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| | | | W-H Energy Services needed a documentation tool for the on-going development of the key software system of the company: the ERP system Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Using Celenia Version Control the corporation and its eleven subsidiaries have achieved a far safer, more structured, and better documented development environment – despite the fact that more employees are now involved in the development and deployment of updates. | | | 
The developers of the US-based company, W-H Energy Services continually need to deploy new functionalities in the operational environment of the company’s ERP system, Microsoft Dynamics NAV. But the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which followed the Enron debacle, has tightened the legal requirements for documentation of software and IT systems used in companies.
The passing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act made W-H Energy Services, which produces equipment for oil and gas drilling, search for a system to document and structure new modules and adaptations of the company’s ERP system, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which is at the core of the company’s operations and is used by approximately 600 employees throughout the company and its eleven subsidiaries.
The code is the documentation
The third-party products for managing new versions of the software that the company researched, however, were not sufficiently user-friendly and would require a series of manual routine procedures for each update deployment. Then they checked out Celenia Version Control, which is specifically developed for and is closely integrated with the Dynamics NAV development environment.
“The documentation, then, is in the code itself. We do not have to write extra documents every time we have developed a new functionality,” says Development Manager, Yogesh Patel from W-H Energy Services.
Though it was an external requirement, which forced W-H Energy Services to introduce version control in their software development, Celenia Version Control provides several other advantages for the corporation, reports Mr Patel:
“First of all, we automatically retain each version of the program code, which makes it easy for us to roll back to a previous version if there is a problem. Fortunately, this has not been necessary so far, but it is a good option to have”, says Mr Patel. | ”We now have a much safer and more structured development environment, despite the fact that more people are involved in the process. We have got what we expected. I am very satisfied,”
says Yogesh Patel, Development Manager at W-H Energy Services. |
A safer and more structured development environment
Another positive feature of Celenia Version Control is that the system deploys new versions as objects, making it possible for non-programmers to deploy new versions of the system in the operational environment. Celenia Version Control monitors and controls the process thus maintaining control of what is done. The system continuously logs who does what – and when.
“We constantly need to transfer program code to the operational environment. Controlling access to that environment is very important. Thanks to Celenia Version Control the many necessary updates have not been difficult to handle. We now have a safer and more structured development environment – despite the fact that even more people are now involved in the process,” explains Development Manager, Yogesh Patel.
Even though W-H Energy Services have only used Celenia Version Control for a few months, it has already become such an integrated part of daily work that the company’s NAV developers have begun outlining new features and minor adjustments to Celenia Version Control.
“We would like to have Celenia Version Control even more integrated into Microsoft Dynamics NAV. We maintain a close dialogue with Celenia, so I am certain that those things will be part of the next version of Celenia Version Control,” says Mr. Patel
The Challenge
New accounting rules following the Enron debacle require companies to document changes in computer software. It was thus necessary for W-H Energy Services to find a solution that enabled them to document and deploy program changes in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which is the main ERP system of the corporation.
The Solution
W-H Energy Services researched a number of third-party programs, which would enable them to document new program code. They chose to implement Celenia Version Control, however, which manages new versions of the program code and deploys the software in the operational environment.
The Result
Celenia Version Control is fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and the documentation is part of the code itself, thus making it unnecessary to write further documentation. Celenia Version Control also makes it possible for non-IT professionals to deploy program changes in the operational environment – and to roll back the deployment if necessary. The result is a much safer development environment, even though more people take part in the process.
Partner
Simcrest, United States | Profile, Celenia Version Control for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Profile at Celenia PartnerZone, Celenia Version Control for Microsoft Dynamics NAV | | | About W-H Energy Services W-H Energy Services specializes in equipment, tools and services for oil and gas rigs. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and primarily operates in the Mexican Gulf – onshore as well as offshore – and in the North Sea. The company is currently expanding its operations into areas such as Brazil, the Caspian Sea and the Middle East. W-H Energy Services was established in 1989 and has expanded its activities through organic growth and acquisitions. Today it consists of eleven subsidiaries with each in their area of expertise. | |  | |  |  |
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