Spend The Day With Application Services

We asked Nathan Klim, Technical Lead in Application Services (now Architect), to share what a day in the life of an engineer in our Application Services department might look like. Hear directly from Nathan below as he gives the insider view.

Can you introduce us to your team?

Absolutely! Our BAU team focuses on work that isn’t large enough to be classified as a full-scale project think of it as mini-projects that can be completed within a monthly release cycle. The complexity of the work varies, but we handle everything that fits within these timeframes.

Our team consists of a Technical Leader (that’s me), a Business Analyst (BA), three Developers, and a Graduate Developer. We work closely together to deliver solutions efficiently, ensuring that even the smallest tasks are executed with precision and quality.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now, our biggest focus is a large-scale task for one of our key banking clients. This involves enabling different UI elements that can be turned on or customized, depending on the client’s needs. A major challenge here is the sheer number of validation changes, which makes testing complex. On top of that, we’re also working on scaffolding structuring the project in a way that supports long-term stability and future enhancements.

Can you tell us about a particularly challenging project you’ve worked on?

This current project is a prime example. The complexity comes from multiple factors:

• Scaffolding within UI2 only – We had to ensure that our changes were contained within UI2 and didn’t affect the rest of the system.
• Keeping it in UAT, not Production – Providing clear direction to the devs was crucial to prevent unintentional rollouts.
• Coordinating across multiple systems this particular client has different “limbs” (subsystems), and our changes needed to be implemented across all of them while maintaining consistency.
• Handling custom variations – Each system had its own unique configurations, making standardization a challenge.
  

Managing all these moving parts while ensuring a smooth deployment made it a truly rewarding project.

What kind of support does NextGen provide during challenging projects?

One thing I really appreciate about NextGen is the strong emphasis on knowledge sharing. If there’s something new or complex, we make sure the right training and resources are available.

Our team operates with a “succeed or fail together” mindset. Whether it’s additional dev support, guidance from leadership, or just having the space to push back when needed, there’s always a support system in place. Knowing when to say “no” and making sure our devs feel empowered to ask for help is a big part of how we work.

What tools, technologies, or methodologies does your team rely on most?

Some of the core tools we use daily include:

• XML Spy & XML documents – Essential for working with structured data.
• XSLT (XSL Transformations) – A key technology for transforming XML documents.
• WebStorm – Our go-to IDE, packed with features that highlight errors in real time and streamline development.
• Notepad++ – A handy tool for quick edits and syntax highlighting.
• SQL Server Management Studio – For working with databases and running queries efficiently.
  

How does your team collaborate, especially when challenges arise?

Collaboration is key to how we operate. We work closely with:

• Other BAU teams – If there’s a need for dev work, we step in.
• Help Desk (Level 3 Support) – We handle escalated issues, ensuring they get resolved properly before moving to production.
• QA Team – They review our changes and ensure everything meets quality standards (and yes, they aren’t afraid to call out issues when needed!).
  

What’s the best thing about the team’s culture?

We have a supportive and growth-focused culture. No one is left to struggle alone if someone needs help, the team is there to assist. We believe in learning from challenges, sharing knowledge, and always striving for improvement.

What advice would you give to candidates interested in joining your team?

• Don’t be intimidated by XSLT! It might sound complex at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
• Adopt a learning mindset. Your role and technology itself will always evolve. Be open to change, and embrace new challenges.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Mistakes happen. The key is to fix them, learn from them, and regain your confidence.
• Be open to different career paths. Many devs start without a clear long-term goal. There are plenty of growth opportunities, so keep an open mind about where your journey might take you.