Compare
Forward deployed engineers or staff augmentation?
Both put outside engineers in your team. One adds hands to your plan. The other helps make the plan and is measured on whether it is used.
In short
Staff augmentation adds an engineer to work you have already planned, directed by your team. A forward deployed engineer works with leadership and the teams doing the work to find what is worth changing, builds it, and stays until it is used. Choose augmentation when you have the plan and the management; choose forward deployed engineers when you want the outcome.
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Staff augmentation
Best for Teams with a clear backlog and someone to direct the work.
- Adds capacity quickly
- You direct the work day to day
- Flexible length
- You define every task
- Usually hourly or daily billing
- Adoption and outcomes are your job
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Forward deployed engineers
Best for Leadership that wants AI and automation to change how several teams work.
- Engineers observe the work and propose what to change
- Builds go live with the team that uses them
- Monthly review of usage and hours saved
- Needs leadership time each month
- Not the cheapest way to add hours to a fixed plan
Side by side
Where they differ.
| Staff augmentation | Forward deployed engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| Who finds the work | Your team | The engineer, with your teams and leadership |
| Measured on | Hours delivered | What ships and whether it is used |
| Pricing | Hourly or daily | Monthly engagement |
| Training and rollout | Usually not included | Included |
| At SBD | Extend: a named platform specialist in prepaid blocks | Forward deployed engineers |
How to choose
Pick by the situation, not the brand.
- 01
You have the backlog and someone to manage it
Staff augmentation (SBD Extend) - 02
You know AI should change how the company runs, but not where to start
Forward deployed engineers - 03
You have one well-defined build
Neither: a fixed-price build
Questions
Can we switch from one to the other?
Yes. Teams often start with forward deployed engineers to find and ship the first wins, then keep a specialist on Extend for the steady backlog.
Who owns what is built?
You do, in both models. Everything is built in your accounts and repositories and documented.
Related: Forward deployed engineers, Extend, In-house, freelancer, agency or consultancy?. All comparisons.
Not sure which fits?
We build on both. We will tell you which.
On a discovery call we look at your data, users and volumes and tell you which option fits now, and what would make you move later.
Book a discovery call