Nearshore Perfected
Hexis is a company specialised in nearshore technology solutions working out of Lisbon.
Nearshore by nature, Portuguese by good fortune, we are software developers with a deep belief in technology’s transformative power in business and society. We are a tribe of nonconformist, ever-questioning, highly-creative developers with an explicit will to change the world.
We have an excellent track record delivering remote teams for projects in Blockchain, Fintech, Gaming, Data Science, Sports Betting, eCommerce.
The recipe for success may be a secret. What we do is not.
Welcome to Hexis.
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Rebuilding a global B2B API to cover more than £500m in risk
A deeper look at how our Agile methodology delivers powerful results
- Client
Our client is one of the world’s leading, innovative iGaming insurance companies. Their scalable platform ensures risk management for high-prize lotteries. This is a definitive need as lottery operators always risk players winning, no matter the odds that are in place. What our client does is assume that risk on behalf of their clients, in return for a fee on each insured bet.
The platform provides a B2B API for clients to communicate the game information, and all the insured bets, supporting over 50 different lottery formats.
- The Challenge
As the top insurance company that allows players to win up to several million in prizes, our client was in critical need of a robust and highly scalable platform. They required a team they could trust to develop their application’s APIs and to also maintain its high performance.
By implementing our strong Agile project management methodologies, we quickly assembled the perfect team to develop this project. Our client already had a pre-existing MVP of their platform, with minimal functionality, so Hexis’ first hurdle was managing the project hand-over. This challenge was swiftly overcome, despite the limited technical documentation, which led to a significant amount of reverse engineering work.
Within six months, Hexis had delivered beyond the initial scope. Not only had we implemented robust functionalities to enable new customer acquisitions for the client, but we also made several improvements to the application infrastructure in AWS. In addition, we set up a staging environment and greatly increased the power of the production environment.
- Technical overview
Our client’s application exposes a B2B API to their clients so that they can communicate insured bets, and a back-office to manage partner and product configuration. We developed these as a set of microservices, through iterative processes, to support all the required features. All services are deployed in an AWS infrastructure, using the following stack: Java 8, Spring Boot (MVC, Security, Data, Actuator), Angular, Hazelcast, AWS, Elasticsearch, NGINX, Tomcat, GitHub, Docker, Ansible, and Shell script. For management, we use the Atlassian stack: Jira and Confluence.
- Hexis approach
Hexis was not only responsible for developing the code for our client. We were instrumental in defining their product’s success requirements.
Using Agile methodologies, we accurately validated the needs of this software development project. This included the implementation of new features, refactoring, and constant improvements.
As we were reworking an existing MVP, we also employed SCRUM-based methodology. This enabled our team to prioritize any desired new features alongside enhanced legacy code, in a way that supported the growth of robust software.
Working as a remote team introduces several challenges. Our solution is a well-defined development process to ensure quality:
- Analysing the required features with the client/product owner before development.
- Analysing the system impact of these features and selecting the best implementation approach.
- Effectively communicate all development issues and setbacks with the client and implement the best resolution.
- Add automatic tests to ensure the solution complies with the requirements.
- Always perform code review and have the approval of at least another team member.
With these standards, we can mitigate risk and have never needed to deploy an application rollback. This process provides our clients with transparency on what is being developed, avoiding any miscommunication.
- Summary of benefits
Our client had complete trust and confidence in the Hexis team and our strong ability to build a high-value, complex product. We quickly developed a robust product, that responded to the client’s significant growing business needs. As a result, Hexis was not only involved in software engineering but continues sprint planning and feedback processes for future developments.
Critical scale-up for eCommerce giant
A case study on nearshoring and how it can help revolutionize your business.
- The Challenge
This eCommerce client needed to boost their software development to maintain their high standard of delivery to their 1,500 brands and 2 million customers. Revolutionizing fashion shopping online, this client has quickly grown into one of the world’s biggest retail giants. Processing more than 3,000 transactions per second, they required an innovative technology solution to scale up their platform integration with their partners’.
- Our Solution
Due to the complex nature of their project, the client was experiencing issues in recruiting and retaining the right talent for this job. Hexis began by providing them with a specially selected, fully-assembled development team, highly experienced in the client’s technology stack. For the client, there was an immediate benefit of this ‘team as-a-service’, as it delivered maximum productivity, right from the start. Hexis maintained clear communication with the client’s management and engineering units. These stakeholders remained abroad while the project was developed in Portugal, under a dedicated engineering manager.
We used Agile methodologies to cover all steps of the software development lifecycle: from new features, collective corrective evolution, refactoring and continued integration improvements.
Conscious of the client’s fast-paced market and their highly-evolved technology stack, we also employed our sophisticated problem-solving skills to deploy multiple best practices across their numerous software centers.
- Benefits
The project result exceeded expectations and delivered high ROI for the client, its partners, and customers. This partnership has now developed to include 18 software engineers, fully dedicated to this high-profile client.
Implementing Big Data Analytics and IoT for the global FMCG sector
How nearshoring can deliver disruptive innovation to drive informed decision-making and profit.
the challenge:
This global leader in food and beverage needed to gain strategic intelligence for decision-making and risk analysis. In the FMCG market, innovative solutions provide quick, reliable insights, but for our client, there were two leading technologies urgently needed to create this competitive advantage: the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). The challenge for Hexis was to support the deployment of these IoT, AI, and data science tools so that the client could benefit from real-time decision-making.
In terms of resourcing, Hexis immediately addressed this challenge by assembling the perfect team with the right skills and experience.
the solution:
On the tech side, we integrated our client’s commercial layer with their supply chain so that they had all the missing information required to improve their production cycles and manage their customers. We were able to do this by developing bespoke software, which enabled us to map real-time data with consumption patterns. This real-time assessment was a significant win for the client, and it began to inform their marketing strategies immediately.
We also engineered our IoT and AI tools to provide information on various point-of-sale specifics, such as temperature and other details relating to the overall consumption. From this, we were able to generate real-time reporting of the consumption patterns, which meant our client was better able to understand their customers’ end-point.
See more insights at www.hexis-hub.com
Transforming data management with AI and blockchain technology
Delivering a scalable MVP to a multi-featured product with nearshore development.
the challenge:
Our client is a high profile blockchain-powered portal. They are transforming the business, education and retail sectors by issuing and verifying official digital records via data management and unique tracking solutions. They needed to develop an MVP for a secured management system and came to Hexis Technology Hub for a fully dedicated team that could achieve this task. In fact, with a tight deadline, this client required a robust solution that could be easily scalable from an MVP to a multi-feature product. They partnered with us as their dedicated nearshore team because of our top talent and credentials. We were able to provide them with the full commitment from a trusted senior engineering team, that they needed, validating their confidence that Hexis could not only deliver but also add value to their product.
the solution:
The client wanted to develop a blockchain engine to create and provide proof of ownership, which would allow digital credentials to be shared globally. Hexis’s task was to deploy an agnostic platform solution that could run with any blockchain protocols. To achieve this, we assembled an experienced project team with specific AI and blockchain knowledge. Next, we designed the end-to-end product architecture and blockchain engine. Our team ensured that the entire solution was compliant with any blockchain protocols and adaptable to any customer-driven file format. Nearshoring software development is a good solution for blockchain projects, especially given our agile approach at Hexis. The outcome was very successful. As promised, Hexis delivered a scalable MVP to our client, as well as a white labeling blockchain engine for a future product roadmap.
See more insights at www.hexis-hub.com
Reviews
the project
Content Management Tool for IT Services Company
"What set them apart was not only the alignment of the tech stack experience but also their flexibility and commitment."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
BroadCMS is a platform that enables your entire team to create, edit and spread content in realtime to multiple websites, mobile platforms (Android or iOS) or wearables (smartwatch), using this unique flexible CMS tool, and I am one of the Co-founders.
For what projects/services did your company hire Hexis Technology Hub, and what were your goals?
We hired Hexis Technology Hub as a partner to support our development needs remotely and our goal was to scale a MVP to the first roll-out of the product, while testing the customer engagement.
How did you select Hexis Technology Hub and what were the deciding factors?
We have followed a thorough procurement process, and Hexis Technology Hub was able to be transparent and engaging in the entire process, reassuring the fit as a partner.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We have set a procurement process with a focus on technology capabilities, credentials, commitment, and price. We reached out to companies in Portugal, Spain, and Ukraine.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
The team had a total of 5 elements, 2 elements mainly focus on the front-end, 1 QA Engineer that help in the all the testing and defining test plans, 2 back-end engineers where the more senior element of the team was involved and had responsibilities of managing the team and bridging with us.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
They have so far delivered multiple product features of the contract management tool, and the quality of the engineering team is outstanding. Keep up the excellent work! Delivery on time of the key features for the MVP and subsequent roll-outs of the product.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.
The overall flow process was very good as Hexis was very flexible to adjust to our internal processes, both at the project management level and all the communication tools we already used in the company. In the end, the whole staff both on our side and in Portugal felt like a joint team.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
The flexibility and speed to adapt to changes in the scope or plan. What set them apart was not only the alignment of the tech stack experience but also their flexibility and commitment. The management team understands clearly the development cycle and bridges it to the business side with constant valid inputs. Hexis was able to be fully committed and focus to us, and the availability and commitment provided set in motion the beginning of the relation.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Price wise there are more players, specially in the eastern part of Europe that can be more competitive. But communication and quality clearly surpassed this point of improvement.
the project
Machine Learning Solution for Financial Analysis
"The development is going better than expected."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We’re a regulatory tech startup developing machine learning powered solutions to help banks optimize their regulatory capital and comply efficiently with their finance and risk regulations.
For what projects/services did your company hire Hexis Technology Hub?
We wanted them to develop our machine learning powered solution.
What were your goals for this project?
We wanted to address complex issues faced by banks in the risk and finance reporting areas by providing unseen anomaly detection, root cause analysis, and remediation capabilities.
How did you select this vendor?
We chose them based on three main factors: their focus on the business problems being solved, their quick onboarding of uncommon resources (data scientists with financial services experience), and the quality of their feedback during our initial discussions on the product.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
We provided a set of specs to be implemented. Their engineers did an in-depth analysis and proposed useful improvements to the product. They built the MVP and are currently developing our platform to be integrated with different banks.
What was the team composition?
The project has six persons allocated, including developers and data scientists.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
They built the MVP with additional features that will allow us to surprise our financial services customers. It’s an innovative solution that allows us to re-imagine our business model as a "regulation as a service" business. The development is going better than expected in terms of timelines and quality of the deliveries, which will most likely allow us to add new features to our product.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
We used Jira for project management and communicated through Slack. We found their management effective, and their internal communication was outstanding.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They offered quality engineers and developers who could solve complex engineering problems.
Are there any areas for improvement?
A larger existing pool of developers, rather than hiring new resources, would have accelerated our process even more.
the project
Partner Staff Augmentation for an IT Firm
“They’re very loyal … and they have the expertise to pull off a broad range of projects.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of Atom Ventures. We provide vital CTO-type services to companies that don’t have sufficient IT staff of their own. We help them build an IT strategy and establish a team that can execute it. To do this, we work with a team of trusted vendors and deploy specific project teams, either of our own or through these partners, to work with our clients.
What challenge were you trying to address with Hexis Technology Hub?
We were working with one of our larger clients and they needed to scale up their IT operations. They were on an aggressive timeline with ambitious goals, so we decided to bring in additional manpower to supplement our own team in helping them.
What was the scope of their involvement?
With our client’s approval, we brought in the additional team from Hexis Technology Hub to work with our own in order to meet the project’s goals. We provided Hexis with job descriptions for the positions we needed and they matched us with members of their staff. We ran those individuals through a brief technical test and then got to work.
What is the team composition?
We currently work with a team lead and a senior developer, but we’re planning to add more people as the project progresses.
How did you come to work with Hexis Technology Hub?
I’d partnered with them on a similar project while at a previous company. I knew their management team well and trusted that they could deliver what we needed on this project.
How much have you invested with them?
Their end of the work will probably cost about $250,000 once the project’s complete.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started this project in October 2018 and it’s ongoing. We’ll probably wrap up in about a year.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We already work at a fast pace, but their developers have helped move the project along significantly faster. They’ve kept up with us and ensured that we’ll meet our client’s deadlines.
How did Hexis Technology Hub perform from a project management standpoint?
We keep in touch with our account manager during the recruitment phase, but once we’ve chosen the developers, we only touch base once a month to ensure that everything’s running smoothly. Their team is very motivated, so I don’t have to provide much oversight.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We work with many similar companies around the world, but the quality at Hexis Technology Hub always stands out. They’re very loyal and they have a good company culture that ensures high staff retention, so we’re not scrambling to adjust to new developers over the course of a project. There’s continuity and they have the expertise to pull off a broad range of projects.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can’t think of anything in particular.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Talk to a variety of different vendors before deciding who to bring onboard. It’s important to find the right cultural fit for your business before getting a project underway. Hexis Technology Hub understood how our business worked and valued our goals, plus they’re very responsive, so they were a good match for us.
The engagement was a success, with the vendor completing the company's management tool. Hexis Technology Hub was able to deliver all the required product features on time. Customers can expect reliability and responsiveness.