"In the past, we had quite a few legacy integrations. Because of the variety of technologies and the knowledge they required, these integrations were very difficult to maintain," says Piet Boeykens, Senior Business Analyst at Kongsberg PCS.
Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (Kongsberg PCS) is a world leader in digital cutting solutions. A few years ago, the company faced a major challenge: outdated integration systems that were holding back growth. To tackle that problem, it teamed up with Harmony to improve efficiency, stability and customer experience with MuleSoft.
The challenges: a tangle of outdated systems
Kongsberg PCS was struggling with a complex landscape of legacy integrations. Systems had been built with different technologies and were spread across different teams, and knowledge of how they worked had often been lost as staff moved on.
That led to problems:
- Complexity: The complexity of the systems made it hard to respond quickly to problems and new requirements.
- Lack of knowledge: Because experienced employees had left, there was often nobody who fully understood the systems.
- Limited scalability: The existing integrations were not flexible enough to grow with the changing needs of the business.
- Increasing dependency: Kongsberg PCS was becoming more and more dependent on external partners to keep the systems running.
The solution: the move to MuleSoft
The move to MuleSoft and the collaboration with Harmony brought about a digital transformation:
- Improved efficiency: Faster and more reliable integrations have significantly improved operational efficiency, leading to considerable cost savings.
- Greater stability: Fewer outages and less downtime have increased productivity and lowered operating costs.
- Reduced complexity: The streamlined MuleSoft platform has drastically reduced the complexity of the IT landscape, so the IT team can focus on strategic projects instead of fighting fires.
- Better customer experience: A new customer portal with improved authentication and integration gives customers a seamless experience, which benefits customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The approach: a focused strategy
The success of the integration programme at Kongsberg PCS comes down to a carefully planned and executed approach:
- Analysis and planning: Harmony started with a thorough analysis of Kongsberg PCS's existing systems and infrastructure. This formed the basis for a detailed migration plan to MuleSoft.
- MuleSoft implementation: Harmony implemented the MuleSoft platform and migrated the existing integrations. This included developing new APIs and configuring connectors.
- Training and knowledge transfer: Harmony provided extensive training for Kongsberg PCS's IT staff, so they could also manage and maintain the MuleSoft platform independently.
- Ongoing support: Harmony continues to support Kongsberg PCS with change management, support and advice, so the company can get the most out of the new platform.
The future: building further on a strong foundation
Kongsberg PCS is determined to keep building on the successful MuleSoft platform and continues to invest in digital transformation.
Piet Boeykens looks to the future with confidence: "We want to keep building on this platform in the future too. Its reusability and modular structure undeniably have a positive effect on our application architecture."
