Fujifilm

Modernization of factory application development at Fujifilm

Like many manufacturing companies, Fujifilm has an extensive set of self-built and -managed applications. The people in charge of the software at the Tilburg facility were pouring out, while the need for new applications and modernization of existing ones was becoming increasingly urgent. Ensuring the continuity of software management became an urgent need, as did the modernization of custom applications and software development. Valid helps with this.

Fujifilm is one of the world's largest and most innovative companies in areas such as photography, film and imaging. The factory in Tilburg produces photographic paper, plates for offset printing and membranes. Production quality at home and abroad is supported by custom software developed and maintained by its own people. Many are apps for production quality control.

Challenge: future-proofing applications

Janniek Hummelink is IT Application Development Manager at Fujifilm. He and another IT manager were approaching retirement age. Therefore, they wanted to transfer the knowledge they have about the business and applications. In addition, modernization of the applications was on the agenda.

Because Valid has been managing and supporting Fujifilms IT infrastructure for more than a decade, this service provider was chosen as a Trusted Partner. The goal: to prepare applications and app development for the future. Fuji set the condition that careful work had to be done, because many applications had interdependencies. Valid uses an approach for this that has proven to be effective.

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Solution: Valid takes over project management and modernizes development

The collaboration began with modernizing a specific application, for inspecting and testing specific equipment. A pilot, in other words, to see if modernization was feasible and desirable. Based on the positive results, Fujifilm decided to go ahead. Valid was put to work renewing applications based on a priority list. To this end, Valid modernized the development environment with the introduction of Azure DevOps and standardization on C#. A total of 12 applications were prioritized for renewal.

Benefit of cooperation: quality improvement

"Valid immediately offered added value in terms of project management. They took a lot of work off my hands. It was a relief that I could hand this over to them," says Hummelink. "Besides, it's nice to work with professionals who have enough of a half word."

"Valid immediately offered added value in terms of project management. They took a lot of work off my hands. It was a relief that I could hand this over to them."

Janniek Hummelink IT application development manager Fujifilm
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Managed Services - Valid
The result: software quality better assured

The continuity of application development and management, is now better assured as well as the quality of the software. Applications are developed agile and meet Fujifilm's corporate standards. Fujifilm is fully in control and has continuous insight into the evolution and status of the applications. The application landscape has become much simpler, which facilitates management.

That's why Valid: visible and unnoticed support

Valid Development Factory specializes in application remediation and modernization. Using an agile approach, the development team delivers small modernizations in short iterations, keeping everything under control. Fujifilm sees immediate results and can provide immediate feedback for quick processing. Extensions, changes and fixes in the application are implemented unnoticed, so that daily business continues uninterrupted. In the unlikely event of problems, the VDF service desk is the first central point of contact.

Fujifilm
  • Founded in 1934 in Japan
  • More than 38,000 employees worldwide
  • Sales 40 billion yen
  • In the Netherlands branches in Tilburg, Lochem, Almelo, Steenbergen
  • Active in digital cameras, photo, film, medical equipment, among others
Results
  • Professionalization of development of project management software
  • Introduction of modern methods, techniques and tooling for software development
  • Quality and continuity of software development ensured
  • Application management facilitated and secured
  • Applications made web-based
  • Development and output in accordance with Fujifilm corporate standards
  • International deployment of applications simplified
Added value Valid
  • Methods and techniques that have proven their value in practice
  • Knowledgeable about modernizing application landscapes
  • Experience with complex projects
  • Result-oriented
  • Structured yet flexible approach
  • Teamwork with the customer