Although size may not be the first criterion that you think of when choosing a digital product development agency, it is crucial and could really make a difference to the success of your project. It is important to understand that the size of an app development company can determine the level of specialisation, costs, time taken to deliver the project, and the kind of interaction you will have with the team. The goal of this exhaustive review is to explore such issues as why the size of an app development company does matter, how it influences the different aspects of project development, as well as to offer the critical advice that will assist in making the right decision.
Each category has its own advantages and flaws which can affect your project in a particular manner. Understanding the common features and ways of functioning of each size can be rather useful for better decision-making.
Micro and Boutique agencies are independent agencies that have not more than 50 staff members. It is common to hear them described as niche service providers with great focus on individualised service delivery. These agencies are particularly reputable in delivering immediate and one-on-one services to their clients. Since these agencies are relatively small, even the leading executives, such as founders or senior app developers, communicate with clients directly. This can help in establishing better relations with the clients and also better solutions to the problems they present. Additionally, boutique agencies are more likely to work in a specialised area or on certain kinds of projects. Their expertise in a field of specialisation can lead to creativity and high standard products that meet client specifications to the letter. The small size also has the benefit of these agencies to ensure flexibility that every project progresses as planned and can be adjusted when need arises.
However, boutique agencies may not possess sufficient resources, skills, or capability to undertake big projects or several projects at a time. They may have smaller teams, and fewer resources available if the project expands, or needs to cover multiple fields of specialisation. Furthermore, with regards to talents, since agencies are small, they could have limited access to the best talents in the industry. Larger firms, offering competitive remuneration packages and promotion chances for the qualified can pose a threat.
Small agencies are somewhere in between boutique and medium-sized agencies. They generally have 50 to 200 persons in staff and can give more individual attention while still offering more services. These agencies always offer a combination of the advocacy and consultation of small firms and the capacity and capacity of large firms. This makes them suitable for different sizes and levels of project difficulty. They sometimes even have several distinct teams to address various segments of a project. This means that each component is worked on independently by professionals, which results in improvements in quality. However, small agencies are very flexible and can respond effectively to changes in need of the projects which can be very important to projects that are ever changing or those projects that require iteration.
However, although these agencies are more appealing due to their size compared to boutique agencies they still have some issues in terms of managing very large or extremely complex projects. Their resources, as encompassing as they may be, are still finite. Furthermore, maintaining talent is always a problem, although to a greater extent, small agencies try to nurture a great team and team culture.
Medium-sized agencies are basically well-established organisations manned with a workforce of between 201 and 1000 employees. It gives a combination of broad service and high level of expertise hence they can compete for large and diverse projects. Whereas medium agencies possess the adequate capabilities to handle big and complicated projects. They are also capable of constructing teams with people possessing various skill sets to ensure they capture all the aspects of a project. With these agencies, one can hire and retain specialised talent in multiple domains; this guarantees high quality work as a result of the coupled expertise and experience. They usually have documented project management processes and standards, which provide optimal performance and definite schedules.
However, there is normally a tendency for medium-sized agencies with huge overhead costs to post high charges on their clients. However, what they offer are full-service packages, which may be slightly costly though the quality is good. Medium agencies can also have higher levels of controls, which is reflected in the number of managerial levels, and this slows down the decision-making processes hence the speed of response to the clients’ needs.
Large agencies are comprehensive organisations hiring 1,001-5,000 people. They come with vast resources, strength, experience, and a wide network of talented individuals. Larger agencies are always able to bring in more resources that are appropriate to the scale of the project they are working on. They are extremely suitable for large-scale projects that need vast facilities and proper management. These agencies use professionals in different sectors to provide the best solution in all forms of development and management. Big agencies usually have many years of significant experience in managing big clients and challenging tasks. This means that their experience can be particularly valuable when it comes to addressing any issues or guaranteeing the project’s success.
However, the general overhead costs of large agencies often augment their fees. Even though the services that they offer are comprehensive, the costs that you have to pay for them are slightly high. This is due to the presence of multiple layers of management, which slow down the decision-making process and restrict flexibility. This may be a disadvantage especially when working on projects that need frequent changes. This may be the reason that even if there are specialists in large agencies, they may take a general specialist approach in order to make the most of their resources. This can sometimes lead to loss of direction and the quality of work produced.
The extra-large agencies are the world’s largest organisations which have the workforce strength of more than 5000 employees. They have vast experience, and they possess the resources and capacity needed to undertake many big projects at the same time. These agencies operate globally and have set their presence in a variety of geographical locations and marketplaces. They still may deliver a wider view and have more insights in the market, which is always important if the project is to have an international perspective. These agencies have extensive resources and significant experience in handling multiple large projects at go, with all details of a project as considered and addressed. They provide a full range of services, and frequently provide both the initial consultation as well as support once the product is launched, so they can provide all aspects of complete project services.
However, recognising its sheer size and becoming an extra-large agency results in a less personal service. Potential for indirect communication with the development team as clients may communicate with various levels of account management. In particular, it’s important to mention that the costs of the maintenance of such large organisations are high, and, therefore, the prices may also be high. They might be expensive, so some of their services are a bit out of reach for clients with smaller budgets. As with other large agencies, additional large firms can be called bureaucratic, which leads to a slowness of tasks and a decrease in innovation.
The quality and depth of talent available in the agency significantly influence the quality of projects and their outcomes. The size of the app development company determines the kind of talent an app development company will be able to attract and maintain or the ratio in which talent will be deployed across a project.
Small agencies can in fact successfully recruit elite employees for their agencies by identifying and capitalising on their competitive strengths. A small mobile development agency allows for more effective collaboration between colleagues, and for many talented personnel, it is crucial to work on projects they can be proud of as their efforts will be clearly seen by the client. Larger teams lead to dispersal of responsibilities and overall less engagement from the team members as they do not have direct relation with the leadership of the organisation. Moreover, small agencies emphasize talent advancement, meaning, as agencies expand, there are great prospects for career growth and promotion within the mobile development agency. This could be an appealing prospect to talent who are eager to grow within a very short span of time, professionally.
Small agencies make it their business to foster a close-knit team mentality, which leads to creativity, innovation, and quality work. By being relatively small in size, they can foster a sense of family among workers and ensure that incentives are offered. This environment can result in increased job satisfaction and improved retention rates as opposed to organisations that are large and may appear impersonal. Thirdly, it is easier to become a small mobile development agency due to its organisational flexibility and ability to learn the market and become a progressive organisation that attracts professionals who want to work in a constantly evolving environment.
Larger agencies are usually equipped financially to hire expert skills in certain fields, thus quality work is guaranteed. But they may also go for a broad specialisation in order to keep full utilisation of resources which is also covered as a disadvantage since the quality of work might be affected at times. Larger agencies can be more flexible in the recruiting process and can hire specialists who are best suited to each particular role. This leads to better and more innovative solutions being brought forward. For example, a massive app development company could have a specialisation in UI/UX design, the backend, mobile creation, and QA. This implies that to process high volumes of work and optimise on resource utilisation, large agencies may expect their employees to perform a variety of tasks. Although this has the advantage of developing a more diverse skill base amongst staff, it can create a weak link in specific fields and mean employees may produce work that is of inferior standard. Overseeing a sizable group of professionals can be challenging and is made easier by coordination and management. Many big agencies follow protocols and structures that outline how various teams should work on projects and collaboratively deliver project goals.
Large agencies are known to have a lot of bureaucracy that hinders innovation and delays in decision-making processes. This can be annoying for top talent, resulting in low job satisfaction and maybe even high turnover rates. The large agencies tend to have numerous layers of management, and this results in bureaucratic decision-making. This can be disheartening to top talent who are accustomed to frequent switching of operations, quick decision-making processes. A large organisational structure with a centralised bureaucracy can stifle creativity and limit the speed of experimentation. The formal processes may prove unhelpful for creative individuals to get their ideas approved and eventually put into practice. This may pose dissatisfaction among the high achievers due to lack of authority and slow work progress as a result of a lot of formalities. This can lead to higher turnover rates as employees feel they are unable to have an immediate impact on the organisation.
Big agencies offer broad experiences and convenience in terms of growth when handling projects. Some are capable of managing entire lifecycles and have been in contact with multiple clients. However, these improvements are not without some constraints.
Large teams require a lot of management, and thus are expensive to sustain, meaning that the clients are likely to be charged highly. One drawback of large agencies is that they are relatively expensive to hire since they have many tools and features at their disposal. Many companies find it expensive to support large groups of employees, expansive working environments, and complex support systems. Such costs are recovered by charging higher fees to the clients as explained below. It also means that the client should consider the question of whether the extra expense, which large agencies demand for their services, will bring an equivalent value for the services of, for instance, mid-sized or small agencies. For small companies and new entrants into the market, the cost of sourcing large agencies might be too steep to accommodate making them locked out in accessing high-end services.
Large agencies with many layers of management may have bureaucratic layers that would slow the decision-making process. This delays the rate at which projects are completed and also limits room for changes when working different project requirements. Impositions of bureaucratic procedures may slow down project delivery since decisions-making takes time and approvals involve many layers of authorities. This can be especially so where organisations operate in industries that require short cycle times to market. Large organisations tend to be bureaucratic and this negates their capacity to respond to new information or adapt to new changes in project scope or similar opportunities. This lack of flexibility may be a severe drawback in turbulent markets. There may be extra layers of management, which makes communication with clients less straightforward and can cause confusion, feedback not being received in a timely manner, and less interaction with the actual development team.
Large agencies might operate with a generalist focus, even when they employ specialists to ensure optimal utilisation of resources. This can lead to a decrease in the quality of work because now some people may be asked to do something that is not within their field of specialisation. Larger agencies work on many projects at once, which can make it difficult to deploy resources effectively. There may be a problem of dispersion, whereby specialists are overloaded with several projects, leaving little time to properly focus on each. It is notable that when specialists need to become generalists, the overall quality of their specialised work decreases. This can result in finding mediocre solutions that do not harness the full capabilities of the agency. Much attention should be paid to proper staffing, which means that the right people should be assigned to the various subtasks. Inadequate achievement of the project requirements and needs in relation to the resources utilised can have an impact on project performance and clients.
There are several reasons why small agencies can be beneficial for clients, especially where individual approach and quick response is necessary.
In small agencies, clients tend to be in touch with the agency heads and other decision-makers directly. This results in greater individual attention and faster decision-making that helps in keeping projects moving. Small agencies especially will focus on the development of long-term partnerships with the companies they are working for. Engagement with top management ensures that it is possible to understand the expectations and requirements of the client. In small agencies, decisions are likely to be made faster than in large firms because they have a simple organisational structure. Clients are provided tailored recommendations that are most relevant to their business needs and problems. Senior management involvement leads to high levels of responsibility and quality assurance within the learning process.
Independent agencies are also very flexible to changes in the project or the needs of the client. This is due to their flexibility in ways that enable them to adopt new strategies with a different approach than is normally seen with large institutions. Small agencies are flexible; they can quickly adapt to new information as well as clients’ changes of heart. It is especially helpful in highly competitive industries where adaptability proves to be a strength. Flexibility is a major strength because it enables small agencies to adapt and enhance solutions as they receive clients’ feedback and monitor market changes. This results in improved project performance and satisfied clients. Adopting an agile approach, small agencies create an innovative atmosphere where ideas are valuable and breakthrough solutions are designed.
Small agencies seem to exhibit similar levels of robustness and capacity. They can certainly handle large-scope tasks for which specific teams are required, offering unique approaches that meet the client’s needs. This flexibility is attributed to the fact that small agencies always have to balance between a number of demands. They are able to deal with risks and be flexible enough in order to ensure that projects do not derail. However, small agencies are not devoid of specialised teams with professional and concentrated knowledge in some areas of a project. It results in creating high-quality and unique solutions to the problems. Due to the emphasis on the client’s success, small agencies can act proactively and exert extra effort to produce the best outcomes. One of the most significant factors that set them apart is the passion for quality and customers.
Small agencies are likely to develop integrated product systems, they may establish dedicated teams for selected functions. This targeted approach may result in more focus and better quality of product which is digital in nature. Small agencies develop ad hoc work groups to address all the issues related to a project, making certain that the proper skill set is used with each subproject. This results in enhanced planning, monitoring, control and overall execution of the project. The specialised teams, therefore, can mainly get actively engaged in the conceptualisation and implementation of projects as per the vision and mission of the client organisation. The high level of interconnectedness between the teams means that the quality control check and balance mechanisms are implemented to maintain quality standard compliance throughout the project.
Small agencies are also adaptable when it comes to swift and immediate client demands and any alterations with the projects. This structure allows them to resolve and adapt issues quickly, guaranteeing that projects remain on pace. Small agencies best operate this way because it is easy for them to adapt to a change in some aspect of project work. Such flexibility guarantees that delivered work remains relevant to the agreed-upon client expectations and market trends. The use of feedback also provides and enables the agencies to offer quick solutions in case of incidences thus improving the quality of the project. Small agencies also tend to have a reactive approach as people identify potential risks and address these issues before affecting the project.
By having specialised product strategy teams, these small agencies augment the possibility of success of your digital products. The app development company acquires commitment and concentration that may not be easy to come by in oversized corporations whereby. The presence of one or few specialised teams in small agencies provides the best quality solutions for every work, meeting the specific needs of a client. Large agencies are not characterised by the high levels of commitment and personal accountability that are evident in small agencies due to the weak pulling force. Due to the implementation of technology and improvement, the app development company comes up with solutions that are unique and helpful to the clients in their fields of operation.
Another advantage is the possibility to directly communicate with mobile app developers’ managers and receive individual focus in small agencies. Such a working methodology can add to a drastic improvement of the quality of service delivered and the recognition your project deserves. The manner in which small agencies operate guarantees that the client’s needs and expectations are taken into consideration in every activity. This focus on the client generates better and more satisfying results in terms of project management. Thus, having direct contacts with senior leadership guarantees that all strategic decisions made are most appropriate in regard to the goals of the client and any problems are identified and solved proficiently. Small agencies are innovative organisations, which often listen to the client feedback as well as integrate it to make modifications which help in improving the quality or efficiency of the app development company services.
The following is a list of factors and considerations that you should use when determining the size of the mobile development agency for your project:
Big projects can find the depth and breadth of services that medium or large mobile development agency can offer but small projects may feel more comfortable with the individual attention from a boutique or small agency. Subsequently, evaluate the resources that will be required for the project such as the size of the app development company, the amount of expertise needed, and the level of difficulty of the tasks. Bigger agencies can bring much more sources, and at the same time, smaller agencies can offer teams with rather specific and narrow focuses. Think about the skills of the mobile app developers to manage projects. It is usually easier for medium and large agencies to have a set-up project management than small agencies who have flexible and adaptable methods. Decide how close you would like to be involved in the project. Small agencies can provide closer interaction with leadership and app developers teams than bigger agencies who often have layers of management.
Larger agencies charge more because of their size and the capacity of resources and overheads. Local agencies may also provide cheaper solutions comparable to those of large international agencies. The next step is to analyse the costs and benefits of the mobile development agency to determine the value of the services it offers. Other areas you should consider include the quality of deliverables, the kind of expertise offered and the duration taken to complete the project. Ensure that your budget is fairly distributed based on the projects that are being undertaken. Evaluate if the expansion of a mobile development agency results in increased value or if the smaller agency offers the same value at a lower cost. Discuss with the mobile development agency so that they can adjust their rates to something manageable to your pocket and project needs. Take into consideration the various pricing structures like fixed-price contracts, time and materials, or fixed monthly retainers.
When your project is complex enough to require specialised skills, check if the mobile development agency has specialised teams of employees. This is because boutique and small agencies tend to practise specialisation in some areas. The skill of the mobile development agency should be assessed and meet your project needs. It will be helpful to find agencies that have previously worked on projects similar to yours or in related fields. Evaluate the competence of the app developers, their experience, and knowledge of necessary technologies, frameworks, and methodologies for your project. Take into account how the mobile development agency is going to utilise the solutions in the development of innovative and advanced approaches. These agencies and small firms are always known to have a particular specialisation and offer specialised and efficient services.
Fluency involves the capacity to respond to change where it is most critical and to do so with considerable speed. Small agencies have more flexibility than large agencies even though they have limitations in terms of resources. Evaluate how well the mobile development agency can deal with shifts in the project’s needs and other market circumstances. When it comes to selecting the right agencies, search for the ones that are flexible and adapt quickly whenever the need arises. Analyse how the mobile development agency is dealing with iterative development and rapid prototyping. Smaller agencies are also characterised by the efficiency of the system, where improvements and changes can occur at any stage. Assess the mobile development agency’s problem-solving skills in terms of their reaction to problems and their ability to generate innovative solutions.
One of the things that some companies want is direct interaction with senior personnel and individualised attention; this means that working with a boutique or a small mobile development agency may be more suitable. Determine how much of an active role in the mobile development agency’s services clients are allowed to participate. Thus, small agencies usually allow for fast and structural communication with the senior management and main decision-makers, guaranteeing the client’s needs would be met. Assess the level of professionalism and courtesy of the mobile development agency, timeliness and thoroughness of the communication and their overall adherence to the client’s needs. Think of the ways in which the mobile development agency adopted managing the relationship with the customers for the long-term. Make sure the agencies chosen focus on client satisfaction and have good business relations.
Check whether the work culture of the mobile development agency matches your business and how you like things to be done. Another factor which can boost the effectiveness of collaboration and the success of projects is related to cultural compatibility. Evaluate the nature of working in the mobile development agency, and how it approaches its work, to make sure it resonates with your business. Project and organisational culture compatibility can thus hopefully improve cooperation, operational communication, and overall successful project outcomes. Take into account how the team of the mobile development agency works; their working relations, behaviours, interacting patterns, and ways of tackling issues. Ensure that the agencies have a team ethos that will dovetail with your own processes. Assess the mobile development agency’s focus on generating value for the client and how they perceive the concept of loyalty. I have also found that adopting a client-oriented strategy involves additional benefits for both the client and the project.
When selecting the appropriate mobile development agency, there are several aspects that need to be considered, including the mobile development agency’s size. It is imperative to understand that every size category has its advantages and disadvantages, ranging from a boutique to an extra-large mobile development agency. These differences and distinctions allow for the necessary assessment and choice in compliance with the project and financial capabilities.
It is important to realise that no matter what size you decide: a boutique mobile development agency, small or medium mobile development agency, big mobile development agency, or even an extra-big mobile development agency, there are good and bad apples in every basket. It is therefore advisable to first evaluate your needs for your project, your budget and how much tailored services you would wish for. When it comes to digital product development, you do not have to go through a lot of trouble or ups and downs; the right partner can make it a breeze.
If you have any questions about which app development company will be the best fit for your project, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Let us be your guide on the right decision to make and your partner in making your digital products a success.
