Multi-Tenant SaaS Management System for Metrology and Calibration

This long-running project began in 2009 when esz AG terminated their contract with the existing software services provider and sought a new partner to digitize the process of performing metrology measurements and calibrations.

esz AG aimed to:

• Strengthen competitiveness in the German market.
• Pave the way for international expansion.
• Focus on business rather than the technical aspects of software development.
• Optimize development and support costs.

esz AG sought for a reliable end-to-end software service provider to:

• Take over the project from another vendor.
• Develop a new-generation metrology and calibration software system.
• Take full responsibility for all aspects of the software development life cycle and long-term product evolution.
• Provide a team of specialists skilled in both technical and domain-specific aspects, ensuring the solution delivery at the intersection of science, engineering, and technology.

Solution

SaM Solutions’ experts had to completely revamp the existing software architecture while adding new features to enable more effective daily work of metrology technicians, calibration specialists, and engineers. The newly developed application automated the calculations carried out during the calibration of various measurement devices, ranging from simple vernier calipers to sophisticated oscilloscopes.

Strong scientific knowledge base

SaM Solutions’ team developed a comprehensive system that serves as a unique knowledge database containing:

• Mathematical formulas and algorithms for calculating measurement uncertainty during the calibration of various instruments. All formulas have been validated by certified metrology and calibration experts, ensuring their accuracy and reliability.
• A collection of regulatory documents and guidelines that technicians follow during calibration. This ensures that all calibration processes comply with established standards and requirements.

Multi-tenancy

esz AG offers a multi-tenant SaaS solution to external users through a partner program. This means that an extensive database of calibration templates, which has been developed over many years, is available for use by various laboratories and metrology companies.

The system provides end-to-end device tracking and enables data sharing between tenants with appropriate access rights. Once data about a specific device model is entered into the application, other users can calibrate that device as many times as needed without repeated calculations and data entry.

Certificates

At the end of the calibration process, users can obtain calibration certificates according to DIN EN ISO/ IEC 17025 or, for example, TÜV SÜD certification. There is also an option to customize certificate templates according to the users’ wishes.

Development process

The initial version of the system was based on WinForms. Later, SaM Solutions’ team migrated the software from WinForms to WPF. In 2023, it was further upgraded to .NET 7.

The system is a thick client — logic is implemented on both the server and client side.

The development process followed the Scrum approach with 1-month iterations, leveraging ALM tooling and automated functional testing.

The high frequency of project releases is driven by the strong demand for new functionality, based on requests from engineers and technicians, business and IT representatives, and company management.

Success

For over 15 years, SaM Solutions has been developing, maintaining, and evolving esz AG’s product using modern technologies and architectural solutions.

• esz AG offers a modern and functional SaaS platform for both internal and external users, making it a leader not only in the German market but also across the European Union.
• Through automation, the system ensures the highest accuracy for measuring instruments and significantly reduces calibration time.
• Thanks to scientific engineering and sophisticated software, the barrier to  entry into the business has significantly lowered. Companies no longer need to spend several years training specialists to calibrate instruments, which allows them to scale up their business.