The Flow Pilots and Leaware partnership: 3 outsourcing myths debunked

Business context

Flow Pilots is a Belgian company developing mobile applications and user-centred solutions. Its dynamic project portfolio required flexible scaling of delivery capacity without the risk of long-term permanent hires. In the Belgian market, as in other technology hubs, experienced web and mobile developers are hard to find.

The team was looking for a partner, not the cheapest subcontractor. The priority was specific expertise, particularly in Xamarin, as well as the ability to onboard specialists quickly into ongoing initiatives without slowing delivery. The ability to respond efficiently to workload fluctuations and recruitment gaps was also important.

Leaware, a Polish software house, became the natural choice thanks to its know-how and working culture aligned with Flow Pilots’ expectations. The collaboration took the form of a close partnership: developers worked in a hybrid model, both from the office in Toruń and on-site in Antwerp, using the client’s tools and processes.

Challenge

The biggest challenge was the shortage of experienced developers combined with the variability of the project pipeline. Under Belgian labour law, reducing headcount generates high costs, while IT budgets can change during project execution. The company needed a way to scale the team without increasing financial risk.

There were concerns about effectively integrating external developers into Flow Pilots’ culture, sprint rhythm and quality standards. It was crucial to maintain full control over scope, progress and priorities, and to be confident that the external team would operate like an internal one, with a predictable communication flow.

The market offered cheaper, more distant locations, but cultural differences, language barriers and time zones could hinder day-to-day collaboration. The company wanted to avoid the delays and misunderstandings that often accompany offshore outsourcing.

Solution

Flow Pilots chose nearshoring with Leaware, focusing on proven Xamarin expertise as well as technological and process alignment. The specialists were onboarded into the client’s tools, such as Jira and Atlassian, as well as Scrum and Agile practices, so they could deliver predictable value from the very first iterations without organisational friction.

A hybrid model was adopted: key meetings and workshops took place on-site in Antwerp, while development work continued in Toruń. Direct relationships with team members built trust and a sense of shared identity. The work was coordinated by a project manager on Leaware’s side, ensuring ongoing synchronisation, transparency and the immediate clarification of any doubts, supported by the expert backing of the entire company.

The commercial model was based on clearly defined budgets per project, which limited risk and enabled rapid scaling during peak workload periods without fixed costs. Any scope changes and new features were agreed on continuously. A shared work ethic, no time difference and efficient communication in English translated into smooth collaboration and the effect of operating as one integrated team.