The Context
A key success factor behind the high quality and reliability of HUBER+SUHNER’s products is its in-house manufacturing expertise. This includes the electroplating facility, where connectors are finished with the highest precision. Maintaining strict tolerances in coating thickness and surface quality is critical for the performance and durability of the end products.
The GalClient applications lies at the heart of these manufacturing processes and has been indispensable. For more than 20 years, the system has been continuously developed and consistently used in day-to-day production. It manages orders and inventory movement, processes real-time data, and handles communication with production equipment and SAP.
Taking a proactive approach, HUBER+SUHNER decided early on to broaden the base of its extensive system knowledge and strengthen its technological foundation for the future.
The Challenges
Like many systems that have grown successfully over the years, GalClient carries considerable functional and technical complexity. There was also room to improve documentation, development processes and transparency in order to ensure long-term maintainability and readiness for the future.
The goal was to preserve the existing knowledge over the long-term, improve transparency and lay the foundation for the platform’s future development.
The Solution and Approach
Working with soxes as its technology partner, HUBER+SUHNER launched a comprehensive knowledge preservation and modernisation project. From the beginning, the two teams worked closely together to preserve and build on the company’s existing expertise.
The key measures included:
- Knowledge preservation: The entire GalClient architecture was analysed, from its SQL logic and API calls to its connections with the production line. The documentation is being produced in both German and English and remain in-house.
- Technical setup: The Delphi environment was virtualised, Azure DevOps was introduced, source code is now available locally, and a dedicated test environment allows changes to be made with minimal risk.
- Workshops and reviews: Regular workshops and reviews enabled both teams to examine core system components, including RAD Server modules, third-party libraries and error handling, and identify areas for improvement.
The Result
Today, HUBER+SUHNER has a fully documented and traceable system landscape. Critical knowledge is preserved within the organisation, operational continuity is strengthened, and reliance on individual expertise has been significantly reduced.
At the same time, the project has created a solid foundation for future enhancements, optimisation and modernisation. With greater transparency and fewer dependencies, HUBER+SUHNER has gained more flexibility, confidence and strategic freedom to develop its systems further.
