The Embedded Outsourcing Playbook
2025 Edition | An Interactive Guide by Touch Support
The Embedded Outsourcing Playbook
How to Scale Your Tech Team, Instantly.
By Touch Support
The Scaling Dilemma
Your company is growing, but your tech team can't keep up. Hiring is slow, expensive, and distracts senior engineers from their core tasks.
You're stuck between a rock and a hard place: miss market opportunities due to a lack of manpower, or risk derailing your current roadmap with a lengthy, costly hiring process.
This playbook introduces a third option: The Embedded Team Model.
Interactive: Prioritize Your Challenges
Drag your biggest scaling challenges from the left and drop them into the priority zone on the right.
Top Priorities
What is an Embedded Team?
It's a model where a dedicated team of external experts integrates directly into your existing workflows, culture, and projects. They aren't just contractors; they're a seamless extension of your own team.
Think of it as gaining an entire, self-managed department that understands your goals, communicates proactively, and takes full ownership of their workstream—all without the overhead of direct hiring.
Unscramble the Benefits
Unscramble the letters to reveal the core benefits of the embedded model.
Staff Augmentation vs. Embedded Teams
Staff Augmentation
- ✓ Fills individual roles
- ✓ "Hired hands" approach
- ✓ Managed by your team
- ✗ Limited ownership
- ✗ Slower integration
Embedded Teams
- ✓ Provides a full team
- ✓ Strategic partner approach
- ✓ Self-managed unit
- ✓ Takes full ownership
- ✓ Deep, fast integration
Myth vs. Reality
Test your knowledge about modern outsourcing.
Case Study: Code Enigma
A boutique Drupal agency with complex client needs.
The Challenge:
Code Enigma needed to provide 24/7/365 support for high-profile clients but struggled to staff nights and weekends. Previous third-party suppliers were unreliable, leading to missed releases and client frustration.
"We were getting negative feedback... you guys are so slow. We don't have that anymore. The tickets don't sit anymore, they go straight out the door."
Case Study: Code Enigma
Interactive: Guess the Impact!
After integrating a Touch Support embedded team, by how much did Code Enigma's in-flight support tickets drop?
That's right! A 30% reduction.
This freed up their internal team to work on stalled projects, like upgrading to Debian 12, creating massive value beyond just ticket management.
The Deeper Impact at Code Enigma
Beyond the numbers.
The 30% drop in tickets was just the beginning. The real value emerged as the embedded team took ownership, freeing up Code Enigma's core developers. This allowed them to finally tackle long-stalled internal projects.
"We're getting movement on internal projects that had been stalled because of lack of resource. So things like upgrading to Debian 12 is now underway and it's a touch support guy that's doing it."
Case Study: Liquid Web
A leader in the web hosting industry for over 25 years.
The Challenge:
As remote work became prominent, Liquid Web struggled to find qualified, experienced talent in their specific geographic locations. They needed a way to expand their team without a pre-existing model for remote work.
"We quickly ran into issues, trying to find qualified and experienced personnel, in our specific markets."
Case Study: Liquid Web
Interactive: Guess the Scope!
Beyond core support, which of these areas did Touch Support's embedded teams NOT expand into at Liquid Web?
Correct! We're not in HR... yet!
Touch Support became a true partner, integrating into almost every part of their business, allowing them to scale effectively while maintaining CSAT and NPS.
The Partnership Model at Liquid Web
From vendor to integrated partner.
The relationship began with an acquisition. Touch Support was already serving the acquired company. Liquid Web, initially reluctant, saw the success and lower costs firsthand. This built trust and led to a deeper partnership.
"The model we built is heavily focused on a partnership... we work off of each other. So both parties are successful."
The Path to Success
Connect the dots to trace the typical implementation path for an embedded team.
The Touch Support Difference
It's about service management, not just bodies.
Many companies promise management, but few deliver. Our model is built on active service management. We handle the one-on-ones, training, and professional development, taking it off your plate so you can focus on your business.
"Most companies in your space, say they do that. You're the first people we've worked with who actually did."
- Greg Harvey, Code Enigma
Is an Embedded Team Right For You?
Your Implementation Roadmap
Click on each step to reveal the details.
1. Discovery & Alignment
We meet to understand your goals, culture, and technical needs. (1-2 Weeks)
2. Team Matching
We assemble a dedicated team from our pool of vetted experts. (1 Week)
3. Seamless Onboarding
The team gets access to your systems, Slack, Jira, and repos. (3 Days)
4. Full Integration & Operation
Your new embedded team is fully operational, attending stand-ups and shipping code.
Interactive Tool: Cost of Delay Calculator
See how much it costs to wait for new hires. Fill in the fields to calculate the potential revenue lost while your positions remain unfilled.
Is This You?
If you're facing challenges with scaling your technical teams, you're in the right place. This guide is for:
- ‣
CTOs & VPs of Engineering
Tasked with delivering on the product roadmap while managing budgets.
- ‣
Product Managers
Needing to accelerate feature development to meet market demands.
- ‣
Founders & CEOs
Looking for a capital-efficient way to scale operations.
Ready for the Next Step?
If you're facing similar challenges, let's talk. We build world-class technical teams that integrate seamlessly and deliver from day one.
Schedule a Free Consultation