Berhalter Improves UX and Data Analysis to Enhance Customer Value
THE CHALLENGE
As the world’s leading provider of die-cutting solutions and critical technologies to facilitate the fabrication of custom-shaped materials through cutting and forming, Berhalter has established a strong global market presence with their modern die-cutting systems, digital platforms, and robotics for man-machine collaboration.
To increase value for their customers, they wanted to develop a tailor-made dashboard for their Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) service platform CUTcontrol™ with extensive functionalities and features including predictive and preventative maintenance, personalised interfaces, remote support, and insights to operating data, error states, and machine configurations for better product control.
Berhalter’s main challenge was redesigning and developing extensions of some existing features from their legacy automation platform. Delivering an effective solution required an understanding of the proper way to utilise this platform’s capabilities, optimally integrate with it, and use established reporting technologies like TIBCO Jasper Reports.
This required support from a trusted IT professional who could help focus on making existing, technical reports and web pages into more modern and effective control panels for end-users.
THE SOLUTION
With Berhalter’s core business being machine production, Endava helped propose and implement new ideas to improve software development. These were identified through regular work demonstrations as our agile team of five developers worked closely alongside the client in 2-week sprints.
Visibility and the user experience (UX) of all machines needed to be improved and elements of individual machines had to be graphically represented to let end-users view data about each one via modern web interfaces. We helped achieve this by building a bespoke visualisation of data and specific client requirements using a D3.js library–that is, a Data-Driven Documents JavaScript library for the production of interactive data visualisations in web browsers–and by developing an overview of machines and parts in a map / grid / list using filtering functionalities.
Berhalter needed a licensing mechanism, and we helped implement a multi-tenant system with authentication, authorisation, and custom licensing. We also delivered an overview of alerts on machines and the production process.
Additionally, our close relationship has led to the development of a chatbot system, helping Berhalter’s customer care team resolve common issues with the product.
WHY ENDAVA?
By leveraging next-generation technologies, our agile, multi-disciplinary teams provide a combination of product and technology strategies, intelligent experiences, and world-class engineering to help clients become more engaging, responsive, and efficient.
With our eager attitude and strong capabilities, we have helped guide Berhalter through their digital journey.
THE BENEFITS
The collaboration resulted in a fully redesigned dashboard with added functionalities and features, providing Berhalter’s customers with better control and a greater overview of equipment and production processes. What’s more, the solution has helped increase machine efficiency and facilitated finer condition monitoring with data analysis.
Through our joint, agile product development, Berhalter has benefitted from fast prototyping and productisation of ideas. With this new solution, they have projected a 20% increase of revenue in three years from machines sold.
Additionally, through use of the digital platform, automation tools, and robotics, Berhalter customers can reduce their operating costs and improve efficiency and productivity, resulting in higher profits.
The custom-built dashboard also gives Berhalter the ability to use it as a new digital service or feature to help differentiate their product in the marketplace.