Nexxchange
See how Nexxchange expanded engineering capacity for complex SaaS integrations without adding onboarding overhead.
Simplifying IT
for a complex world.
- Services
Extending Ruby on Rails Capacity for a 1M-User Restaurant SaaS
8
developers delivered
21
days to production
4
years of collaboration
1M+
end users on the platform
Extending Ruby on Rails Capacity for a 1M-User Restaurant SaaS
8
developers delivered
21
days to production
4
years of collaboration
1M+
end users on the platform
Table of contents
Project details
Client: Appaway (now Flipdish)
Location: UK
Industry: Food delivery SaaS
Duration: 2018 – 2022
Tech Talent Placed: 4
Tech Stack:
Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery
Backend: Ruby on Rails, Resque / Sidekiq
Database: PostgreSQL
Payments: Stripe, SagePay
Infrastructure: Heroku
Tools: GitHub
The client
Appaway is a UK-based product company working with independent takeaway businesses. It provides commission-free, branded mobile ordering apps that let small food businesses accept customer orders directly online, without relying on third-party delivery platforms.
The challenge
Appaway was developing a technically complex, multi-component platform. It included customer-facing mobile apps, web ordering portals, and internal dashboards. These tools allowed takeaway operators to manage menus, process orders, and handle payments through their own branded interfaces.
Supporting and extending this platform required engineers with experience across backend (Ruby on Rails) and third-party integrations. This need was complicated by the limited availability of Ruby on Rails engineers on the market at the time.
Besides closing technical gaps, Appaway also wanted to keep operating costs under control. Growing a larger in-house team would have meant higher fixed expenses and less room to respond to changing workload.
The company chose to support development by temporarily bringing in Ruby on Rails developers, without adding permanent hires.
The project scope
From a functional perspective, the platform had to cover the full operational cycle of a takeaway business — from customer ordering to back-office management. This included:
Managing menus and availability
Receiving and processing customer orders
Printing order checks via connected receipt printers
Managing customer data
Communicating with customers via push notifications and SMS
Handling delivery coordination and courier tracking
To enable this level of functionality, the platform relied on a combination of business logic, integrations, and infrastructure and system-level requirements, including:
Payment gateway integrations (SagePay, PayPal, and Stripe)
Custom billing, invoicing, and subscription management
APIs for mobile apps and external system integrations
Delivery and IoT integrations, including GPS tracking and receipt printer connectivity
User activity analytics and recommendation logic
Security and reliability mechanisms, including HTTPS and protections against CSRF and injection attacks
UNL’s process
In April 2018, Appaway turned to UNL to bring in a Ruby on Rails developer. The developer was identified, interviewed, and approved to start in May. The process took 21 days from initial request to role fulfillment.
Over the course of the engagement, the team grew to four engineers, adjusting in size as project needs changed. When additional capacity or a different skill set was required, UNL provided additional engineers or replacements to keep development going.
Technical expertise supporting delivery
Core technical roles placed:
Skills:
- Ruby on Rails
- PostgreSQL
- Resque
- SagePay
- Stripe
- Heroku
Responsibilities:
- Designed system architecture and database structure
- Refactored legacy components
- Integrated the financial module, including billing and subscription logic
- Implemented push and SMS notifications
- Developed order processing and receipt printing functionality
- Supported subscription and bank account management workflows
- Contributed to mobile application generation and reporting features
- Communicated directly with the client on technical matters
Skills:
- Ruby
- Ruby on Rails 4
- PostgreSQL
- Resque
- SagePay / Stripe
- Heroku
Responsibilities:
- Extended and maintained backend application logic
- Implemented and supported payment gateway integrations (SagePay, Stripe)
- Developed and maintained background job workflows using Resque
- Contributed to billing, subscription, and financial processing features
- Investigated and resolved production issues
- Refactored legacy code to improve stability and readability
- Supported deployment and environment configuration on Heroku
Talent gaps stalling delivery? Add senior developers who add capacity without the hiring overhead.
The result
As a result of the collaboration, Appaway launched a full-featured SaaS platform for the HoReCa segment, covering the entire digital sales cycle. Quick access to engineers with SaaS experience helped keep delivery on schedule.
The platform is now used by more than 1 million end users and supports over 30 international restaurant chains.
The partnership continues today, with UNL acting as a trusted technical resource partner. It supports the client on both long- and short-term initiatives, reducing recruitment overhead and making staffing costs easier to plan.
Still have questions?
Get all the details you need before starting your risk-free trial. Call us at:
+ 44 1509 733445
What happens next?