Service Model Comparison
Embedded development team vs full-service vendor: which model to choose?
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Embedded teams and full-service vendors represent different ends of the outsourcing spectrum.
Embedded Development Team
•Developers work as part of your team
•You direct daily work and priorities
•Long-term, ongoing engagement
•Pay per developer
•Knowledge stays with you
Full-Service Vendor
•Vendor manages entire project
•You provide requirements, they deliver
•Often project-based
•Pay for deliverables/milestones
•Knowledge lives with vendor
Comparison:
| Factor | Embedded Team | Full-Service |
|---|---|---|
| Control | High | Low |
| Management burden | You manage | Vendor manages |
| Flexibility | Change anytime | Change = cost |
| Cost predictability | Per-person | Per-project |
| Knowledge retention | You keep it | Vendor keeps it |
| Best for | Product companies | Defined projects |
Cost example (6-month project):
| Model | Team | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded | 1 dev + 0.5 PM | ~$70k |
| Full-service | Vendor quote | $80-120k |
Choose embedded when:
•Building core product
•Need ongoing development
•Want to own the knowledge
•Have technical leadership
•Requirements will evolve
Choose full-service when:
•Well-defined, standalone project
•No internal tech capacity
•Want fixed-price certainty
•One-time deliverable
BEON.tech provides embedded teams that integrate with your organization—not full-service project delivery.
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