How We Work: The AptudeFlex Difference
We hear this question constantly, “How exactly do you do your work?” It’s understandable, IT consulting is not the easiest process to get your mind around. Like most consulting firms, we have three standard options: time and materials, fixed price and managed services. While you can happily pick one the first two with us, we’d like to take a moment and tell you why our clients are choosing our refined and perfected managed services option, the AptudeFlex Project Success Model.
How We Work: The AptudeFlex™ Difference
We hear this question constantly, “How exactly do you do your work?” It’s understandable, IT consulting is not the easiest process to get your mind around. Like most consulting firms, we have three standard options: time and materials, fixed price and managed services. While you can happily pick one the first two with us, we’d like to take a moment and tell you why our clients are choosing our refined and perfected managed services option, the AptudeFlex Project Success Model.
The 6 Benefits of AptudeFlex
Benefit One: Pinpoint Accuracy Requirements Gathering
While we can work in a “Time and Materials” model with named resources in a SOW, we choose not to in favor of a far more flexible, affordable, and efficient model we call the AptudeFlex™ Project Success Model. In this model, we negotiate a price per team size, with teams ranging in size from 3 to 18 people.
Benefit Two: AptudeFlex Team Sizing, Staffing & Pricing
Once we’ve signed the paperwork, we send a very small yet highly experienced team of domain and industry experts to plan the project requirements, use case, and project resourcing needs. Instead of throwing ten people in a room who are estimating, our small team is able to accurately determine needs and timelines before we hire for you, so you get a plan you can count on. We’re so accurate, we almost always meet our deadlines on time or earlier.
Benefit Three: AptudeFlex project Success Model
Our flexible project success model was inherently designed with co-located teams in mind. Our teams are comprised of onshore, nearshore, and offshore team members spread globally, and yet each team has daily standup meetings together, with all team members. This allows our teams to work together, stay on track, and work most effectively and efficiently. Not only that, but you only pay for the teams, not per person. Also, instead of relying on sprints alone, we plan our projects using our own mix of Scaled Agile Framework, Discipline Agile Delivery and time-tested project methodologies.
Benefit Four: Scale Up or Down, Sprint by Sprint
Project velocity isn’t the only place we’re able to be agile. Our unique methodology ALSO takes into account your budget needs. So if you’re facing a time when you want to ramp down your budget, just say by how much and we’ll make it happen (just give us a sprint’s notice). Want to ramp up and increase velocity? We can scale up too, adding more members as needed based on what you want to accomplish. And again, you only pay per team, not per person. And if the duration of your “ramp down” is short enough, we can often retain your person on the bench to be pulled back in.
Benefit Five: Retained Knowledge No Matter What Happens
Our model enables you to retain your project knowledge long-term even if you ramp down. That’s because the core member of every team is a Project Lead, whose role is also to retain all project knowledge long-term so that if we have to reduce the team size, we can easily pick back up as soon as we ramp up again.
Benefit Six: Pivot to the Next Thing Faster
Once your initial project is completed, you can decide to leverage the efficient and effective teams we’ll have built to work on your next project. So you can keep moving forward faster, without having to renegotiate SOWs and named resources each time you have a new project you want to execute.
A Message about the Value of AptudeFlex
Before our clients utilized AptudeFlex and our MSM model, the manager was typically involved and charged with identifying the right resource, managing the work, and ensuring they were productive. In many cases, the manager(s) would hire across a diverse set of consulting firms, which was a lot to manage. There was a perception that since the manager made the final call on the contract/hire, the quality of work would be dependable.
Unfortunately, in this model, the management team becomes solely responsible for ensuring the contracted resources are working, adding value, and staying productive. In most cases, the IT Consulting firm gets a free pass on management responsibilities. Furthermore, when the work slowed down, they would allow the sub-contractor to terminate the resource. That knowledge and work walk right out the door with that valuable IT contractor. This is even more pervasive when multiple IT consulting firms are utilized. Who retains that critical knowledge?
In the Aptude model, the client’s focus moves away from managing the resource. Instead of micro-managing contractors, they can now focus on big-picture questions like…
- Are the deliverables provided in a timely and quality manner?
- Are we meeting strategic goals and objectives for this project?
- What objectives do we need to meet next?
In this new model, it’s Aptude’s job to manage the resource, the velocity, and the deliverables.
Furthermore, since Aptude selects, manages, and takes an active part in the sprints, the knowledge is not compromised when the client needs to ramp down. That critical time-saving knowledge doesn’t walk out the door!
Another benefit of this enmeshed model is cost-containment. In the old model, the client would choose the resource and modality. Since they wanted to ensure high quality, they would prefer an onsite resource. If Aptude can select the resource and oversee the deliverables, Aptude can also manage the type and work location of any resources. This shifting of control brings dramatic cost savings, which are passed to the client.
This model is not just beneficial for the build of applications; it is also superior for the run. Eventually, all applications go to support mode, where potential enhancements or repairs are needed. With a built-in team of knowledgeable resources, we see high-quality support at a fraction of the cost.
Does it make sense to pay high-cost IT associate rates to support your applications when a more affordable, possibly retainer, a model with quality resources will manage that perfectly? For most of our clients, the answer is no. The best choice is Aptude Flex.
The Benefits of Aptude Nearshore Software Developers
Start Work Within 2 Weeks
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Similar Culture
Similar Time Zones
Agile Trained Developers
Affordable Hourly Costs
Python Center of Excellence
Dedicated Project Manager
Not a Staffing Firm
Only AptudeFlexTM Scales With You In BOTH Directions
The benefit of AptudeFlex is simple. We are here to support your needs and your scaling timeline, not ours. If you need to ramp up quickly, our +1 and +2 resource model means we have qualified development resources at the ready to scale up with you.
And when you’re ready to scale down? No problem. Our “Knowledge Bank” stores your project information so that when you’re ready to work with us again, we can pick back up where we left off, often with the same development team you had before.
Even better, you get a dedicated Project Lead and direct access to Aptude’s leadership team to meet as often as needed to ensure your project works as smoothly as possible.
We Have Years of Industry Experience In…
Transportation
eCommerce
Healthcare
Education
Speciality Retail
Shipping & Logistics
Automotive
AptudeFlex Will Bring the Win, and You’ll be the VIP
Fix the budget, save the company? Be your project’s champion when you offer nearshore big data, Python, and full-stack development by Aptude to your team.
Ready for a big win? Already know you want to talk? Fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch.
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