For the engineering design team at Humes, a civil precast division of Holcim Australia, niche Delphi-based software is the backbone of their daily operations. When their legacy tools fell behind modern standards, they needed more than just a developer. They needed a professional partner to bridge the gap between complex structural engineering and modern software development.
Humes operates as an internal engineering consultancy for Holcim, responsible for the design and documentation of all precast products manufactured in factories across Australia. To perform their work efficiently, the team relies on specialized applications: the Box Culvert Designer and the Pipe Designer.
“These tools are highly niche,” explains Andrew Morrison, Technical Manager at Humes. “Typical commercial software does not align with our requirements. We need applications that can call on our specific product libraries and assess performance against relevant Australian design codes and road authority requirements.”
The development of these critical tools had stalled for over a decade. While the software was functional, it was increasingly difficult to bridge the gap between the aging code and evolving regulatory requirements. Furthermore, Humes faced a significant continuity risk.
“In the past, we relied on individual freelance developers,” Morrison shares. “We wanted to manage the risk of having a relationship with only a single person. By engaging GDK Software, we knew we had a company where multiple experts could contribute. Despite the geographic distance between Australia and Europe, GDK’s specialization in Delphi modernization made them the right choice.”
When considering the future of the Box Culvert and Pipe Designers, Humes chose to modernize the existing Delphi applications rather than rebuilding them from scratch in a different language.
“As engineers, we care about the application working exactly as required; we don’t have a strong preference for the language in the background. A full rebuild would have involved far more validation, testing, and potential points of failure. Modernizing was not only more cost-effective but also ensured we could maintain our familiar, proven workflows.”
Andrew Morrison, Technical Manager at Humes
Working with GDK Software proved to be a “delight” for the Humes team. Despite the distance and time zones, communication remained clear through email, video calls, and structured planning.
“The team at GDK were incredibly patient,” says Morrison. “We are not software developers; we are experts in using the software, not writing it. GDK stepped us through the process, repeating instructions whenever we misunderstood, and walked us through various issues until the software worked exactly as desired. It was clear that we had a depth of knowledge supporting our project that a single-person supplier simply couldn’t offer.”
The modernization project was delivered using a staged approach, allowing Humes to manage risk by changing only small parts of the software at a time. This transition has already yielded concrete benefits. The software is now fully compatible with the company’s modern Google Drive-based infrastructure, and the team has begun reissuing the tools to new staff members.
The impact goes beyond just technical updates; it has shifted the team’s outlook on their digital tools. The modernization has raised internal confidence and created real momentum for future improvements. Humes now feels fully prepared to tackle the next stage of development, knowing they have a stable and supported foundation to build upon.
With the core applications successfully modernized, Humes is looking toward the next phase of its technical roadmap. The immediate goal is to extend the software to capture the most recent updates to Australian design codes.
“Our experience with GDK has been very positive, and we wouldn’t hesitate to work with them on subsequent phases,” the Technical Manager concludes. “The next stage will involve integrating our designs directly into drawing generation, allowing us to deliver consistent, high-quality drawings to our factories more smoothly than ever before.”
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