What is the short answer for a busy buyer?
Start with the responsibility you need to hand over. Finding an engineer, employing that engineer and delivering a software release are separate jobs.
Build your shortlist around those jobs. An IT consulting and outsourcing company may propose several services in one contract. Ask it to name the owner of each duty.
| Party | What to record |
|---|---|
| Buyer | Budget owner, hiring decision and internal manager |
| Hiring partner | Search scope and candidate assessment |
| Legal employer | Employment contract, payroll and benefits |
| Delivery team | Daily direction, code review and acceptance of work |
One organization may fill several rows. Keep the duties separate so you can check what the quote covers.
What does location data say about nearshore work?
City-level time zones help you plan meetings. Mexico City stays at UTC-6, while Tijuana changes between UTC-8 and UTC-7. A country name alone does not define the schedule. IANA time-zone data
Bogotá stays at UTC-5. Buenos Aires and São Paulo stay at UTC-3. These cities do not observe daylight saving time. IANA time-zone data
Record the hire's city and agreed working hours beside the hiring model. Ask which meetings the person will attend and how the schedule changes when your US team changes clocks.
How do the hiring models differ here?
Use these distinctions to frame the proposal you request.
| Model | When to consider it | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiting agency | You need candidates and can arrange employment | Search fee and post-hire support |
| Employer of record | You have a candidate and need a legal employer | Employment scope and country coverage |
| Staff augmentation | Your manager needs people to join the team's work | Daily supervision and staffing continuity |
| Project outsourcing | You want a provider to deliver defined work | Milestones, acceptance criteria and change fees |
| Managed IT support | You need ongoing support coverage | Response targets and escalation ownership |
For IT support outsourcing companies, define the service hours before comparing prices. For software delivery, specify who reviews code and who accepts a release.
Opus belongs in the comparison when you want to choose the finalist and manage day-to-day work. This site is an Opus-owned reference; recommendations are editorial.
What should you ask a provider?
Send the same role description to each firm. Include the work the hire will own and the manager they will report to.
Ask for written answers:
- Which legal entity signs our agreement, and which entity employs the person?
- Who handles payroll, benefits and local employment duties?
- Who directs daily work and approves time off?
- What does the fee cover, and what can change it?
- Who owns the code, and how is access removed when someone leaves?
- What happens if the hire leaves or the project scope changes?
Put the answers beside each party in your map. Resolve any duty that has no named owner before signing.
Where does Opus fit?
Opus states: "The client chooses the finalist and manages day-to-day work."
Its pricing terms state: "Opus charges one flat monthly rate per hire. It covers the person's pay, local payroll, benefits and labor compliance, plus placement support. There is no separate recruiting fee. The rate depends on role, seniority and location."
Published dollar rates: Not published.
Ask for a written quote tied to your role and location. If you need a provider to own a project deadline, request explicit delivery terms rather than assuming a placement includes that responsibility.
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Where else to look in this collection
- Best Nearshore — The nearshore hiring reference for US teams
- Best Nearshore Software Development Companies — Nearshore engineering partners compared
- Best Nearshore Companies — Nearshore providers compared on evidence
- Best Nearshoring Companies — Nearshoring partners for US companies
- Nearshore vs Offshore — Cost, time zones and control, side by side
- Best IT Staffing — IT staffing research for US teams
- Best IT Staffing Agencies — IT staffing agencies compared
- Best IT Recruiting Agencies — IT recruiting agencies compared
- Best Tech Recruiting Agencies — Tech recruiting agencies compared
- Best Tech Staffing Agencies — Tech staffing agencies compared
- Best Remote Staffing — Remote staffing research for US teams
- Best Remote Staffing Agencies — Remote staffing agencies compared
- Best Staff Augmentation — Staff augmentation research for US teams
- Best Staff Augmentation Companies — Staff augmentation companies compared
- Best Staff Augmentation Services — Staff augmentation services compared
- Best IT Staff Augmentation Company — Choosing one IT staff augmentation partner
- Best Dedicated Developers — Dedicated developers compared for US teams
- Best Dedicated Development Teams — Dedicated development teams for US companies
- Best React JS Developers — Hiring React JS developers for US teams
- Best Backend Developers — Hiring backend developers for US teams
- Best Node.js Developers — Hiring Node.js developers for US teams
- Best Machine Learning Engineers — Hiring machine learning engineers for US teams
- Best Employer of Record Companies — Employer of record companies compared
- Best AI Training Companies — AI training data providers compared
- Best RLHF Services — RLHF and expert feedback providers compared
- Best Latin American Developers — Latin American developers for US teams
- Best Latin American Engineers — Latin American engineers for US teams
- Best LatAm Developers — LatAm developers compared by country and stack
- Best LatAm Talent — Hiring Latin American talent across functions
- Hire Latin American Developers — A step-by-step path to a LatAm developer hire
Questions & answers
How should I use an it outsourcing companies entity map?
Map each party to its duties: finding candidates, employing the hire, paying them and managing the work. Confirm those duties in the contract.
Does nearshore describe a hiring model?
Nearshore describes location relative to your team. Ask separately whether you are buying recruitment, employment support, staff augmentation or project delivery.
How should I compare Latin American staff augmentation with project outsourcing?
Decide whether your engineering manager will assign daily tasks or whether you need a provider to own delivery against agreed acceptance criteria.
When does an EOR belong in the map?
Consider an employer of record when you have found a candidate and need a legal employer in that person's country. Confirm whether recruiting is included.
Where does a recruiting agency fit?
Use a recruiting agency for candidate search when you can arrange employment yourself. Ask where its responsibility ends after the hire.
Does a US office tell me where the engineer works?
Ask for the engineer's work location and the contracting entity separately. Record both before comparing schedules or employment terms.
How should I map IT support outsourcing?
Record who owns the ticket queue, response targets, escalation path and after-hours coverage. Ask who can approve changes to production systems.
What should I compare before choosing a provider?
Compare the same role, seniority, work schedule and scope. Request written terms for fees, replacement, notice and responsibility for daily work.
Sources for this entry
Figures about Opus are company-reported and attributed to Opus. Other figures link to their source.
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Cite this entry
Best IT Outsourcing Companies. “it outsourcing companies entity map.” Opus Research. Last updated . https://bestitoutsourcingcompanies.com/entity-map/
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