Case studies
The work behind everyday operations.
Getting an order into the warehouse. Turning a quote into production paperwork. Making changes to software that staff already depend on. These projects show the decisions and development behind that work, with client identities kept private.
01 / Existing application support
Keeping daily operations running in an existing .NET application.
- Working environment
- An established business application used to manage stock, sales, invoicing, contracts and reporting. Staff relied on its Windows and web interfaces for their daily work.
- Technology involved
- WinForms, ASP.NET, SQL Server
The operational problem
The application still served the business, but production faults interrupted work and some workflows needed new functionality. Staff needed those issues addressed in the system they were already using.
The constraint
The code reflected existing business rules and worked with live operational data. A change had to account for those rules and the other workflows using the same data, rather than treating each screen in isolation.
What changed
I investigated production issues across the application and database, corrected faults and developed workflow improvements within the existing Windows and web application. Maintenance covered both the code and the SQL Server data behind it.
The practical result
The business could keep using its established stock, sales, invoicing and contract workflows while receiving fixes and new functionality. Useful parts of the application stayed in service instead of being rebuilt to accommodate the changes.
02 / Systems integration
Bringing external orders into the warehouse workflow.
- Working environment
- External order platforms feeding internal warehouse operations. Order, customer and product records needed to arrive in a form the operational systems could accept and use.
- Technology involved
- REST APIs, XML, CSV, SQL Server
The operational problem
Order, customer and product information had to move from external platforms into internal systems. Repeated manual handling and mismatched records added work before the information could be used by the operation.
The constraint
The systems used different formats and data rules. Simply passing a record across was not enough; its contents had to be translated and checked, and a failed transfer needed to be visible.
What changed
I built workflows that pull records from the external platforms, map and validate their contents, then pass them into the appropriate internal systems. The connections used the interfaces each system supported, including APIs and file transfers.
- Orders, customers and products
- Mapping and validation
- Internal warehouse systems
The practical result
Validated orders and related records could enter the operational systems through the integration instead of being recreated manually. Failed transfers were exposed for investigation rather than disappearing from view.
03 / Custom business software
One application for pricing, quotes and production paperwork.
- Working environment
- A business quoting custom work, where pricing depended on the details of each job. Customer and job information was needed both for the quote and for the paperwork used in production.
- Technology involved
- .NET, SQL Server, Reporting
The operational problem
Staff prepared detailed quotes in spreadsheets, with different prices, customer details and requirements for each job. The pricing logic was difficult to control and easy to misread, while production needed the same job information in its paperwork.
The constraint
Replacing the spreadsheet meant preserving the pricing rules behind it. The application also had to carry the right detail from the quote into production documents, so the two parts of the job could use the same information.
What changed
I built a .NET application backed by SQL Server that combined pricing calculations, customer details, quote generation and production documentation. The rules and data became part of the application rather than remaining spread across spreadsheet work.
The practical result
Staff could generate quotes and production paperwork from the same underlying customer and job data. Pricing and document generation became one connected workflow, giving the business an application for the way it quoted and prepared custom work.
04 / Application modernisation
Modernising the hosting without rewriting the application.
- Working environment
- Existing ASP.NET web applications and SQL Server databases running in an IIS hosting environment. The application remained in use while its hosting and deployment arrangements needed attention.
- Technology involved
- ASP.NET, SQL Server, IIS, Azure
The operational problem
Older hosting, performance constraints and unclear deployment steps created risk around supporting and changing the application. The environment it ran in had become part of the problem.
The constraint
The application needed to be retained. Moving the hosting was only part of the job; its behaviour and database connections also needed to be checked in the changed environment.
What changed
I reviewed the application and database environments, carried out Azure hosting and deployment work, and checked the application after the changes. Production troubleshooting formed part of validating the transition.
The practical result
The hosting and deployment setup could be updated while the business kept its existing application. The transition included checking that application in its new environment, rather than treating a completed deployment as proof that everything worked.
Discuss the work
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