Xero
Xero
A leading global provider of cloud-based payroll and financial software embarked on a large-scale platform transformation to modernise its payroll capabilities and support long-term growth. As part of this initiative, the organisation sought to rebuild core payroll systems, improve scalability, and enable faster, more reliable delivery across multiple engineering teams.
A leading global provider of cloud-based payroll and financial software embarked on a large-scale platform transformation to modernise its payroll capabilities and support long-term growth. As part of this initiative, the organisation sought to rebuild core payroll systems, improve scalability, and enable faster, more reliable delivery across multiple engineering teams.
5+
5+
Specialists
Specialists
6+ Months
6+ Months
Our Hiring Impact
3
Core Foundations Delivered
2
Concurrent workstreams (greenfield + legacy)
100%
Tooling adoption within 30 days
0
Production incidents on legacy system
Day 1
Tech lead continuity
Project Overview
Client Profile
- Industry: Cloud Accounting & Payroll Tech - Location: Global - Engagement: 4 months - Model: Embedded Staff Augmentation
Brief
Xero needed specialist engineers to accelerate Phoenix, a greenfield payroll platform rebuild, while simultaneously keeping their legacy system stable. Speed of delivery and architectural rigour both mattered from day one.
What we did?
Wave embedded 5 consultants including a Technical Lead from programme inception, delivering across backend, frontend, and legacy KTLO workstreams. AI-assisted development tooling was adopted to further accelerate velocity.
Project Feedback
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
The Xero engagement is a strong example of Wave operating at its best, consultants embedded into a complex, fast-moving enterprise programme, delivering across both greenfield and legacy workstreams with consistency and professionalism throughout.
Dean Hand
Line Manager
The KTLO rotation model worked well once it was established, it gave the team a clear structure for balancing BAU support with Phoenix delivery. I was pleased with how we maintained stability whilst ramping up the new platform.
Nathan Middleton
Senior Backend Engineer
Contributing to Phoenix on the frontend side was a great opportunity. Working directly in Xero’s sprint cadence and seeing the platform take shape was genuinely rewarding, and the team dynamic made it easy to integrate quickly.
Neil Pendlington
Senior Frontend Engineer
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