Global Blue is a leading provider of Tax Free Shopping, Payments and Post-Purchase solutions, helping retailers, brands and travellers across the world create seamless shopping experiences.
As the organisation continued to expand its global operations and technology footprint, the need for additional engineering capacity became increasingly important to support product innovation, operational excellence and long-term growth.
11 (2 teams)
5+
Infrastucture & Support Engineering
B.O.T.
As demand for Global Blue’s services increased, so did the complexity of its technology landscape.
The organisation needed to strengthen both its software development and application support capabilities while maintaining the high standards expected by customers and partners worldwide.
Beyond simply adding resources, Global Blue was looking for a long-term solution that would allow teams to integrate seamlessly into existing operations, scale alongside business needs and support future organisational objectives.
To support these objectives, Global Blue partnered with Nearshore Portugal through a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
The goal was not simply to augment capacity, but to establish dedicated engineering teams capable of operating as a natural extension of Global Blue’s organisation while creating a clear path towards long-term ownership.
Nearshore Portugal assumed responsibility for talent acquisition, onboarding, operational management and team development, allowing Global Blue to focus on delivery, innovation and business growth.
Over time, the teams became fully integrated into Global Blue’s operational and technical environment, supporting both software development and application support initiatives.
Nearshore Portugal worked closely with Global Blue to define team structures, required competencies and delivery processes.
A dedicated recruitment strategy was implemented to identify highly qualified professionals for software development and application support roles. Onboarding processes were designed to ensure alignment with Global Blue’s technical standards, business objectives and ways of working.
As the partnership evolved, dedicated teams were established and integrated into Global Blue’s delivery organisation.
Working through Agile methodologies and closely aligned with internal stakeholders, the teams contributed to ongoing development initiatives while ensuring operational stability across critical systems and services.
Throughout this phase, Nearshore Portugal provided ongoing talent management, operational support and coordination, helping maintain team continuity and delivery performance.
As Global Blue’s internal capabilities matured, a structured transition plan was implemented for the Application Support Engineering team. The process included knowledge transfer activities, leadership handovers and operational transition planning designed to ensure business continuity and a seamless transfer of responsibilities. The transition was completed successfully, demonstrating the effectiveness of the BOT model and the strength of the partnership built over several years.
Through the partnership, Global Blue successfully expanded its engineering capabilities while maintaining operational continuity and supporting ongoing business growth.
More importantly, the partnership provided a sustainable model for long-term growth, combining immediate access to talent with a structured path towards future ownership.
Several factors contributed to the success of the collaboration:
The focus extended beyond staffing requirements to creating a sustainable engineering capability aligned with Global Blue’s long-term objectives.
Teams were integrated into Global Blue’s environment from the beginning, allowing them to operate as a seamless extension of existing delivery organizations.
The Build-Operate-Transfer approach provided the flexibility to scale teams efficiently while preserving future strategic options.
A rigorous recruitment and onboarding process ensured that engineering professionals possessed both the technical expertise and collaborative mindset required for long-term success.
“We have partnered with Nearshore Portugal to expand our existing teams and build new ones, all focused on delivering Global Blue’s Tax Free Solutions worldwide.
Over the years, Nearshore Portugal has assisted us in engaging numerous highly skilled IT professionals to meet our rapidly growing demand.
Our experience with them in all aspects of talent management has been seamless.“
Whether you need to expand an existing team, build a dedicated delivery capability or establish a long-term nearshore operation, Nearshore Portugal helps organisations access specialised engineering talent across Software Development, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering and Enterprise Systems.
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