Diversified vs. Specialized Software Teams: Making the Right Choice for Your Project

You tell a professional peer or friend that you’re ready to propel your software app idea forward and they respond by recommending a software development firm they’ve used. This recommendation comes from someone you highly respect and trust, and gratefully you feel like your search is over.

A recommendation can be an important first step, and it certainly speaks well for the firm being recommended, but your first mistake on your software development journey would be to stop your search to bring your idea to fruition. Here are a few things to consider alongside any stellar recommendation.

Does the Firm Have Diversified Industry Experience?

A software development team with diversified experience has likely worked with various business models, from e-commerce and finance to healthcare and manufacturing. This breadth of exposure equips them with the ability to adapt their strategies and approaches, customizing flexible solutions that are adaptable, innovative, and capable of evolving alongside changing industry demands.

For example, the Flint Hills Group team has worked across multiple industries. Many of the industries, while diverse, share commonalities, such as IT, Computer Software, and e-Learning; or Transportation, Logistics, and Supply Chains, while others are more specialized, such as Drug & Alcohol Programs, and Farming.

In addition to being able to adapt to various business models, this diverse experience brings other advantages to the customer, including:

1. Enhanced problem-solving abilities. Developers who have encountered different industry challenges can draw from a broader knowledge base to solve complex problems. They can apply solutions from one industry to another, often leading to creative and efficient solutions that a more one-dimensional industry team might not consider. For example, a technique used to enhance the user experience in retail might be adapted to improve patient interfaces in healthcare software.
2. Innovation and cross-industry inspiration. A diversified team can bring cross-industry insights that inspire out-of-the-box thinking. For example, techniques used to enhance efficiency in logistics can spark ideas for streamlining operations in construction.
3. Flexibility and versatility. A team with broad and diverse experience can often adapt quickly to different types of projects. It can also equip that team with greater composure to easily deal with the unexpected.
4. Insights into compliance and best practices. A highly specialized industry expert may be an expert in the specific compliance and regulatory requirements of that industry but have tunnel vision when it comes to the requirements of another completely different industry. They are so specialized they “don’t know what they don’t know,” whereas more diversified experience across various sectors develops instincts to better understand the nuances necessary to meet both the functional and regulatory requirements of various sectors, thereby reducing legal risks and ensuring compliance.

That’s not to say that such specialized expertise shouldn’t be sought out if necessary. Flint Hills Group Founder and CEO Dave Cunningham recalls a project in which he readily sought out such an expert. “We brought in a very talented consultant to do software architectural assessments that we knew no one else could do,” Cunningham said. “We had a prior relationship with this consultant so his expertise and abilities were well-known to the team, and we knew it was in the customer’s best interests.”

Is There a Downside to Diversified versus Specialized Experience?

Sometimes hiring a specialized software development team may be the better option. Ideally, if the customer in a highly specialized niche approaches a software development team with no relatable experience in that niche, the developer will recognize the differential and turn the project down, or refer the customer to a more qualified development team.

“At Flint Hills Group, we have turned down projects to customize SAP or other ERP systems, as well as gaming software development,” Cunningham said. “We recognize we don’t have the best experience at those to be successful.”

The biggest issue the customer might encounter with a non-specialized development team might be a longer learning curve for the team. Depending on the customer’s timeline, this could be a deciding factor if they are in a hurry to get the application to market.

Generally speaking, however, in most cases the adaptability, cross-industry insights, and broader skill set that a diversified team brings outweigh the limits of a highly specialized development team.

Making the Right Choice for Your Project

When confronted with the choice between a software development team with diversified industry experience or one that is highly specialized, consider your project goals, timeline, and the demands of your particular industry. The precision of a specialized team may be more important to you than agile problem-solving and innovation.

Ask for references from customers in diverse industries, and ask questions that gauge the team’s willingness to augment their strengths. Is a primary team with diversified experience willing to bring in a specialist if necessary? Such a hybrid approach indicates that the team can balance their strengths with the necessary expertise to provide a combination that best serves the customer’s needs.

Get Started with An Experienced and Diversified Team

Here is a list of Flint Hills Group’s diverse customer industries:

• Automotive
• Aviation & Aerospace
• Computer Software
• Construction
• Drug & Alcohol Program
• E-learning
• Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing
• Environmental Services
• Farming
• Financial Services
• Industrial Equipment Supplier
• Information Technology & Services
• Logistics & Supply Chain
• Non-profit Organization Management
• Oil & Energy
• Real Estate
• Security & Investigations
• Staffing & Recruiting
• Telecommunications
• Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
• Wholesale

Calling on the experienced and diversified software development team at Flint Hills Group is a good place to start. We won’t flinch at the tough questions, and if a project is best handled by a different team, we’ll be straightforward in explaining that. Our goal is success for both sides.