Passionate Team // Internal team VS External team ?

Designing products, prototyping them and developing them through to industrialisation requires a wide range of skills and therefore people. Many companies choose to have these resources in-house while others prefer to outsource.

But which is the best option ? And who is a product design agency for ? These questions are both strategic and economic. In reality, there are obviously several different options. Each type of organisation has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of an in-house development team :

More direct communication. Everyone is part of the same company, sharing the same culture, using the same tools and rubbing shoulders every day. So everyone has the same codes and communication is fluid.

Greater involvement for all staff. Having the team in-house can naturally bring the rest of the employees on board with projects. Be careful, however, that internal tensions do not slow you down or reduce your objectives.

Knowledge of the company and its products. The team has been working within the company, on the same products and services, probably for years. They know the company’s values and products by heart.

The advantages of an external development team :

You could be led to believe that an external development team would have significant costs and that, if the need for product development is ongoing, recruiting a designer or engineer in-house would be more sensible. So would large companies opt more for using skills internally since they have the means to do so ?

However, we regularly work for large groups such as Decathlon, Zodiac Nautic or Voltaire. Why do we do this ? What are the advantages of an external product development team such as Outercraft ?

Easier access to innovation. A specialised team, who have been working for many years on a wide variety of projects, provides an external perspective that facilitates innovation. We work on finding innovative solutions every day. Our method is tried and tested. In addition, we draw on the experience gained on each project in order to best serve the interests of our clients. We can bring fresh perspectives and new ideas.

The immediate availability of specialised resources. To set up a complete product development team you need resources: market analysis, product design, mechanical engineering, electronics, prototyping and industrialisation. This team will need to become more competent and learn to work together. By calling on an external team you will benefit immediately from the experience acquired continuously in multiple fields.

Economies of scale. An external team works on other projects for other clients. In this way, the costs of the software, hardware and prototyping resources used are shared. Moreover, our clients only call on our services when they need them, for specific projects or missions. Conversely, a dedicated internal team is permanently present on site, obliging the company to provide sufficient resources and a sufficient flow of projects. So an external team can enable you to make substantial savings for a controlled initial investment.

Flexibility of means and greater speed. Depending on the complexity, scale and skills required for your project, an external company will be able to adjust and train its specialist staff. This translates into greater speed in the development of your product. This advantage is particularly decisive in innovation projects.

In conclusion

Whether it is in-house or outsourced, a product development team is at the service of the company and its end customers. So the important thing is to have an involved team, with attention to detail, good project management and an end result whose quality matches your business.

Whatever the size of your company, our team can accompany the development of your product :

study needs and opportunities
design aesthetic and relevant solutions
develop an innovative technical product

Let’s talk about it directly, by phone or email.

Gauthier ROCHER

Passionate Team // Internal team VS External team ?

Strategy

How do you choose between recruiting resources internally or calling on an external development team ? This is a complex financial and strategic question. Find out why large companies such as DECATHLON or ZODIAC choose to work with our agency.