Legacy application modernization

One of the primary challenges associated with relying on outdated technology and legacy systems is that data silos are allowed to proliferate throughout your organization. Data silos make it difficult for teams to interact and access the data they need quickly, slowing down processes, hampering decision-making, and making it difficult for you to deliver value for your clients.

Additionally, legacy systems have complex layers of redundant IT processes, tools, and components, requiring routine maintenance services that can cost your organization vast amounts of time and resources. Legacy system maintenance is a substantial drain on your available resources and constrains your ability to invest in other areas of your business.

Legacy system modernization refers to the process of replacing and updating the outdated hardware and software components in your IT infrastructure to automate processes, streamline operations, eliminate inefficiencies, enhance productivity and ultimately create new value for your customers.

Success in the modern business environment is defined by speed and agility. New technologies are constantly emerging. Customer expectations are a moving target, which means your systems have to support a business model that is highly flexible and adaptable to change. Legacy modernization enables this approach and empowers you for success in the modern business market.

Modern businesses typically operate a complex, hybrid ecosystem consisting of hardware assets and application software. With the rapid advancement of technology, legacy applications quickly become outdated or even obsolete. Retaining those applications beyond the end of their natural lifecycle can have far-reaching consequences for the productivity, efficiency, and flexibility of your organization.

Implementing an effective legacy software modernization strategy enables you to update your legacy applications with the latest technology. This allows you to free your organization from the limitations of legacy systems and you can then continue to meet and exceed market demands and customer expectations.

Legacy modernization is essential for companies operating in the current business environment. It enables organizations to drastically reduce and simplify their IT complexity, helping them streamline core processes and making them more agile in the face of rapid market and technological change.

The simplification of complex processes eliminates operational inefficiencies, making both employees and your organization more productive. This enables you to handle a much higher workload and output (at scale) and helps to reduce processing costs like time, money, personnel and other resources. By investing those savings into other areas of your business, you can also further increase value for your customers.

Like legacy system modernization, application modernization allows organizations to streamline and simplify their application ecosystem, facilitating greater connectivity between different applications and eliminating silos that characterize legacy systems. Modernizing your applications gives your employees greater access to the tools and data that they need when they need it. Not only does that help them do their jobs more efficiently, but it also helps them become more productive with their time.

The net effect of all this is a leaner, more flexible, and more agile organization. You can drastically reduce your tech debt, freeing up resources you can use to generate new streams of revenue and enhance the customer experience.

There are numerous legacy modernization approaches you can implement, to optimize your existing systems. Each approach differs based on the extent to which you update your legacy systems (ranging from merely extending the function of each system to replacing the entire architecture). Moreover, different legacy modernization approaches will offer different degrees of risk (and, as a result, value), so it’s important to consider how critical modernization is to your business functions and what level of risk you’re willing to take.

This is only part of what your organization should consider when determining which approach best fits your business. At the core, you should clearly define the specific set of problems you’re trying to solve and use that information to inform and guide the legacy modernization approach you choose to implement.

Speed, agility, and flexibility are the hallmarks of legacy system modernization. It follows, then, that the most obvious sign your legacy system is outdated and needs to be replaced is if it’s slow, cumbersome, and no longer supports the current needs of your business.

It’s important to note that ripping out and replacing your entire legacy infrastructure is an unrealistic goal for many organizations. Legacy modernizations can be accomplished by integrating new technology with still-operable legacy hardware and software. Simply put, if your legacy hardware still supports your business functions, it’s safe (and prudent) to merely upgrade. If not, you should replace it with new technology.

Before implementing any technology, it’s essential that you start by adequately planning your modernization approach. Decide which systems, components, assets, or applications will need to be updated/replaced, and set benchmarks to assess progress and goals. This process should include input from all relevant stakeholders across the organization. Maintain open lines of communication to ensure that any modernization approach matches the needs and expectations of individual teams and departments.

The success of your legacy modernization is ultimately predicated on obtaining sufficient executive buy-in. Management teams don’t like to take huge risks, and they will want guarantees that modernization efforts will pose minimal risk to the organization. Conduct proper risk assessment in the early stages so you can address any concerns that arise throughout the process.

Partnering with a trusted leader in integration services gives you access to a range of advanced technology solutions. The right software solution supports your legacy modernization efforts by facilitating API enablement, process and workflow automation, cloud and SaaS migration, and much more.

Legacy application modernization can be a long, expensive process, but deploying the right tools (coupled with insights from the right experts) ensures that you complete the process in the most effective and impactful way.

Adopt the Torry Harris legacy to cloud native kit to accelerate legacy modernization. With the “legacy to cloud native kit”, you can leverage ready-to-deploy digital tools, automation frameworks, and services to help you build scalability and efficiency while standardizing cloud native components and reducing OpEx costs.

To learn more about Torry Harris’s legacy modernization services or legacy to cloud native kit, Reach out to our team today and get started.