Strength in Numbers: Buy vs Build for an AWS Consultant or Team

Steve Rastall (Founder & CEO) 20-Jun-2023 11:12:31

AWS support

When it comes to implementing and maintaining AWS, you have a choice of building up an in-house AWS consulting team or opting for the more efficient route of bolting on an existing team from a partner. Both approaches have a place and sometimes you might do both.

While building a team from scratch may seem like the best choice for getting things done. This article will explore the advantages of bolting on experienced AWS consultants and why it can outweigh the costs and challenges associated with building and maintaining an internal team.

Access to a wealth of experience:

One of the key advantages of bolting on an AWS consulting team is the immediate access to a diverse range of expertise. An established team comprises professionals with varying skill sets, including AWS architecture, security, infrastructure management, and application development. This ensures that no matter the AWS challenge at hand, the team is equipped with the right skills and knowledge to tackle it efficiently.

Faster Time-to-Value:

By bolting on an existing AWS consulting team, organisations can significantly reduce the time required to get up to speed. A team that has already worked together and accumulated experience in AWS projects can seamlessly integrate into the existing infrastructure and processes, ensuring a faster time-to-value. This eliminates the need for extensive onboarding and training periods that would otherwise be necessary with a newly assembled team.

Flexibility and Scalability:

The ability to scale resources up or down based on project requirements is a vital advantage of bolting on an AWS consulting team. Rather than being constrained by the size and capabilities of an in-house team, organizations can leverage the flexible nature of consulting teams to adapt to changing demands. This scalability allows for efficient resource allocation, ensuring projects are executed on time and within budget, without the need to maintain a full-time team during periods of lower demand.

Cost Efficiency:

Engaging an AWS consulting team may come with some upfront spending, but there may be considerable long-term cost savings. Significant financial commitments are needed for hiring, training, and ongoing compensation when creating an internal team from scratch. In addition, there are extra fees for infrastructure, perks, and overhead. In contrast, adding a consulting team enables businesses to acquire knowledge as needed, lowering total AWS ownership costs.

Industry Best Practices and Innovation:

An established AWS consulting team often brings a wealth of industry best practices and innovative approaches to the table. They have likely worked on a multitude of projects across various industries, acquiring valuable insights and knowledge along the way. By bolting on such a team, organisations gain access to this collective wisdom, benefiting from the experience of working with hundreds of AWS deployments across multiple use cases and industries.

Next steps?

While building an in-house AWS consulting team can offer control, the advantages of bolting on an existing team cannot be overlooked. From accessing diverse expertise and faster time-to-value to cost efficiency and industry best practices, the benefits of an experienced consulting team can outweigh the challenges of assembling and maintaining an internal team. At IG CloudOps we have built our AWS consultancy team over many years and each team member brings a different focus and type of experience.

Our UK-based AWS consultancy team is ready to extend your in-house team and we can be in place tomorrow to provide support and consultancy as needed and you can read more here.

Or you can speak to a member of our AWS team today.