Extend saves 3 FTEs by adopting DX vs building

Extend helps merchants offer product protection plans and relies on its team of over 100 developers to build a reliable, high-performing platform. With customer expectations growing and its platform powering mission-critical services, Extend needed deeper visibility into engineering health and productivity to keep its teams effective and responsive as the company scaled.

Initially, Extend tracked metrics from Git and Jira, but these metrics only captured a high-level view of developer activities that were too shallow to guide action. “With the previous tool, we had to figure out what was good or bad,” explains Rami Leshem, VP of Platform Engineering. “You were at 17% last month and now you’re at 18%. What does that mean—is that good? Is that bad?”

“With the previous tool, we had to figure out what was good or bad. You were at 17% last month and now you’re at 18%. What does that mean—is that good? Is that bad?”

Rami Leshem, VP of Platform Engineering, Extend

The lack of actionable insights created decision-making bottlenecks and slowed progress. Leaders spent time piecing together incomplete data, and inefficiencies like slow code reviews, unclear bug resolution processes, or delayed deployments often went unnoticed. Without quantifiable visibility, Extend struggled to identify and address the root causes of these challenges.

Extend turned to DX, which combines self-reported developer insights with system-based metrics to provide a complete view of productivity and engineering health. “DX has become the most truthful gauge of where we are as an organization,” says Leshem. Leadership initially leaned toward building in-house, but DX’s ability to uncover developer bottlenecks has made it a key part of Extend’s productivity strategy.

“DX has been so successful that we use it in board meetings as our picture of engineering health.”

Matthew Schrepel, Head of Developer Experience, Extend

By adopting DX, Extend replaced multiple tools and avoided hiring three additional full-time employees, saving approximately $450,000 annually. The clarity provided by DX has empowered teams and gained trust at the highest levels of the company. “DX has been so successful that we use it in board meetings as our picture of engineering health” says Matthew Schrepel, Head of Developer Experience at Extend.

Today, Extend relies on DX to monitor productivity, identify improvement areas, and align its engineering practices with business goals. With DX as a trusted partner, the company is scaling efficiently while maintaining high standards for engineering outcomes.

Keep reading