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Delphi Applications in Swiss Companies: Migration, Maintenance, Modernization

Sandro Brandt

Sandro Brandt

Project Manager

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Sandro Brandt studied electrical engineering at HSR and works as a project manager at soxes. His technical understanding and his intuition for people make him a reliable link between customer expectations and implementation. He ensures clarity, structure, and good cooperation.

Contents

More articles for Delphi

5 reasons why you should replace Delphi

When Delphi starts holding you back.

Supporting Delphi applications instead of replacing them

Stabilising Delphi rather than replacing it.

Delphi development and replacement

Support for operation and modernisation.

Delphi partner for support and migration

Looking for a partner? You’ve come to the right place!

The future of Delphi programming

How future-proof is Delphi for your business?

Delphi Application

For safe operations, clear responsibilities, and predictable growth.

Delphi applications are in daily use at many Swiss companies, often working closely with machines and processes. They control workflows, connect data streams, and ensure that data reaches where it’s needed.

Things only become problematic when you realize: The system is important, but you no longer really have it under control. Perhaps you lack the necessary expertise. Perhaps operations are too dependent on individual staff members. Perhaps new requirements are emerging from production, quality control, or IT security, and every change feels like a risk.

You’ve come to the right place if your Delphi solution is running in production or core processes, if you lack the necessary expertise, or if you’re looking for Delphi support and maintenance in Switzerland.

How to Tell When Your Delphi Solution Is Becoming a Risk

It’s rarely a big bang. It’s the small signs that add up:

  • An update gets postponed because no one can estimate the testing effort.
  • An interface is causing problems, and you don’t know where to start.
  • The build only runs on one computer, and no one wants to touch it.
  • Bugs suddenly appear, even though “nothing has changed.”
  • Requirements pile up because every change requires too much clarification.
  • One person is the bottleneck because only they know the history.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This is the reality of legacy systems, especially where software is directly tied to production and processes.

Why this affects so many Swiss companies

Delphi systems are rarely “simple.” They have evolved over the years because they have consistently delivered value.

Typical situations in SMEs and industry:

  • Processes are stable, but documentation is sparse.
  • There are many special cases because production is not standardized.
  • Interfaces were added as new systems were introduced.
  • Security and traceability are more important today than they were ten years ago.
  • Developers come and go, knowledge disappears, but responsibility remains.

Impact on Your Business

Operational

Production stoppages or backlogs in quality control, packaging, and logistics
Manual workarounds that lead to errors and rework
Unclear responsibilities during an incident when speed is of the essence

Financially

Unplanned costs resulting from troubleshooting under time pressure and the need for external specialists
Rising change management costs, as each modification requires additional risk assessment
Quality costs when errors are detected late or data needs to be corrected

Strategic

Reliance on individuals or specific service providers
Stagnation in innovation because further development is postponed due to risk concerns
Audit and compliance risks when traceability is lacking

Three approaches that work in practice

Depending on the situation, the next step will vary. We first identify risks and dependencies, then implement the appropriate solution.

1) Delphi Takeover and Stabilization

This is the right choice if you lack expertise, want to reduce dependencies, or if operations have become too risky.

What you get

  • The system is operational and ready for handover
  • Build and deployment are traceable
  • Dependencies and critical points are visible
  • Risk assessment plus prioritized quick wins

Result
You can operate the system again and take responsibility for changes without relying on luck.

2) Maintenance and support to ensure operations continue smoothly

Ideal if you want to keep Delphi but want to outsource support, security, and further development to an external partner.

What we handle

  • Incident handling, troubleshooting, bug fixes
  • Planned further development based on the backlog
  • Code reviews, code structure, and clear documentation
  • Optional SLA, on-call support, clear escalation

Result
Fewer surprises, clear processes, and fewer dependencies. Delphi maintenance means not only bug fixes, but also clear change processes, reproducible releases, documented interfaces, and reduced operational risk.

3) Modernization or migration, but step-by-step

Suitable when new integrations, data flows, or requirements increase to the point where you can barely keep up reliably with your current system.

What you get

  • A roadmap and vision tailored to your company
  • Gradual modernization without a big bang
  • A migration path that protects operations and delivery capability

Result
You reduce risk and secure the future without jeopardizing day-to-day operations.

Our approach to ensure that production and operations are not disrupted

We don’t start by “replacing” systems, but by ensuring clarity and control. This is crucial in a production environment.

Phase 1: Ensuring transparency and readiness for handover

  • System ready to run, build traceable
  • Dependencies visible, environments clear
  • Critical paths identified, including interfaces and data flows

Phase 2: Stabilize and reduce risks

  • Quick wins in areas driving the risk of failure
  • Monitoring and alerts where it counts
  • Clear incident procedures, clear responsibilities

Phase 3: Planable further development or modernization

  • Backlog and roadmap that are functionally and technically sound
  • Gradual modernization, where appropriate
  • Operations and further development run smoothly together

Delphi Costs and Effort: The Key Factors

Many people aren’t looking for “modernization” but rather for a realistic assessment: What will it cost us, what are the risks, and how can we avoid budget surprises? With Delphi systems, the effort involved rarely depends on the language itself, but rather on what has accumulated over the years, especially in the production environment.

Delphi Costs and Effort: An Overview

  • 1

    Interfaces and Data Flows

    How many systems are connected, how critical the data is, and whether errors immediately affect production or quality. The more integrations there are, the more important thorough testing and monitoring become.

  • 2

    Special Cases in Logic and Processes

    Established rules, exceptions, and manual workarounds are often undocumented. They take time because they first need to be identified and validated.

  • 3

    Build, Tests, and Documentation

    If a build only runs on individual machines or tests are missing, it creates extra work before actual further development can begin. This isn’t “overhead”; rather, it’s the foundation that makes it possible to plan changes again.

  • 4

    Dependencies on hardware, drivers, and databases

    Proximity to machines, specialized equipment, older database versions, or proprietary drivers increases complexity because changes must be carefully coordinated and validated.

  • 5

    Security, Roles, and Traceability

    Requirements related to auditing, access control, and traceability increase the workload if they need to be added later or are currently only partially implemented.

Case Study: Delphi Modernization

Go to References
  • Case Study: Delphi Modernization

  • Less risk and dependency meets a future-proof solution!

  • 1 Project Overview

    A manufacturing company had been using a Delphi-based MES solution for over 15 years. A single developer was responsible for maintaining it, which increased the risk to day-to-day operations.

  • 2 Challenge

    The developer left the company. The software was technically outdated, poorly documented, and difficult to maintain. Interfaces and data flows had grown over time and were only loosely separated.

  • 3 Solution

    soxes developed a new MES platform based on modern web technologies such as C#. It features a clear architecture, tested interfaces, and flexible integration with ERP systems and machines, along with a clean separation from legacy systems, data flows, and interfaces.

  • 4 Result

    The risk of dependency has been significantly reduced. The solution is future-proof, and the implementation was carried out in a controlled manner without any disruption to production.

Frequently asked questions

  • Do we have to replace Delphi?

  • Can we approach this without documentation?

  • What if we want to keep Delphi?

  • What should I, as a company, look out for when it comes to Delphi maintenance?

  • Modernising Delphi without downtime – how does that work?

  • What does Delphi modernisation cost?

  • What are the risks involved in Delphi modernisation?

Talk to us to find out which Delphi option is right for you!

If you want to know whether support, stabilization, or modernization is the right choice for your Delphi solution, we’ll work together to assess the risks, dependencies, and next steps.

Direct number

+41 55 253 00 53
Schedule an initial consultation!

More articles for Delphi

5 reasons why you should replace Delphi

When Delphi starts holding you back.

Supporting Delphi applications instead of replacing them

Stabilising Delphi rather than replacing it.

Delphi development and replacement

Support for operation and modernisation.

Delphi partner for support and migration

Looking for a partner? You’ve come to the right place!

The future of Delphi programming

How future-proof is Delphi for your business?

Contact

Do you have any questions? Would you like to find out more about our services?
We look forward to your enquiry.

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Sofia Steninger

Sofia Steninger
Solution Sales Manager