Case Study: Building High-Performance Tech Teams in HealthTech Through Nearshore Partnership
Assembling Specialized Tech Teams for Legacy and High-Complexity Systems
A leading European HealthTech company, with a strong presence in the Netherlands and a growing suite of digital healthcare solutions, faced a pivotal challenge: replacing and scaling their outsourced development teams in a way that would guarantee both technical excellence and long-term scalability.
At the heart of the challenge was a legacy healthcare system supported by a Java team. The application, vital to core operations, was built using Java 8, a monolithic architecture, and Google Web Toolkit (GWT)—a combination that proved increasingly difficult to maintain due to the outdated nature of the stack and a shrinking pool of developers willing to work with it.
The Challenge
Compounding the situation, the client was also advancing its innovation roadmap through a series of complex OutSystems applications, used by general practitioners and pharmacies across various regions. These applications, while built on a modern low-code platform, required deep technical expertise, as they involved intricate workflows, compliance with healthcare regulations, and mission-critical performance standards.
Initially, the company sought a reliable nearshore partner to replace their Java team, previously outsourced to another region. The goal was not only to fill technical gaps but to ensure long-term alignment, cultural fit, and knowledge retention—factors that had proven elusive in earlier partnerships.
Over time, as the relationship matured and trust was established, the client decided to expand the scope: they requested support in scaling their OutSystems team as well, with a need for senior developers capable of operating at high levels of autonomy and technical depth.
This dual-track need—for legacy expertise on one end and cutting-edge development on the other—called for a strategic, flexible, and deeply collaborative technology partner.
The Solution: A Strategic Nearshore Partnership with Affinity
Affinity, an IT consulting and outsourcing firm with deep roots in Portugal’s tech ecosystem, stepped in as a long-term partner to help the client address both challenges.
From day one, Affinity approached the collaboration with a solution-oriented mindset, focused on building teams that would not only deliver code but contribute meaningfully to the client’s technology strategy.
The key to Affinity’s approach was the tight integration with the client’s squads—blending seamlessly into their agile processes, communication flows, and technical roadmaps. Affinity’s IT professionals supported backend and frontend development, infrastructure management, and DevOps operations, while ensuring high levels of transparency, cultural alignment, and performance accountability.
Portugal’s strong engineering talent pool was a critical enabler. With an emphasis on selective hiring, technical excellence, and long-term retention, Affinity was able to rapidly assemble two specialized teams under one unified partnership.
Java Team – Rebuilding and Modernizing a Legacy HealthTech System
Replacing the client’s legacy Java team was more than a resourcing issue—it was a strategic risk mitigation effort. The existing monolithic application was deeply embedded in operational workflows, with very little room for modernization. This meant developers not only had to be proficient in Java 8 and GWT, but also had to embrace the reality of working within legacy constraints.
Finding senior engineers who were not only technically capable but also motivated to work on such a system was a major hurdle.
Affinity’s Approach
Affinity addressed this by launching a targeted recruitment strategy, identifying senior developers in Portugal with past experience in maintaining and evolving legacy enterprise systems. But beyond skills, we screened for attitude and resilience—developers who understood the value of mission-critical systems and had the patience and discipline to work within tight architectural boundaries.
To ensure alignment, the team was onboarded through a collaborative ramp-up plan. This resulted in:
- A fully assembled 6-person team in just under six months (from September 2022 to February 2023).
- Delivered key enhancements and stability improvements to the existing application with zero downtime.
- Provided ongoing team replacements and expansions, adapting to new needs without interrupting service continuity.
This team remains active and stable, acting as the backbone for a critical HealthTech product relied upon by thousands of users.
OutSystems Team – Scaling High-Complexity Healthcare Applications
Unlike the Java track, the OutSystems projects were not legacy.
The applications built on this low-code platform were not “quick wins” or internal dashboards—they were high-performance healthcare platforms, used in real-time by clinicians and pharmacies. They were fast-paced, innovative, and technically demanding.
The client’s internal OutSystems team was already 15 developers strong, but they needed to scale quickly without compromising on talent quality or team cohesion.
Affinity’s Approach
Affinity recognized that traditional low-code staffing models wouldn’t work here. The developers had to be:
- Senior engineers with deep platform knowledge (certifications, real-world project experience).
- Able to handle scalability, performance tuning, and architectural decisions—not just visual development.
- Comfortable working in scrum environments, alongside product owners and business analysts in the Netherlands.
We began by assembling a dedicated hiring squad focused exclusively on sourcing and vetting elite OutSystems talent. Candidates were assessed through technical interviews, live coding, and team simulations to ensure they could operate in complex environments.
Results
- Scaled the client’s OutSystems team from 15 to over 30 developers, with Affinity providing more than 50% of the growth.
- Delivered key hires in QA, complementing the core team.
- Integrated seamlessly into existing teams, contributing to sprint planning, architectural decisions, and cross-functional delivery.
Today, the Affinity-augmented OutSystems team plays a central role in the client’s healthcare product roadmap—launching new features and capabilities with high velocity and quality.
The Outcome: A Multi-Team, Long-Term Success Story
What began as a tactical engagement to replace one outsourced team has grown into a strategic, multi-team partnership built on trust, technical depth, and shared goals.
Key Outcomes:
- Legacy Team Stabilized: Affinity delivered a fully operational Java team within six months, ensuring continuity for a critical application with no interruptions.
- OutSystems Growth Achieved: The partnership enabled the client to more than double their OutSystems capacity while maintaining quality and speed.
- Flexible Scaling: Affinity continues to provide ongoing replacements, expansions, and project-based staffing—acting as a responsive and trusted nearshore partner.
- Engineering Maturity Increased: Affinity’s teams brought in DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and architectural guidance, raising the maturity level of the client’s overall engineering organization.
Why This Partnership Works
- Nearshore Advantage
By tapping into Portugal’s high-quality tech talent pool, the client benefited from time zone alignment, cultural compatibility, and cost-effective scalability—without the communication and integration issues often found in far-shore models.
- Dual Technical Specialization
Affinity can effectively support both legacy technologies and modern platforms under one umbrella. We were able to demonstrate a unique ability to meet both needs—without compromising quality or focus.
- Strategic Alignment
This wasn’t just a staffing effort. Affinity approached the partnership with a long-term mindset, embedding our engineers into the client’s culture, processes, and mission.
We delivered more than just hands on keyboards—we delivered knowledge sharing, architectural insight, and a sense of shared ownership over the outcomes.
Looking Ahead: A Platform for Innovation and Scale
As the HealthTech sector continues to evolve, with growing emphasis on digital transformation, data integration, and patient-centric experiences, the client is well positioned to lead—thanks in part to the stability and scalability of its engineering foundation.
Affinity remains a key partner in that journey, ready to support new initiatives across cloud, mobile, data engineering, and compliance.
With proven experience in legacy rescue, platform scaling, and cross-functional team integration, Affinity stands as a reliable ally for tech leaders navigating complex transformation agendas.