Backstage: Software Development

"Striving to be the best and developing features that users really need.”

Jörn, Department Manager R&D Software | Anton Paar OptoTec GmbH

I started to work as a software developer at Anton Paar OptoTec in 2008. The company had become part of the Anton Paar Group half a year earlier. Back then, the measuring instruments made by this company site were only successful in some niche markets and for me personally measuring technology was something completely unknown. Together with the product management and sensor technology specialists we developed our measuring instruments further. Now we hold a leading position on the global market, at least in part due to the software.

At Anton Paar it’s our goal to be better than others. It’s not sufficient that new products measure as accurately as our competitors’ instruments, we aim to offer products our users can’t get anywhere else. This is also true for the software and this challenge always motivates me.

All this is only possible because of strong teamwork. As a software developer it’s my job to discuss the market requirements with product specialists and international sales people and come up with technological solutions. We only succeed if we develop the vision of a product together and then implement it in the form of a new instrument generation.

As a medium-sized enterprise within the Anton Paar Group we benefit from the structures of the large parent company. We use the knowledge of specialists at headquarters, for example for an embedded operating system, for an attractive UI/UX design, or for libraries for universal measuring technology solutions.

At Anton Paar we develop our software in C# with modern tools. It’s important to us to be informed about new trends in the software industry and to develop the skills of our employees accordingly. In the development process we work with agile methods (Scrum): We work in teams focused on specific projects and continuously communicating with the internal “customers” of our software solution. Of course, our in-house software testers are involved in this process.

To accompany a product during its whole life cycle is a special experience. After the first product idea has been found, I am involved in the following phases: proof-of-concept, first prototypes, pilot series, and product approval. Then further features are developed based on customer feedback. Previously I developed programs for the financial industry and ERP systems but as a software developer I can identify much more strongly with a measuring instrument that is employed worldwide in industry and research.