Forest machine manufacturer Ponsse Plc has taken the digitalisation of its forest machines to a unique level with Ponsse Manager, a forest machine management system. Ponsse Manager has been created for machine owners to gain important information about their equipment and thus improve operational efficiency and productivity.
The challenges of user interface performance and data processing triggered the need for a major overhaul of the system. Wapice played a key role in the architecture design of the upgraded second generation Ponsse Manager 2.0 platform. Working together with Ponsse’s Enterprise Architecture team, the Wapice ensured the seamless functionality of the platform as part of Ponsse’s information systems architecture.
“The old system was built at a time when the need for scalability was not as obvious as it is today, and the limited performance of the system had a direct impact on business efficiency,” says Antti Lappalainen, responsible for IT architecture at Ponsse. Old technology limited the ability to take advantage of modern development tools and methods and to address the security challenges of today and tomorrow. Adding new services and features was slow and required significant modification of the application source code, resulting in increased maintenance costs. Ponsse also wanted to implement a system that would enable the extendibility of API services and comprehensive reporting and build a modern digital services platform.
Agile architecture design
“Agile architecture design was chosen as the approach for architectural decisions, allowing for smooth and parallel development and flexible adaptation to changing requirements,” says Pasi Pelkkikangas, Lead Architect at Wapice.
High-level architectural guidelines were made at the beginning of the project, after which agile architecture design allowed new services to be added in stages and more detailed architectural decisions to be made as more information became available. Transition architecture design played an important role in the system’s generation upgrade. It makes it easier to manage complex changes and to ensure that the transition from the old system to the new is smooth and low-risk.
Agile architecture design was chosen as the approach for architectural decisions, allowing for smooth and parallel development and flexible adaptation to changing requirements.
Pasi Pelkkikangas, Lead Architect, Wapice
Security & Azure Well-Architected Framework
The Azure Well-Architected Framework was an essential tool in designing the cloud architecture for the solution. This framework provided a comprehensive basis for implementing best practices at the architectural level. It helped to assess and optimise the performance, security, efficiency and reliability of the solution. This was crucial to ensure that the system would meet the customer’s requirements and work seamlessly in the Azure cloud environment.
The framework provided guidelines for integrating security practices into the architecture. It helped to identify and manage security risks and ensure that the data stored in the system was protected. The Azure Well-Architected Framework also stimulated continuous optimisation in various areas. With the implemented metrics, it is possible to monitor system performance in real time and make the necessary adjustments quickly and cost-effectively.
“We set high standards for security and network architecture. With the help of Microsoft’s security assessment of the Azure environment and security testing performed by an external party, we were able to ensure that the solution was designed and implemented in accordance with the security best practices," says Pasi Pelkkikangas from Wapice.
DevOps
Automated processes were introduced in line with DevOps principles, enabling fast and reliable deliveries to different environments. This allowed developers to automate testing and integration processes, reducing the risk of human error. In addition to the application source code, the infrastructure of the cloud environment was also captured as code, which allowed for the creation of runtime environments easily and reliably based on the same DevOps practices.
A common will and smooth cooperation created a good basis for success. The Ponsse Manager 2.0 platform is technologically advanced and adding new services to it is easy.
Sara-Lotta Moilanen, Manager, Digital experience, Ponsse Plc
The end result exceeded expectations
The end result is a scalable, high-performance, cloud-based solution that has exceeded Ponsse’s initial goals. Major benefits arise from flexibility, improved performance and scalability.
“A common will and smooth cooperation created a good basis for success. The Ponsse Manager 2.0 platform is technologically advanced and adding new services to it is easy,” says Sara-Lotta Moilanen, responsible for digital services at Ponsse.
The distributed microservices architecture allows for simultaneous development by multiple teams, the transition architecture ensures a smooth transition to the new system, and the architecture roadmap helps manage long-term development.
Ponsse Plc is one of the world’s leading forest machine manufacturers, whose forest machines are based on an environmentally friendly cut-to-length logging, where trees are felled, delimbed and cut to size in the forest. Ponsse’s customer-oriented operations are driven by the wishes and needs of forest machine owners. Founded in 1970, the family-owned company has delivered more than 20 000 forest machines. The group includes 13 subsidiaries and 30 distributors around the world, and employs more than 2,000 people.
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