Large organizations already have competent internal backend/API teams, but struggle to deliver modern, performant, and accessible user interfaces. The problem isn't technical, it's organizational.
The classic staffing model (TMA, isolated frontend profiles) creates silos, lacks commitment to UX/UI results, and generates friction with internal teams. The fixed-price project further isolates teams and makes fluid collaboration with your backend developers impossible.
VOID's Squad as a Service is designed for mixed teams: a dedicated VOID squad (UX Designer, UI Designer, Lead Frontend React, React Developers, QA Testers) that integrates with your internal backend/API teams, in a co-construction logic with continuous deliveries.
1. The Limitations of Classic Models in Today's Market
3 Critical Challenges
- Time to Market: The market doesn't wait. A feature delivered 6 months too late loses up to 80% of its business value.
- Ability to react to change: Initial specs become obsolete during development (regulatory changes, competition, user feedback).
- Continuous innovation: Innovation can't be planned in a frozen requirements document; it emerges from iteration and feedback.
Why Classic Staffing Falls Short
- ✗No commitment to results: you pay for man-days, not delivered features.
- ✗Difficult resource optimization: high turnover, scattered skills, lack of product vision.
- ✗Lack of collective accountability: everyone does their task, no one drives business value.
Why Fixed-Price Becomes Risky
- ✗Tunnel effect: 6-12 months without visibility, issues discovered during UAT.
- ✗Contractual rigidity: any change = expensive amendment and conflictual negotiation.
- ✗Delayed ROI: no progressive production releases, so no user feedback until project end.
2. Squad as a Service: Best of Both Worlds
The Squad as a Service model combines the strengths of classic projects (commitment, results, controlled budget) and Agile (flexibility, iteration, continuous feedback).
✓From Classic Projects
- • Clear commitment at each sprint
- • Controlled budget forecast
- • Accountability for results
- • Stable and dedicated team
✓From Agile
- • Continuous deliveries (2-3 week sprints)
- • Frictionless adaptation to change
- • Integrated user feedback
- • Emergent innovation
5 Pillars of a High-Performing Squad
Multidisciplinary & Dedicated Team
A complete squad based on product nature: Squad Master (Agile facilitator), Product Owner (product vision), Architect (technical coherence), Lead Tech (code quality), Developers (frontend/backend), Testers (automated QA), Business Analyst (functional specs).
→ All aligned on your business objectives, not isolated tasks.
Continuous Delivery & Clear Commitments
Each sprint (2-3 weeks) ends with an operational demo and a potential production release. No tunnel effect: you see results every 2-3 weeks.
→ Clear commitment on each sprint's scope, adjustable for the next sprint.
Flexibility & Instant Adaptation
Market changes? New regulation? Competitor launches a feature? The squad reacts in the next sprint, without contractual amendment or negotiation.
→ Ability to pivot quickly while maintaining product coherence.
Integrated Risk Management
Security, quality, and performance aren't late-stage phases but integrated dimensions from day one. Automated tests, code reviews, security audits, monitoring: everything is built-in.
→ On a sensitive banking project, each sprint includes non-regression tests and compliance audits.
Measurable Strategic Impact
Your IT projects are no longer cost centers but measurable business levers: reduced time-to-market, increased NPS, manual process automation, revenue generation.
→ Example: a squad on an e-commerce project reduced checkout funnel by 30% in 3 sprints, generating immediate ROI.
3. Real Use Case: UX/UI Redesign of a Banking Credit Journey
Context & Challenges
A major banking institution in Morocco already had a robust API/backend ecosystem (Core Banking, Risk Systems, KYC, ECM), but its user interface was outdated, poorly accessible, and a source of friction for customers and relationship managers. Objective: complete user experience redesign without touching the existing backend.
Why the Squad as a Service Model (Mixed Team) Was Chosen
- Existing APIs: The bank's backend teams were competent and should not be replaced, but complemented by UX/UI + Frontend expertise.
- Need for design expertise: The internal team lacked skills in user research, accessibility (WCAG), and modern React architecture.
- Fluid collaboration required: Classic staffing would have created silos. An integrated VOID squad ensured co-construction with internal teams.
- Continuous delivery: Impossible to wait 12 months for a big bang release. Need for demos every 2-3 weeks with real user feedback.
Squad Scope
Customer Journey Redesign
- • Complete validation workflow automation (automatic scoring, instant decision for simple cases)
- • Asynchronous processing of complex cases (sent to credit committee with full history)
- • Modern back-office interface for relationship managers (React + Design System)
- • Customer portal for real-time application tracking
Critical Integrations
- • Core Banking (T24): account creation, fund disbursement, repayment schedules
- • Risk System: credit scoring, credit bureau verification, banking history
- • Workflow Engine: validation orchestration (operations, risk, compliance, CFO)
- • KYC System: identity verification, blacklists, PEP screening
- • ECM (Electronic Content Management): legal archiving, electronic signature
Squad Composition
Key Sprints (Examples)
Infrastructure setup, CI/CD, API design, T24 integration (test environment)
Application form, document upload, automatic scoring, simplified validation workflow
Risk system connection, credit bureau verification, automated KYC, rejection handling
Relationship manager interface, real-time dashboards, alerts, compliance reporting
Performance, UX, new credit types, electronic signature, customer portal
4. Results & Risk Management
✓Measurable Business Impact
How Risk Was Managed
→Continuous Delivery & Early Feedback
Each sprint ended with an operational demo with business, compliance, and risk teams. Issues were detected and fixed in 2-3 weeks, not 6 months.
→Integrated Automated Testing
Every feature came with automated tests (unit, integration, end-to-end). Result: 0 regression detected in production.
→Embedded Security & Compliance Audits
Every 3 sprints, an internal security audit was performed (OWASP, GDPR, Central Bank compliance). Fixes were integrated in the next sprint.
→Progressive Scaling
The squad started with 4 people (architecture + technical foundation), then scaled to 8 people during intensive delivery, before scaling down to 5 people during optimization. Total flexibility.
5. When to Choose the Squad as a Service Model?
Ideal Project Profiles
- Strategic & sensitive projects: Core banking, CRM, ERP, e-commerce platforms, critical business applications.
- Need for evolutivity: Initial specs will inevitably evolve during the project (market, regulation, user feedback).
- Critical time-to-market: You can't wait 12 months for a big bang release, you need business value from the first sprints.
- Complex integrations: Multiple legacy systems, third-party APIs, microservices, orchestration.
- High risk: Any incident or error would have a major impact on your business or reputation.
When NOT to Choose a Squad
- Simple & well-defined projects: If scope is frozen, small, and risk-free, a classic fixed-price may suffice.
- Very constrained budget: A squad requires an initial investment (setup, ramp-up) that may be too high for small projects.
- No available Product Owner: An Agile squad requires a PO on the client side to validate at each sprint. Without this, the model doesn't work.
6. How VOID Deploys High-Performing Squads
At VOID, the Squad as a Service model is our reference approach for strategic projects of our clients (banks, insurance, large enterprises, administrations). We don't "provide" developers, we build autonomous and high-performing product teams.
Fast Setup (2-4 weeks)
We mobilize a complete squad in 2-4 weeks: selected profiles, Agile rituals in place, operational collaboration tools.
Stable & Dedicated Teams
No wild turnover: VOID squads remain stable throughout the project (months or years), guaranteeing continuity and skill development.
Proven Methodology
We apply recognized Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban) adapted to the Moroccan context and the specifics of banking/insurance sectors.
Built-In Quality & Security
Automated tests, code reviews, security audits (OWASP, GDPR), real-time monitoring: everything is integrated in the Definition of Done for each sprint.
Total Transparency
Accessible backlog, burndown charts, regular demos, retrospectives: you have complete visibility on progress and risks.
Contractual Flexibility
Clear commitment at each sprint, ability to adjust squad composition, scale up or down based on needs.
Do You Have a Strategic, Sensitive, or Evolving Project?
Let's discuss your challenges, constraints, and the best way to structure a high-performing squad. We support you from framing phase to production and beyond.
Let's Discuss Your ProjectFrequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between a Squad and a classic staffing team?
- A staffing team bills man-days without commitment to results. A Squad as a Service commits to a functional scope at each sprint, with collective accountability for business results. Additionally, the squad is multidisciplinary (dev, test, architect, PO) and self-organized.
- How much does a Squad as a Service cost?
- The cost depends on squad composition (number of profiles, seniority) and project duration. As an order of magnitude, a complete squad (6-8 people) can represent a monthly investment comparable to 3-4 profiles in classic staffing, but with higher ROI thanks to productivity, quality, and risk management. Contact us for a personalized quote.
- How long does it take to set up an operational Squad?
- At VOID, we mobilize a complete squad in 2 to 4 weeks depending on project complexity: profile recruitment, onboarding, tool setup, first framing and architecture sprints.
- Can we adjust the Squad composition during the project?
- Yes, absolutely. This is one of the model's advantages. You can scale up (add developers during intensive delivery) or scale down (reduce team during maintenance), while keeping the core team stable.
- Who plays the Product Owner role: VOID or the client?
- Ideally, the Product Owner comes from the client side (you know your business and users better). However, VOID can provide a PO proxy or a Business Analyst to support you, especially during the startup phase.
- Is the Squad as a Service model compatible with our internal processes (PMO, committees, validations)?
- Yes, absolutely. We adapt the model to your organizational constraints: formal validation points, steering committees, internal audits, regulatory compliance. Agile doesn't mean anarchy, but intelligent adaptation to context.