INCONTO Case Study: 7 Years of Successful Remote Development Partnership

When Netherlands-based procurement software company INCONTO needed to expand their development capabilities for continuous platform innovation, they turned to Global BrainForce in 2012. What followed was a successful 7-year partnership that enabled INCONTO to build a hybrid development team spanning Netherlands and Philippines, ensuring high-quality development while accessing top-tier talent that was increasingly scarce in the Dutch market.

This case study explores how INCONTO successfully partnered with Global BrainForce for seven years to expand their development capabilities, building a hybrid Netherlands-Philippines team that enables continuous platform innovation while managing costs effectively.

Company Background

About INCONTO

INCONTO is a Dutch software company specializing in cloud-based procurement solutions for companies, NGOs, and government organizations. Operating for over 19 years under the motto "Always in Control," INCONTO helps organizations efficiently manage their entire procurement process - from contract management and purchase orders to invoice processing.

Company Profile:

• Industry: Software Development (Procurement Solutions)
• Location: Nieuwkoop, Netherlands
• Founded: ~2004 (19+ years of operation)
• Team Size: 10+ IT specialists in Netherlands + 7-person Philippines team
• Target Market: Companies, NGOs, and government organizations needing procurement automation
• Business Model: Cloud-based SaaS platform with continuous development

INCONTO's Origins and Evolution

Director Najim el Mouridi explains the company's unique background: "INCONTO emerged from our sister company Emeritor, which helps organizations optimize their procurement, both at policy level and operationally. From their daily practice, it became clear 19 years ago that clients needed practical procurement automation. We started developing an ordering module in the cloud and have continuously expanded and evolved our platform since then."

Core Product Features:

• Complete procurement process management from contracts to invoices
• Purchase order creation and approval workflows
• Contract management and optimization
• Invoice processing and payment handling
• Cloud-based platform with real-time access
• Integration with existing business systems

The practical approach, informed by real consulting experience through Emeritor, has been INCONTO's key differentiator in the market.

The Challenge

Continuous Development Requirements

As INCONTO's procurement platform evolved, the need for continuous development became critical. The company needed to constantly adapt to technological developments and incorporate practical input from Emeritor consultants and customers.

"We are still doing this in 2018, fed by technical developments but also by the practical input we get from Emeritor consultants and from our clients," notes Najim.

The Dutch IT Talent Shortage

By 2012, INCONTO faced the reality of the Netherlands' competitive IT market. "It became increasingly difficult for INCONTO to recruit and retain high-quality IT programmers in the Netherlands," Najim recalls. The challenge wasn't just about cost - it was about availability and speed of recruitment.

Key Constraints:

• Talent Scarcity: Qualified IT programmers increasingly difficult to find
• Extended Recruitment: Long hiring processes in competitive Dutch market
• Team Expansion Needs: Required expansion from 10+ internal specialists
• Focus Requirements: Need to maintain focus on core platform development rather than recruitment challenges

"I got into conversation about this in 2012 with Robert Giezen, CEO of Global BrainForce, which remotely deploys Filipino IT professionals from their office in Manila to companies in Europe," Najim explains.

The Global BrainForce Solution

Initial Decision and Trial

Faced with the need to expand their development team for internal software development, Najim had a choice: hire locally in the Netherlands or try the Global BrainForce approach.

"We wanted to develop new software for internal use and had to expand our IT team, which consists of more than ten specialists. I had the choice to do that here in the Netherlands or via Global BrainForce in the Philippines and chose the latter as a trial."

Comprehensive Service Approach

The trial proved successful because Global BrainForce provided complete service beyond just providing developers. "Global BrainForce completely relieves us of this burden. They compose the job profile, recruit and select the best candidates, take the necessary tests and only then present them to the client," Najim explains.

Global BrainForce Service Benefits:

• Complete recruitment process management
• Job profile development and candidate screening
• Skills testing and quality validation
• Onboarding and local management in Philippines
• Ongoing support and team management

Quality and Reliability

The partnership's success stemmed from consistent quality delivery. "I can rely on the fact that a senior at Global BrainForce is a senior who delivers the quality I expect from that. Moreover, the turnover in the team is very low: that also saves us headaches and money."

Implementation and Team Structure

Scaling Success

After the successful trial, INCONTO decided to expand the Filipino team to work on their core INCONTO platform development. The partnership grew from a single trial project to a comprehensive development team.

Current Team Structure (Philippines):

• 1 Project Manager: Team coordination and project oversight
• 4 Programmers: Full-stack development and platform enhancement
• 1 Tester: Quality assurance and testing
• 1 Database Professional: Database optimization and management

Cross-Cultural Collaboration

The collaboration works smoothly due to cultural compatibility and Global BrainForce's approach. "The Filipino culture is quite westernized due to former colonial ties with Spain and America and everyone speaks English there. All of this makes communication much easier."

Key Collaboration Elements:

• Flexible Working Hours: Global BrainForce adapts to Dutch business hours when needed
• Cultural Alignment: Western-influenced Filipino culture eases communication
• English Proficiency: All team members speak English fluently
• Digital Tools Integration: Skype, Trello, and Slack enable seamless collaboration

Onboarding and Integration Process

INCONTO has developed an effective onboarding process: "On the advice of Global BrainForce, new employees always start two weeks in our Dutch team. That works well. We get to know each other well and get confirmation every time that Filipino professionals are actually no different than us: we are all just people."

Najim also maintains personal connections: "I visit our team in the Philippines from time to time, sometimes combining that with selection interviews for new team members."

Results and Benefits

7 Years of Successful Partnership

After seven years of collaboration, the partnership has delivered consistent value for INCONTO:

Operational Benefits:

• Reduced Recruitment Burden: No need for extensive local hiring processes
• Lower Staff Turnover: Very low turnover rates in Philippines team
• Quality Consistency: Senior developers deliver expected senior-level quality
• Cost Effectiveness: Significant savings compared to Dutch market rates
• 24/7 Coverage: Different time zones provide extended operational coverage

Enhanced Customer Service

The time zone difference has become an advantage: "We have chosen to deploy them precisely during Filipino working hours because this way we increase our availability to customers and our impact in case of calamities and malfunctions."

Flexible Resource Management

Working within Global BrainForce's office environment provides additional flexibility: "They work in an office where other Global BrainForce teams are also located, so that capacity can be distributed among each other if necessary. I also experience that as an advantage of the collaboration with Global BrainForce. It gives us the flexibility we sometimes need: we can scale up and down in our staffing without losing the experience and knowledge of the employees involved."

Key Success Factors

Partnership Approach

"Global BrainForce is an effective partner who knows our company well and knows what people we need. The lines with Global BrainForce are short and the quality they deliver excellent," Najim concludes.

Long-term Perspective

After seven years, Najim remains convinced of his choice: "We probably would have achieved the same results with an expansion of our team in the Netherlands, but that would have cost us more headaches, recruitment efforts and money. Global BrainForce is an effective partner who knows our company well and knows what people we need."

Recommendation to Other Companies

Based on INCONTO's experience, Najim actively recommends Global BrainForce: "I would definitely advise companies with a similar capacity question to work with them."

Key Success Elements:

• Complete Service Model: Beyond just staffing - full recruitment and management
• Quality Consistency: Senior professionals deliver senior-level work
• Cultural Compatibility: Filipino culture aligns well with Dutch business practices
• Operational Flexibility: Ability to scale up and down without losing institutional knowledge
• Cost Efficiency: Significant savings compared to local Dutch hiring
• Long-term Partnership: Sustainable 7-year relationship with ongoing value

The INCONTO case study demonstrates how strategic offshore partnerships can provide sustainable solutions to talent shortages while maintaining quality and enabling continuous innovation in competitive software markets.