you. You do not just hire a single coder. You hire a whole team that handles the entire life of your project.
This model is different from hiring a freelancer. When you use managed software development services, you are not just renting a coder. You are outsourcing the whole process. The goal is end to end software delivery. This means the partner handles the work from the first idea to the final maintenance. They take the burden off your shoulders.
The Core Value Proposition: Outcomes vs. Resources
To understand what is included in managed development, you must understand the difference between two models: Staff Augmentation and Managed Services.
Staff Augmentation
- Definition: You rent developers who work for you.
- Your Job: You must manage them. You tell them what to do every day.
- Risk: If the code fails, it is your fault.
Managed Services
- Definition: You buy a complete result.
- Their Job: The provider takes ownership. They make sure the job gets done right.
- Result: You get a fully managed development team that acts like a partner.
This approach is great for non-technical founders. It gives you access to high-level engineering leadership without paying the high cost of hiring an internal CTO. You get the benefit of a fully managed development team that knows how to build products correctly. You are paying for a finished product, not just hours of work.
Technical Scope: Full Stack Development Services
When you ask what is included in managed development, you need to look at the technical skills. A managed team covers the entire technology stack. This is known as full stack development services.
You do not need to hire separate people for different jobs. The team is already put together for you. This cross-functional team includes:
- Frontend: This is what the user sees. It is the visual part of the app or website.
- Backend: This is the "brain." It handles the logic and the database on the server.
By using full stack development services, you ensure that the visual side talks correctly to the data side. You get a complete product that works smoothly.
Development Team Roles Explained
A fully managed development team is made of experts. You do not have to recruit these people yourself. The provider brings them to you. To give you a clear development team roles explained guide, here are the key players:
- Frontend Developers: These specialists build the user interface. They make sure buttons work and pages look good.
- Backend Developers: These experts manage the server. They make sure data is saved and retrieved correctly.
- UI/UX Designers: These creators design how the app feels. They ensure the flow is easy for users.
- Software Architects: These planners design the high-level structure. They choose the right tools to build the software.
In a managed model, you get the whole group. They work together as a unit. You do not need to interview them one by one.
The "Managed" Trio: QA DevOps and PM Included
Code is important, but it is not everything. A key part of what is included in managed development is the support system. This is often called QA DevOps and PM included. These three roles make sure the software is high quality and runs well.
Quality Assurance (QA)
QA is not an afterthought. It is built into the process. Engineers test the code continuously. They find bugs so users do not have to.
DevOps
DevOps experts handle the infrastructure. They set up systems to deploy the code automatically. They monitor the software to catch problems early.
Project Management (PM)
The Project Manager is your main contact. They keep the team on track. They manage timelines and priorities. You do not have to talk to every coder; you just talk to the PM.
This trio ensures that the product is not just built, but built well and delivered on time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between managed services and staff augmentation?▼
The main difference lies in ownership. Staff augmentation provides resources (developers) that you manage, while managed services provide outcomes where the provider manages the team and takes responsibility for the result.
Do I need technical skills to use a managed development service?▼
No, managed services are ideal for non-technical founders. The provider supplies the technical leadership, architects, and project managers needed to execute the vision.
Are QA and DevOps usually included in managed development?▼
Yes, a key part of managed development is the inclusion of QA engineers to ensure quality and DevOps engineers to handle deployment and infrastructure reliability.