For the past 12 months HBA has been working with Mergilent to implement a world-first software tool that converts one computer language to another using an automated system.

"We are now starting to see the benefits of this work come to fruition and estimate that by July the integration to a single software system will be completed," Powell said.

Previously HBA was using two programming languages, Easytrieve and Micro Focus COBOL.

HBA needed to standardize its system platforms and the initial problem was finding an efficient method to convert Easytrieve to Micro Focus COBOL.

Mergilent's automated system for testing and converting the software provided HBA with a solution that had minimal impact on existing systems and resources.