Every business reaches a point where it needs to scale its data infrastructure.
At that moment, deciding between outsourcing and a managed team model can determine how smoothly you’ll navigate that growth.
At Intsurfing, we’ve seen the impact these models have firsthand. Outsourcing has helped our clients save up to 30% in costs. While our managed teams have delivered a 40% improvement in efficiency.
In this article, we’ll explore how each model works, highlight their key advantages, and help you decide which one aligns best with your goals.
Outsourcing for Big Data Projects
Outsourcing is the simplest way to scale your data operations. You tell us what you need, and we take care of the rest.
We’re flexible, whether you need a one-time project or a long-term partnership.
For project-based needs, we provide one-time services. We’ll set up the project and deliver everything by your deadline, with no further commitments required.
If you’re looking for ongoing data insights, we’re ready for long-term collaborations. In these cases, we continuously gather, analyze, and deliver data at the agreed frequency. Beyond that, we maintain the entire system. From ensuring smooth data flow to making necessary adjustments, we handle everything on the technical side.
Now that we’ve covered how our outsourcing model works, let’s dive into why it might be the right choice for your business.
IT Outsourcing Benefits
The advantages of outsourcing with Intsurfing go far beyond simply handing off the work. Here’s a closer look at the key benefits you can expect from partnering with us within this collaboration framework.
Rapid deployment
With an outsourced team, execution is faster because we focus entirely on delivering your project. There’s no need to hire new talent or stretch your internal resources—we handle everything with our in-house resources, which means we’re ready to jump in as soon as you give the green light.
When defining the speed of data delivery, we consider your flows. In particular, how quickly you give access to the infrastructure to our team.
Reduced overhead
By choosing outsourcing, you reduce overhead costs in several key areas.
Hiring alone can be a huge expense. While a simple in-house hiring process might cost around $2,000, most companies can spend between $4,000 and $20,000 per hire, not including salary and benefits. Outsourcing removes this need, providing you with a skilled team from day one.
You’ll also avoid management expenses. No internal project managers or technical leaders are required—everything is on us. This means no micromanaging, just results.
Salaries, vacations, sick leaves—that’s another area that we take responsibility for. So, no need to manage these expenses from your side.
Scalability
Outsourcing for data pipelines allows your business to adjust to changing project needs without long-term commitments or complications. When your data needs increase rapidly, we’ve got the capacity to handle the growth. Whether it’s expanding data infrastructure, optimizing ETL processes, or managing larger data pipelines, our solutions scale to keep pace with your operations.
Since we use AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure, we provide on-demand scalability. Need more bandwidth or storage? We scale up to match your requirements. If the workload lightens, we scale back so you’re not overspending on unused resources.
And because our pricing adapts to the size of your project, scalability remains cost-efficient. You only pay for the resources you use. By the way, we mainly work within the client’s infrastructure. So, it’s really easy for you to control these expenses since everything is logged into your accounts.
Flexibility in the Technology Stack
Outsourcing gives you the flexibility to experiment with a wide variety of technologies. It allows you to explore new solutions and frameworks without long-term investments or building in-house skills.
At Intsurfing, our team has deep expertise across a broad range of technologies. From AWS, Azure, and GCP for cloud services to Hadoop and Spark for big data, we offer a broad skill set. Our team is also well-versed in C#, Scala, Python, and Java.
We also make sure whatever tech stack you choose, it integrates with your current systems and is ready for future upgrades.
Disadvantages of Outsourcing Big Data Services
Here are a few disadvantages that companies should consider before fully committing to outsourcing.
- Lack of in-house expertise development. By outsourcing, your internal team might miss out on learning and mastering new technologies. This can limit your company’s ability to innovate internally and adapt to future technical challenges without outside help.
- Vendor reliability. When you rely heavily on an external provider, there’s always a risk of becoming too dependent on their performance. If the vendor faces resource constraints, delays, or any performance issues, your business may be directly impacted.
- Integration challenges. Bringing in external data services can sometimes complicate integration with your existing systems, especially if there are differences in technology stacks. You may encounter delays or technical issues that require extra effort and resources to resolve.
However, with an experienced partner like Intsurfing—who has delivered over 220 successful projects—these risks become far less of a concern. We ensure smooth operations, reliable service, and seamless integration.
Managed Team for Big Data
When your business requires a long-term, partnership-driven approach, the managed team model offers the perfect solution. With Intsurfing, this means we immerse ourselves in your business to understand your strategies and processes. This allows us to align our efforts with your overarching goals.
In this model, we take on full responsibility for managing every aspect of the project. From designing the solution architecture to assembling and managing a dedicated team, handling resources, and overseeing troubleshooting and maintenance, we ensure that everything runs as you expect.
Benefits of a Managed Team for ETL and Big Data Projects
This approach offers much more than just project management—it ensures deep integration with your operations and long-term strategic alignment. Here’s how partnering with Intsurfing under the managed team model will streamline your data projects.
Smarter Resource Management
We deploy the right number of professionals to get the job done without burdening you with extra costs. This means you don’t waste money on excess staffing.
For example.
For smaller projects, we typically deploy 3–5 team members. Medium-sized projects may require 6–10 experts, while large-scale initiatives involve teams of 10 or more.
And as your project grows or changes, we scale the team up or down to match new demands. Hiring additional team members usually take 2–3 weeks, but onboarding timeframes are totally on you.
Deep Integration
The managed team becomes a strategic extension of your business. This means having dedicated, expert professionals who understand your business, drive forward key projects, all without the overhead of in-house management.
We handpick experts in the exact technologies your project needs. Whether it’s cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and GCP), big data solutions (Hadoop and Spark), or languages (Scala, C#, Python, and Java).
A long-term partnership within this approach means there’s no risk of knowledge loss. We maintain the same team over the course of the project. This reduces potential disruption by up to 35%. As the project scales, we’ve seen how this model reduces knowledge transfer issues by up to 40%.
Total Project Ownership with Strategic Oversight
Intsurfing handles it all—from developing the solution architecture to managing the team and resources. This gives you the freedom to focus on higher-level business priorities, knowing the technical execution is in expert hands.
At the same time, you maintain control over the direction of the project. Your team works with our managed team to shape custom solutions that fit within your company’s existing technology stack and long-term vision. Whether you prefer to collaborate through a project manager or engage directly with our specialists, you have full visibility and input at every stage.
Challenges of Implementing Managed IT Services
While the managed team model offers many advantages, it’s not always the right fit for every project. There are a few potential challenges that businesses should consider before adopting this approach.
- Longer onboarding. Integrating the managed team into your company processes takes time. It will take us 2-3 weeks to find the right talent, and consider your own onboarding flows. These things may delay immediate project outcomes.
- Toolset alignment. If the tools and technologies used by the managed team don’t fit with your long-term strategy, it can create friction in both the short and long term.
IT Outsourcing vs Managed Team Comparison
The choice between IT outsourcing and a managed team model depends on your business objectives and the nature of your project. Both models offer flexibility, expertise, and scalability, but they differ in how closely they align with your internal processes and long-term strategies. This section breaks down the common elements and key distinctions to help you make an informed decision.
What’s Common in These Engagement Models
External Expertise
Both outsourcing and managed team models offer you access to specialized external expertise. Intsurfing’s team is skilled in Scala, Java, C#, Python, .NET, and has experience working with EMR on AWS and Dataproc on GCP. We also excel at integrating Kafka to streamline operations and using Airflow to automate complex workflows. Our AWS-certified professionals ensure your project benefits from the latest cloud technologies and industry best practices.
In practice, we’ve demonstrated this expertise on more than 220 projects. For example, there was an ETL India voter list project for an outsourcing client, where we handled large-scale data processing (over 1 billion records were processed). And our team was engaged in the managed team service delivery model for the optimization of address processing system.
Cost
In both cases, pricing is determined based on the developer’s expertise and experience. For example, the pay range for a junior Scala developer is $90K - $165K per year, while an engineer with 4-6 years of experience usually make $117K - $212K per year.
Outsourcing still tends to be more cost-effective. There’s no need to allocate managing staff from your side, as we handle all project management and related expenses, including software licenses, vacations, sick leave, and more.
Additionally, we do not typically include infrastructure expenses in our estimates, as most of our clients prefer to manage this themselves. But, if you would like us to handle infrastructure, we’re happy to do so. In that case, we’ll provide detailed reports on any spending to keep everything transparent and within budget.
Difference Between Outsourcing vs Managed Team
Flow
When comparing the project flow between IT outsourcing and the managed team model, the key difference lies in how the process is structured. Here is a breakdown of how things work at Intsurfing.
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Outsourcing |
Managed team |
|---|---|
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Initial consultation Typically conducted via email, this phase allows us to discuss your project requirements, understand your goals, and provide an initial cost estimate based on the scope of your needs. |
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Requirements collection We discuss the specifics of your data needs, the project’s scope, and the outcomes you’re aiming for. Usually, during a series of online meetings. |
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Planning We select the most suitable tools and technologies for your project. We also define the scope and outline a timeline to guide the project. |
Team assembly Within 2-3 weeks of starting the project, we assemble a team. Each team member is carefully selected to ensure they’re the perfect fit for their role and can contribute from day one. During this period, our system architect develops a solution—so that once the developers are onboarded, they're ready to proceed to implementing tasks immediately. |
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Implementation This phase varies based on your needs. If you require data delivery, we set up and implement the ETL flow, extracting, transforming, and loading the data. For projects focused on data pipeline development or optimization, we follow a structured approach. First, we design the architecture. Next, we develop and implement the pipeline. Throughout this process, we perform testing. Once implemented, we monitor performance and make any necessary adjustments to maintain data flow within your systems. |
Team integration Every team member studies all relevant details, documentation, workflows or undergoes checks from your side—anything you need them to proceed. |
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Support Whether it’s system upgrades, data flow adjustments, or infrastructure scaling, we handle everything to keep your operations running. |
Delivery We take full responsibility for managing the entire development cycle, from solution design to team and resource management. Throughout this process, you receive detailed reports and regular updates. |
Should your project require scaling at any stage, we adjust accordingly based on the terms of the service-level agreement (SLA). Whether you require additional team members or an adjustment in resources, we’ll do our best to implement the changes without compromising on project timelines or deliverables.
Control
Both approaches offer distinct experiences regarding how much influence you maintain over day-to-day operations and overall project direction. The chart below compares how each model handles client involvement, vendor autonomy, and the flow of monitoring and reporting.
| Aspect | Outsourcing | Managed team |
|---|---|---|
| Level of client involvement | Minimal involvement after initial consultation and requirement gathering. Focus on high-level oversight rather than day-to-day operations. | Higher involvement, especially in decision-making. The client collaborates on project direction and can influence day-to-day operations. |
| Intsurfing autonomy | Intsurfing operates independently, handling all tasks and decisions within the agreed scope. The client relies on our team for execution. | Intsurfing works collaboratively with the client, sharing responsibility. The team adapts based on client feedback and input throughout the project. |
| Monitoring & reporting | Periodic updates and reports are provided. Performance is tracked based on pre-set milestones, but client input is limited. | Daily reporting and close monitoring. Clients receive detailed reports and have more opportunities to adjust plans in real-time. |
Delivery Timeline
The timeline for delivery largely depends on the client. Once you provide access to the necessary documentation and infrastructure, our team lead and other experts dive into the project right away.
While assembling a managed team takes some time, that doesn’t mean we sit idle during the hiring process. As you’re busy granting our team access to your systems and documentation, we use this period to study your requirements, design the solution architecture, and plan the project in detail. We identify key milestones, draft workflows, and assess technical challenges. By the time the managed team is fully onboarded, they are ready to start delivering results immediately.
Based on our experience, it typically takes 1-2 months to get everything in place, though it can take up to 4 months depending on your internal processes.
In the case of outsourcing, we’re able to begin much faster—often immediately—once we receive all the required access and documentation.
Choosing Collaboration Models in IT
When choosing between outsourcing and a managed team, it really comes down to your project’s needs and how involved you want to be. If you’re looking for something cost-effective with minimal oversight and need to get moving quickly, outsourcing is probably your best bet. It’s perfect for short-term or well-defined projects where you can trust the vendor to take care of everything without needing much input from your side.
If you’re working on a long-term project that requires more collaboration, customization, and control, the managed team model is a better fit. You’ll have more say in the project’s direction and the flexibility to scale resources as needed. This option is ideal for businesses looking for a strategic, ongoing partnership.
Not sure which model is the best fit for your project? Let’s talk! Reach out to us, and we’ll help you figure out whether outsourcing or a managed team will work better for your organization.
