What modern software development looks like at our company – with responsibility, AI, and real impact

Flexible, modern, AI-driven—that’s how Maximilian Schuderer describes his work at SupplyOn. For over four years, Maximilian, or Max for short, has been shaping the technological direction at SupplyOn as manager of .NET in-house development and senior software architect.
In this interview, he talks about his responsibilities as a software architect and the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in his day-to-day work.

Max, what exactly do you do at SupplyOn and what does your everyday work as a software architect look like?
Max: I work in the Product Development and Analytics department at SupplyOn. My title is Manager of .NET In-House Development. At the same time, I also hold the role of Senior Software Architect. This means that I am responsible for the technical direction and architecture of our systems on the one hand, and on the other hand I lead a team of around 10 to 12 internal developers.
What I find particularly challenging (and motivating) is that my team is spread across several Scrum teams and works flexibly – throughout Germany and with colleagues in Hungary, among other places. In addition to architecture issues and technical strategy, my daily business includes one-on-one meetings, coaching, and cross-team coordination.
In short, I hold the technical threads together, ensure quality standards, and enable my team to work successfully.

What motivates you in your personal growth and what drives you?
Max: One thing motivates me above all else: creating rather than managing. Since joining SupplyOn in 2021, I have been able to help build a lot: large systems that are now performing well. That is fulfilling.
But I am also very motivated beyond the company’s goals. I come from a software development background myself and am also intensively involved with new technologies in my private life. For me, this is not work, but my passion. I voluntarily spend my weekends trying out new tools and deepening my knowledge. For me, this is genuine curiosity, not a must.

What is the collaboration like in your team, especially in a hybrid context?
Max: Honestly, it’s excellent. We have been working for years with trust and personal responsibility, which form the basis at SupplyOn. I don’t believe in treating employees like children. When you give people responsibility, they grow into it.
Our development team is spread out locally, but we are closely networked professionally. We work agilely in Scrum teams, with regular stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives. We address cross-functional topics in the “Community of Practice Architecture,” an architecture roundtable where in-depth questions are discussed every two weeks.

What skills do you expect from developers in your team?
Max: That depends heavily on their seniority level. I expect juniors to have a very good command of one technical discipline – be it frontend, backend, or cloud. Anyone applying for a senior or lead position should have genuine full-stack expertise.
Technical breadth AND depth are important to us. We work with modern technologies in all areas: from DevOps and Azure Cloud to architecture and UI. Anyone who wants to get involved here must understand technological contexts and think outside the box.
Soft skills are just as important:
• Self-discipline (especially when working from home)
• Sense of responsibility
• Communication skills
• Willingness to learn and openness to new ideas

How important is continuing education to you and how do you continue your education?
Max: Extremely important! In the tech industry, there are only two directions: stand still or develop further. I choose the latter – every day.
I make full use of our internal training budget:
• I regularly buy specialist books and work through them systematically.
• I have a Udemy Pro account and take online courses there.
• I also regularly complete Microsoft certifications (e.g., in the Azure environment).
In addition, I am self-taught: I build my own test environments, experiment with frameworks, and actively follow tech communities. Not only do I enjoy this, but it also helps me stay up to date.

AI in software development – how are you already using artificial intelligence today?
Max: AI is a key topic for us and has long been part of our everyday work. We already use various tools today. For example, GitHub Copilot for smart code completion, Cursor DIE for interactive development, and CodeRabbit for automated code reviews.
Lovable also helps us with UX design. And we use GPT integration – for example, for semantic searches in the Help Center.
At the same time, we are constantly exploring new things – such as automatic documentation from applications, AI-supported error analysis along user journeys, and smart assistants for architectural decisions.
It is important to us that we work with GPT-4 via Azure – and not via openai.com – in order to remain GDPR-compliant. We link the results to vector databases, for example to be able to display personalized content in the Help Center.
For me, one thing is clear: AI is not a replacement, but a tool. Those who use it intelligently can work more efficiently. Those who rely on it blindly jeopardize quality and security.

How do you think AI will change the role of software developers?
Max: Massively. But not in the way many fear. Their role is changing.
Instead of just coding, it’s more about:.
• Developing concepts and solutions
• Taking on quality assurance
• Questioning and optimizing AI results
• Identifying security gaps early on
AI takes over routine tasks – we take responsibility for orchestration.
And learning is also changing:
We used to search on Google or Stack Overflow. Today, I can use GPT models to run through complex questions directly, test ideas, and learn faster.
I’ve noticed myself that my learning curve has become much steeper thanks to AI.

Conclusion: Why SupplyOn is an ideal place for modern developers
Max: “Because here I can create, learn, and grow – with a strong team, a modern tech stack, and a lot of trust. If you love personal responsibility and are enthusiastic about AI, SupplyOn is the right place for you.”