Sometimes, businesses find themselves in need of extra help but are not ready to take on the commitment of hiring full-time employees. In these situations, they may turn to staff augmentation or project outsourcing. While these two arrangements may sound similar, they are actually quite different. Staff augmentation refers to the practice of temporarily increasing staff levels in order to meet a specific demand. Project outsourcing, on the other hand, is the practice of hiring an outside firm to complete a specific project. Staff augmentation can be helpful when businesses need short-term help with a specific task or skillset. Project outsourcing is often used when businesses do not have the internal resources to complete a project on their own. Ultimately, the decision of whether to use staff augmentation or project outsourcing depends on the specific needs of the business.