We modernised a legacy application to improve performance and user experience.
We extended its functionality in production by adding support for a new filling line.
We refactored critical sections of the code to improve maintainability and stability.
Chevron faced a common challenge at their blending plant in Ghent: an ageing but essential application. Their custom BOTS (Batches, Orders, Transports, and Stock) system, built in Visual Basic .NET, is a crucial component in their daily operations. However, slow performance, an outdated interface, and a lack of flexibility were hindering their efficiency and ability to adapt to new production requirements.
Through iterative improvements and targeted refactoring, we significantly improved the BOTS application's performance and user experience. Chevron's team now benefits from faster loading times, a more intuitive interface, and streamlined workflows. By adding support for a new filling line, we keep the application up to date on their evolving production needs. The improved code base also guarantees easier, more efficient and faster maintenance and modifications in the future.
We partnered with
This project wasn't a one-off; we've been working with Chevron for a long time. Yokogawa, who manage the plant’s Distributed Control System (DCS) and overall industrial control backbone as the system integrator, actually brought us into the loop for this BOTS update. They know our technical skills and trust us, a confidence that’s grown from years of us working closely together right there on site. Our team knows the Ghent plant and the BOTS application inside out.
Because of this deep familiarity, we could map out a clear plan: first, fix the urgent performance headaches, then make the user experience much better, and finally, get the application ready for what's next – especially with a new filling line coming online.
The BOTS application, which was originally written in Visual Basic .NET, required some preparation. Before adding new features, we needed to dive into the application and identify specific areas where the code was causing bottlenecks and hindering maintainability. For example, column indexes were used instead of column names, which meant that the database structure could not be altered nor expanded.
Chevron's new filling line required significant modifications to BOTS, but we didn't just start coding. Instead, we took the chance to organise a workshop with Chevron's process engineers and key users.
Together, we walked through the entire application screen by screen. We checked what was working for them, what was causing them delays and/or frustrations, and which changes had been on their wish list for a while. For example, they wanted default values to be automatically filled in.
The workshop helped both our experts (by understanding exactly how the new functionality needed to integrate with existing workflows) and Chevron's decision-makers (by seeing the added value of reworking the logic of the existing application).
As we analysed the code and gathered input from Chevron's key users, we realised that slow loading times were a major pain point. We tackled this directly by refactoring critical sections of the code. This required changing several database queries. In one case, we eliminated redundant calculations that were being performed thousands of times unnecessarily.
We also streamlined processes within the application, making the interface more responsive and intuitive. For example, we addressed an issue where certain screens took many minutes to load without any indication of progress. By streamlining the user experience and using background actions, we were able to minimise both loading times and process completion times.
While we took care of the software side of things, adding the filling line required more than just updates to the application. We worked closely together with Yokogawa's team, who were responsible for the DCS and electromechanical changes. Through regular video calls and a shared testing environment, we guaranteed that our software updates aligned perfectly with their hardware and control system modifications.
Also struggling with an ageing but essential software application? Send us a message. We'll gladly help you modernise your legacy systems with better performance and new features!
