Summer is now officially behind us and most people are back to their usual routines. Here at HDL, we’re already in the midst of an exciting and intense fall. I want to take a moment to give you an honest look behind the scenes: what we’ve built, what’s changing, and how we’re preparing for the next steps.

Building a stronger and smarter team

This year we have focused on strengthening our foundations. We have welcomed new colleagues in key roles – project managers, business developers, business analysts, quality assurers and developers – while saying goodbye to some old friends.

It’s not just about increasing the number of people, but about increasing capacity. The projects we take on today are complex and require cross-functional teams that can tackle challenges from all perspectives. The new roles will help us relieve pressure, reduce bottlenecks and close knowledge gaps, allowing HDL to work more autonomously.

One of my goals for 2025 is to make HDL more agile without compromising the quality we are known for. We’ve overhauled how projects move through our pipeline – introducing shorter feedback loops between design, development and QA, improving internal documentation and creating stronger project starts where all parties are on the same page from day one.

The result? Faster deliveries, fewer bottlenecks, fewer bugs and a more predictable experience for our customers. It’s still a work in progress, but we’re getting better every day.

Our own AI transformation

There’s a lot of talk about AI right now, but we choose to approach it in a practical, measurable and customer-focused way.

We use AI to speed up repetitive tasks, find insights and free up more time for our team to focus on what creates the most value. Example:

• AI-assisted code reviews that detect potential issues early, reduce QA cycles and improve the quality of our releases.

• Intelligent test automation that finds anomalies faster than manual processes.

• Automated summaries of long project threads, meeting notes and technical documentation, so everyone stays up to date without drowning in information.

The goal is not to replace people – it’s to augment them. AI takes care of the monotonous so our team can focus on creative problem solving, strategic thinking and the human value that makes the difference.

Quality assurance as a strategic asset

Quality assurance has always been part of our way of working, but this year we have made it a strategic focus.

We now involve the QA team much earlier in the project lifecycle – during planning, design and development – so that quality is built in from the start rather than added at the end. This has already led to fewer problems after launch, saving time, money and frustration for both us and our customers.

We have also improved how we report QA results to customers. The reports are now clearer, more transparent and easier to understand. You’ll see exactly what was tested and why, giving you complete confidence ahead of a launch.

Looking ahead – an invitation to innovation

All these changes – building a stronger team, streamlining processes, using AI smartly and strengthening QA – are about creating more space for innovation.

As we move forward, I want HDL to be the place where ambitious ideas become reality. Whether it’s a complex B2B e-commerce integration, a new SaaS product or a whole new customer experience, we want to be the partner that makes it happen.

To make that possible, I’m opening up my calendar for short 15-minute calls with clients and partners. These are not sales calls – but a chance to share what you are working on, see where there are opportunities and explore how we can work together.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that speed is important – but direction is even more important. Let’s make sure we move in the right direction, together.

All the best

Pierre Grönberg
CEO, HDL