ABB: Scaling embedded software delivery in a dynamic market

ABB’s medium voltage drives are used in demanding industrial environments, from wind turbines and large ship propulsion systems to industrial pump and motor systems. Software is the beating heart of these systems.

As ABB developed its existing software solutions further, it faced a key challenge: the new solution needed to reach customers quickly, while development capacity was increased and internal processes were further optimised to deliver the software’s planned functionality.

For ABB, one thing was clear: reducing the solution’s scope to finish it faster, or extending the development timeline, was not an option. ABB therefore looked for additional development capacity, with no friction losses, no long ramp-up times, and no quality risks. Its choice: Zühlke as their engineering partner.

Together with Zühlke, ABB chose a different approach than classic resource outsourcing. Within two months, our experts were integrated into ABB’s teams. In this setup, ABB and Zühlke didn’t work as separate units, but as one team involved jointly in all processes, architecture decisions, and daily coordination.

For Dominik Flum, Department Head SW and Control HW Development at ABB MV Drives, this long-term partnership and permanently embedded engineering experts, rather that short-term project resources, were a key success factor: ‘This created a different kind of commitment, a stronger identification with the product, and a more stable team collaboration’.

A short ramp-up times drove fast impact

Another decisive success factor was our team’s very short ramp-up time. Thanks to solid embedded expertise, a strong understanding of architecture, and project experience in complex industrial environments, the team became productive quickly.

Beyond implementation, our experts also supported process improvements, the application of modern software architecture principles, and the long-term maintainability and structuring of the codebase. The team also took on key roles with real responsibility, including software architect, further underlining ABB’s trust in the partnership.

ABB secures flexibility in a dynamic market environment

The market for industrial drive systems is dynamic. Requirements change, and priorities can shift at short notice. According to Dominik Flum, a key value of the partnership therefore lied in the flexibility of the collaboration: ‘Even short-term needs could be addressed quickly, for example by providing additional resources within just a few weeks’. This agility allowed ABB to tap into new potential and adjust its development focus without putting existing roadmaps at risk. 

What started as a targeted scaling measure for ABB grew into a long-term collaboration. This partnership shows how industrial companies can scale their software development in a targeted way, without compromising on quality or creating organisational disruption.

In detail, ABB benefited from:

• Meeting their schedule, despite the end-of-life status of key components
• Increased development output within the given timeframe
• A stronger software architecture and improved maintainability
• Flexible adaptation to market requirements
• Sustainable capability building within the teams

The result was more than short-term capacity: it was a resilient, scalable development organisation for industrial software in a high-performance environment.