What is Included in Managed Development? Roles, Processes, and Deliverables Explained
What is Included in Managed Development? Roles, Processes, and Deliverables Explained
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Managed development encompasses the entire software lifecycle, not just coding.
- Success relies on the "Unholy Trinity" of Project Management, DevOps, and QA.
- End to end software delivery prevents fragmented communication and accountability issues.
- Full stack development services cover everything from user interface to server logic.
Table of Contents
When businesses ask what is included in managed development, they are often looking for a solution that goes beyond simple code writing. In 2026, the digital landscape is more competitive than ever. Companies cannot afford to rely on fragmented hiring.
Without a unified structure, businesses face accountability issues, "black box" communication, and integration failures that stall growth.
The solution is end to end software delivery. This is a holistic approach where a provider handles everything from the initial concept through to deployment.
This guide will explain the specific personnel (development team roles explained), the technical scope (full stack development services), and why standard inclusions like QA DevOps and PM included are critical.
Development Team Roles Explained: The Specialists Behind Your Project
Managed development differs from basic staffing because it integrates three critical non-coding roles. We call this the "Unholy Trinity" of software success.
The Project Manager (PM)
The Project Manager acts as the single point of contact. They bridge business goals and technical execution.
- Scoping and Planning: They define project scope to prevent "scope creep."
- Resource Allocation: Ensuring the right developers are on the right tasks.
- Risk Mitigation: Identifying roadblocks early.
- Stakeholder Management: Keeping communication clear per development standards.
The DevOps Engineer
DevOps handles infrastructure and automation. They manage CI/CD pipelines for safe updates.
- Infrastructure Management: Setting up cloud environments.
- Automation: Speeding up delivery via scripts.
- Scalability: Ensuring the product handles growth.
- Security: Integrating protocols directly into deployment.
The Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist
Dedicated testers oversee the testing lifecycle to prevent bugs and ensure stability.
- Bug Prevention: Finding logical errors before the public sees them.
- User Experience (UX) Check: Ensuring expected behavior.
- Automated Testing: Writing scripts for post-update testing.
Full Stack Development Services & Technical Execution
Once the team is in place, they execute full stack development services, covering the entire application spectrum.
Frontend Development
The frontend is the user interface. In managed development, experts ensure the interface is responsive and accessible across all devices, following SaaS UI/UX best practices.
- Responsiveness: The site must look good on any screen.
- Accessibility: Ensuring usability for all users.
- Performance: Optimizing load times.
Commercial Hook: Why Roles Matter
In a true managed service, QA DevOps and PM included is the standard. This combination provides leadership in delivery schedules. It differentiates managed teams from ad-hoc freelance staffing, where these roles are often forgotten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is QA included in managed development?
QA is included to catch bugs early, saving money and ensuring stability before users encounter issues.
What does a DevOps engineer do?
They handle infrastructure, automation, and scalability to ensure the application runs smoothly and updates are deployed safely.
What is the difference between freelance and managed development?
Managed development includes a full team of specialists (PM, QA, DevOps) and structured processes, whereas freelance work is often limited to just coding without strategic support.