M&M Software project report BOMAG: Globally connected, locally adapted

12/09/2024 | Cases

Imagine a road that’s not just smooth and level but built in record time—thanks to intelligent machines that know exactly what they’re doing. BOMAG’s rollers are more than powerful construction equipment; they’re smart helpers. Modern assistance systems like BOMAP optimize every step of the process.

To bring this technology to the world, it must be tailored to local conditions in China. This requires not just linguistic adaptations but also extensive technical adjustments.

This is where M&M Software steps in, adapting the BOMAP assistance system to ensure it can be fully utilized in the Chinese market, including operation in a Chinese public cloud.

BOMAG, headquartered in Boppard, is one of the leading manufacturers of road construction machinery. From small compactors and tandem rollers to single-drum rollers, BOMAG’s compaction machines are renowned worldwide. With pavers, feeders, and asphalt milling machines, BOMAG covers the entire asphalt paving process.

Project description

BOMAP significantly simplifies the compaction process on construction sites. The app for Android™ smartphones and tablets helps roller operators precisely monitor and document compaction progress. At a glance, operators can see whether the ground is optimally compacted or if additional passes are needed. This keeps the compaction process under control and increases efficiency.

Key features of BOMAP include mapping services and GPS navigation. Initially, BOMAP relied on Google Maps™, but since this service is only partially available in China, BOMAP could not be used there at first.

M&M Software developed a customized version for the Chinese market, based on the mapping service Amap by the Chinese technology company Alibaba. In all other respects, the Chinese BOMAP version offers the same features as the international version, which is based on Google Maps™.

During the adaptation process, M&M Software placed particular emphasis on ensuring that the international and Chinese versions of BOMAP share an almost identical codebase. This approach keeps further development and maintenance simple and efficient. The Chinese BOMAP app is available in the leading Huawei App Store. M&M Software also ensured the app's proper qualification for this store, allowing it to be seamlessly installed on all major Android™ smartphones in China.

Additionally, the required backend services are hosted on a Chinese cloud solution. This cloud is based on Microsoft Azure China, which is operated by 21Vianet, Microsoft’s Chinese joint venture partner.

The project started with in-depth workshops to gather requirements. M&M Software worked closely with the customer’s development department and product management team. During

a brief prototyping phase, a suitable mapping service was selected and tested, resulting in a compelling proof of concept (POC).

Implementation was carried out in agile sprints, during which the existing solution was brought up to the latest technical standards. The introduction of a Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline greatly simplified the release process, enabling changes to be integrated into the production system quickly and securely. Additionally, the backend services were containerized and made available as Docker images, allowing the solution to be operated flexibly on any cloud platform.

M&M Software provided significant support to BOMAG in this project through its own location in China. The colleagues in Suzhou took technical responsibility for adapting the software, coordinating details directly with BOMAG in Germany and ensuring smooth communication with the BOMAG team in China. This enabled the solution to be brought to market readiness in record time. M&M Software China also manages the operation of the cloud solution on Microsoft Azure.

This comprehensive service package is offered by M&M Software to all clients who need to adapt their software products for the Chinese market. The company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in China creates the ideal conditions for this.

M&M Software combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of the market, ensuring that customers can operate successfully worldwide. With tailored solutions and a strong local team, M&M Software paves the way for sustainable international success.

"The software quality fully convinced us."

Florian Lange

- Head of Product Management, BOMAG GmbH

"For the successful introduction of BOMAP to the Chinese market, we were looking for a software partner who understands both our customer needs and the market in China. M&M Software presented us with a promising concept for this demanding project. After only a short time of collaboration, we were confident that we had found the right partner: from the first workshop to the final product, everything went smoothly.

In particular, the excellent collaboration between the project teams of both companies, both in Germany and China, contributed to the smooth progress of the project. The timeline for project completion was met precisely.

Last but not least, the software quality fully convinced us. Based on this, we are confident that we can also inspire our customers in China with BOMAP as the smart solution for the construction site"

Value for customers.

With BOMAP, BOMAG’s Chinese customers now have access to a highly useful assistance system that helps significantly reduce labor and material costs, save fuel and CO2, and simultaneously improve the quality of work results. The system is easily accessible on any commercially available Android™ smartphone or tablet.

Industries:Mechanical Engineering, Road Construction, Recyclin

Client: BOMAG GmbH, Boppard – Part of the FAYAT Group Development

Process: Agile with continuous delivery

Technologies.

Frontends:

Android™ Native Apps (Java)
Web-Apps mit Vue.JS and TypeScript
Amap mapping services by Alibaba
GPS
Bluetooth

Backend:

Implementation with Java, Spring Boot
- various open-source components and
- frameworks
Various Azure Cloud Services
Docker
Keycloak, MariaDB, RabbitMQ

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BOMAG - Globally connected, locally adapted: BOMAP Assistance System adapted for the Chinese market