Selmers

About Selmers

Founded in 1966 and part of the Dutch MeeMaken-group, Selmers is an international provider of mechatronic, robotic, automation, and digitization solutions for coating and handling steel objects. Based in Beverwijk, the Netherlands, Selmers’ experts travel all over the world to provide tailor-made innovative, sustainable, and high-end technological solutions to their customers. 

Selmers’ ambition to deliver only the best service possible is deeply embedded in their DNA. With ‘We are proud of what we deliver‘ as their motto, it is clear that quality is their trademark and that the bar is always high. Selmers aims to provide the best possible service to their customers and their experts both physically and digitally. 

The Selmers Plant Management System (SPMS) stands as a premier digital asset within Selmers’ portfolio. This innovative tool allows customers to gain valuable insights into their production processes by collecting and clearly displaying data from their manufacturing facilities. 

Business Needs

As a leader in advanced industrial machinery for coating and handling of steel objects, Selmers is always looking to innovate and find better solutions for its customers’ production plants all over the world combining Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT). The existing SPMS had been extremely valuable to both Selmers and its clients. However, after over 5 years of extensive usage, it no longer met contemporary standards.

Therefore, the decision was made to rebuild the SPMS in a new platform that aligned with modern standards while at the same time providing the digital flexibility customers worldwide required. 

“By teaming up with two low-code developers and a UX expert from The Orange Force and two members from our Selmers team, we were able to significantly accelerate the development process and design an application that is both user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Overall, the collaboration was instrumental in achieving a swift and effective transformation of our application, demonstrating the powerful impact of combining diverse expertise in a tech project.”

Lars Naber
Manager Industrial Automation at Selmers

Solution

Further building upon the existing high-code SPMS system was not the most effective approach as the objective was to have a system that would meet all contemporary standards. Therefore, Mendix, a low-code platform, was chosen to develop a completely new, modern system from the ground up using the previous SPMS system as a source of inspiration. This new system allowed for the refinement of existing functionalities as well as for the introduction of new ones. For Selmers opting for Mendix was also a strategic decision. It enhanced control over the application, simplified maintenance, and reduced the time-to-market for new features. Moreover, Mendix’s developer portal fosters a collaborative environment, which unites all stakeholders and developers in a single, integrated platform. 

The process set out by formulating a detailed articulation of user stories. This initial phase helped pinpoint critical functionalities, which were then prioritized to align with Selmers’ efforts effectively. Following this prioritization, a focused sprint planning was crafted, ensuring that each development phase efficiently targeted key areas. This systematic approach ensured that the project as a whole was planned strategically from the get-go.  

The final product was an advanced application that digitalized the entire production process within a manufacturing environment. This tool allows for real-time tracking of products throughout the factory, gathering crucial data such as production IDs, machine settings, measurements, material usage, locations, and cycle times. It also generates comprehensive reports. The primary advantage of this application is its ability to optimize operations and enhance documentation by transforming traditional production metrics into actionable digital data. This leads to significant improvements in efficiency and productivity.

Results

Since joining forces with The Orange Force, the new SPMS system that was built in Mendix has successfully been launched. Clients can now utilize the SPMS system through the cloud instead of needing their own servers. Selmers’ processes have also improved since switching to the new SPMS system, reaching higher levels of efficiency at the plants of their customers and requiring fewer checkups on the shop floor. They also experienced increased business agility and flexibility. If Selmers’ customers or employees need any new functionality, they can develop this in just a few days, drastically reducing their time to market.

Furthermore, the new SPMS can be deployed to any production plant worldwide, even in locations without internet connectivity. The new SPMS has already been rolled out to Selmers’ customers in the US, with positive feedback from both customers and Selmers’ employees.