Norconsult Astando

Software Engineer 2020-10 2021-01

Context

My relationship with Norconsult Astando goes back to 2008–2009, when I worked with them as a consultant from Avea Group AB. Nearly a decade later, after seeing on LinkedIn that I had started freelancing, they reached out and asked if I was available for a new engagement. I returned in 2018 to modernize deployment workflows, and again in 2020 to support full‑stack development and legacy modernization.

Norconsult Astando develops GIS‑driven solutions for municipalities and infrastructure organizations. The systems I worked on were primarily built on ASP.NET Core, ASP.NET Web API, and WCF services, with frontend components in JavaScript/TypeScript and KnockoutJS. Deployments were handled through TeamCity and Octopus Deploy.

2018 Engagement — DevOps & Backend Engineering

Problem

The IsyRoad project suffered from slow, manual, and error‑prone deployments. Each deployment took around 45 minutes per application instance, and the process introduced frequent human‑related errors.

Approach

Automation & DevOps

• Introduced automated deployment pipelines using Octopus Deploy
• Integrated TeamCity build steps with deployment workflows
• Standardized configuration and environment handling

Backend Development

• Contributed to ASP.NET Web API and .NET Core services
• Improved maintainability and reliability of backend components
• Worked with NHibernate and WCF‑based integrations

Outcome

• Deployment time reduced from ~45 minutes to ~5 minutes per instance
• Deployment‑related errors reduced by nearly 100%
• A more predictable and maintainable delivery pipeline for the team

2020 Engagement — Fullstack Development & Legacy Modernization

Problem

Several legacy systems required new functionality, improved readability, and better testability. Deployment automation also needed refinement to support ongoing development.

Approach

Backend Development

• Implemented new features in ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET Web Forms applications
• Improved structure and clarity in existing codebases
• Enhanced testability through clearer separation of concerns

  Frontend Development

• Delivered new UI functionality using TypeScript, JavaScript, and KnockoutJS
• Improved maintainability of legacy frontend components

  Automation

• Extended and refined deployment automation using Octopus Deploy
• Contributed to TeamCity build pipelines

  Outcome

• Delivered new functionality across several legacy systems
• Improved code readability and testability, reducing friction for future development
• Strengthened deployment automation for ongoing work

Reflection

Across all three periods — 2008, 2018, and 2020 — the work combined pragmatic engineering with meaningful improvements to delivery workflows. The long‑standing relationship with Norconsult Astando reflects a pattern of trust built over time: solve real problems, improve the systems that matter, and make life easier for the teams who maintain them.