What is build operate transfer, and how does it differ from outsourcing or a dedicated team?
Build operate transfer means we recruit and run a Vietnam-based team for you and then hand it over on agreed terms, so the capability ends up inside your organization. Our dedicated development team and offshore development services supply capacity indefinitely with no transfer; the engineers remain AgileTech employees. Our headhunting service places individual permanent hires into an entity you already hold, and our employer of record service employs individuals for you where you hold none. The distinguishing feature here is the contractual transfer of an operating capability, not just people.
What exactly transfers at the end?
Typically the employment relationships, the documentation and operational runbooks, the working practices, the equipment and assets, relevant vendor contracts, and where the structure requires it the legal entity. The precise list is defined in the original agreement rather than determined at handover, so both sides know what is in scope from the start.
How long does a build operate transfer engagement take?
It depends on team size, how specialized the roles are, how quickly the team reaches independent delivery, and whether entity formation is part of the scope. We do not publish a standard duration because the range is wide enough that a single figure would mislead. At the design stage we set out a realistic timeline for your specific case, with the trigger conditions for transfer defined rather than left to judgment.
What does it cost, and how is the transfer priced?
Cost has two parts: the operating cost of the team during the build and operate phases, and a transfer fee or mechanism agreed in the original contract. We quote them separately and we fix the transfer terms at the start. A partner unwilling to price the transfer upfront has left themselves room to price it against your urgency later.
Can we exercise the transfer earlier or later than planned?
The agreement defines the trigger conditions, any notice required, and how early or delayed transfer affects the fee. We set these out at the design stage precisely so the timing is a decision you can make rather than a negotiation you have to win.
Who employs the team while you are operating it?
Ordinarily the team is employed through a Vietnamese entity during the operate phase, with the employment relationships moving to you at transfer. The specific structure depends on whether you already hold an entity in Vietnam and whether entity formation is within scope, and it is settled in the design stage because it determines what the handover involves.
Who owns the intellectual property during the arrangement?
You do, from the start. Intellectual property assignment is written into both the employment contracts and the service agreement so that work product flows to you throughout the engagement rather than transferring at the end. Ownership of the output is not something that should wait for the transfer date.
What if the transfer never happens?
Then you have an operating team and a supplier relationship you can end on defined terms, which is a materially better position than a conventional outsourcing arrangement with no exit. Some clients decide the operate phase suits them and extend it. The point of fixing the terms upfront is that the choice stays yours.
Do you handle entity setup in Vietnam?
Entity formation can be included in scope, or you can operate through the employing entity during the build and operate phases and incorporate closer to transfer. Which is preferable depends on your tax position, your timeline, and how certain the transfer is, and we will work through the trade-off with you rather than defaulting to one.
How do we know the team is genuinely being prepared for independence?
Look for local technical leadership being developed rather than decisions routed through our staff, documentation produced as work happens rather than at handover, and a reducing rather than steady dependency on our management. These are observable during the operate phase, which is why we recommend agreeing what you will measure at the design stage.
How do we get started?
Share the capability you want to establish, the roadmap it will serve, and your intended timeline for ownership. We will set out a team design, a realistic timeline, an operating cost, and proposed transfer terms, so you can evaluate the whole arrangement including its ending before committing to any of it.
