Overview
Santander set out to launch a digital leasing and renting marketplace serving both corporate fleets and individual customers. emagine assembled a dedicated Team-as-a-Service, enabling rapid ramp-up, deep marketplace expertise and fast development of the new platform.
The Challenge
Santander operates in a highly competitive financial services market where digital platforms play an increasingly important role in delivering new customer experiences.
As vehicle leasing and rental services continue to evolve, both businesses and individual customers expect faster, more transparent and digitally enabled processes. From fleet management solutions for corporate clients to flexible rental options for individuals, the demand for integrated digital platforms continues to grow.
To respond to this opportunity, Santander identified the need to develop a dedicated digital marketplace for vehicle leasing and renting.
The platform would need to support multiple user journeys. Corporate customers require tools to manage fleets, compare leasing options and integrate operational workflows. Individual customers, on the other hand, expect intuitive interfaces and simple processes that allow them to browse offers, select vehicles and manage contracts digitally.
Building a platform capable of serving both segments required a carefully designed technology foundation.
At the same time, Santander needed to assemble a highly specialised engineering team capable of delivering the solution quickly. The project timeline was ambitious, and the organisation required a team that could begin contributing almost immediately.
Finding the right talent presented its own challenge. The team needed experience in marketplace platforms, leasing and rental business logic, and modern development frameworks. In addition, the specialists had to integrate smoothly with Santander’s existing technology standards and organisational culture.
Beyond technical capability, the team also needed to operate as a cohesive unit responsible for delivering key product streams within the platform.
In short, Santander needed a partner capable of rapidly building a dedicated, high-performing engineering team that could align with the organisation’s technology environment and deliver a complex marketplace platform within tight timelines.
The Solution
To support the development of Santander’s leasing and renting marketplace, emagine established a dedicated Team-as-a-Service delivery model.
Phase 1: Mobilising the Team-as-a-Service
emagine assembled a specialised engineering squad designed to take ownership of key product streams while working closely with Santander’s internal teams.
A ten-person multidisciplinary team was deployed from Portugal, combining backend developers, product designers and experienced technology leads with expertise in leasing and marketplace platforms.
The full team was ramped up within ten days, enabling development to begin almost immediately and keeping the programme on track from the outset.
Phase 2: Integrating into Santander’s environment
The team integrated directly into Santander’s existing engineering environment, aligning with the organisation’s technology stack, development standards and operational processes.
This ensured the platform could evolve within Santander’s broader digital ecosystem without introducing unnecessary complexity or disruption.
Close alignment also enabled smooth collaboration between internal and external teams throughout the programme.
Phase 3: Delivering end-to-end marketplace functionality
The squad operated with end-to-end responsibility for several marketplace product streams.
This included contributing to platform architecture, developing core functionality and ensuring the system supported both B2B fleet management and B2C customer journeys.
The team’s prior experience with leasing integrations and marketplace platforms allowed development to progress quickly while staying aligned with business requirements.
Phase 4: Scaling delivery through nearshore expertise
The Team-as-a-Service model provided Santander with a flexible and cost-efficient way to scale development capacity.
By leveraging nearshore expertise from Portugal, the project maintained high technical quality while optimising costs compared to traditional hiring models in higher-cost markets.
This combination of flexibility, expertise and delivery ownership established a strong foundation for the platform’s continued growth.
Transformation timeline
Phase 1
Mobilising the Team-as-a-Service
Phase 2
Integrating into Santander’s environment
Phase 3
Delivering end-to-end marketplace functionality
Phase 4
Scaling delivery through nearshore expertise
The Results
Faster time-to-market
The rapid deployment of a dedicated engineering squad enabled development to begin immediately and progress at pace. This supported faster development cycles and helped bring the platform to market sooner.
Stronger, domain-aligned delivery
The team’s expertise in marketplace platforms and leasing integrations strengthened the quality of delivery. Their understanding of industry-specific requirements ensured the platform effectively supported both corporate fleet management and individual customer journeys.
Seamless operational collaboration
The nearshore team integrated closely with Santander’s culture, technology standards and business logic. This alignment enabled smooth collaboration and ensured consistent delivery across internal and external teams.
Cost-efficient scalability with long-term impact
The nearshore delivery model provided a cost-efficient way to scale development capacity while maintaining high quality.
By combining speed, expertise and flexibility, Santander strengthened its position in the digital leasing and rental market and established a scalable foundation for future platform growth.