When your vital software applications start becoming error-prone, sluggish, and costlier to maintain, what steps should you take? This is a common dilemma faced by numerous companies when assessing their legacy software setups. As software ages, it increasingly impedes a company's future trajectory.
Legacy systems, legacy software, or applications built in outdated programming languages necessitate proactive consideration by the IT department regarding the feasibility of software modernization.
Software modernization addresses issues that other quality improvement measures alone can no longer resolve. This is often because, over an extended period (years), these regular quality-enhancing measures, such as reducing technical debt, upgrading technologies, ensuring comprehensive documentation, or compensating for retired experts' absence, have been overlooked.
The pragmatic answer is: when it is no longer easily readable, editable, maintainable, and expandable. The strategic answer is: when the installed software can no longer support your company's strategy (digitalization, cloud, growth, M&A).
There are thus a whole series of reasons in your individual company situation that can speak for software modernization. Here is a selection:
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Digitization in your market(s) |
The installed software can no longer (completely) meet new requirements (e.g. cloud, IoT, mobile) |
| Performance and availability |
Technical debts, large amounts of old data, or spaghetti code limit the performance, availability, and innovation capability of the software. |
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Security |
Security gaps in the application no longer offer sufficient security. This can no longer be produced with normal effort. |
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Compatibility |
The compatibility of the software with more modern applications in the company is only partially available. The interfaces between the applications are becoming more and more complex and confusing. |
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Maintenance costs |
The software is so confusing and complex (spaghetti code) that maintenance and further development are becoming more and more complex. Maintenance measures often cause new problems. |
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Discontinued support |
The application is based on old technologies that are no longer maintained or supported. |
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Loss of know-how |
The original developers are no longer available and the documentation in the code is incomplete. The old software can no longer be further developed or only with very high effort and by few persons. |
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Usability/User Experience (UX) |
The usability of the legacy software is not intuitive and cumbersome. It affects productivity and user satisfaction. |
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New legal requirements |
The protection of personal data (GDPR) must be ensured by the use of technologies that correspond to the state of the art. The data protection officer in the company has the duty of "Privacy by Design" (data protection by appropriate design of the technology). |
The common denominator of the triggers for software modernization is:
Depending on the company's configuration regarding strategy and technology, there are various approaches to modernizing software to make it more efficient and future-proof. The following methods are considered:
Choosing the right modernization approach is crucial to achieving the best possible and future-proof improvement of the application with minimal effort, cost, and risk.
It may be sufficient if the technological basis of the software is still current and future-proof, and only refactoring is performed to reduce technical debt.
The most common goals of software modernization, as we know from our practice, are:
Software modernization can encounter significant hurdles if planning and risk assessment are inadequate. Incorrect expectations, incomplete analysis of legacy software, and ineffective risk management are particularly concerning. A failed modernization can have profound repercussions for the company. Common Problems and Risks are the following:
Data Alignment and Resource Insufficiency
Often, there's a disconnect between the analysis findings of legacy software and the requirements for the new software. This can result in ambiguity regarding the modernization strategy. You should know what no longer meets the current requirements in the old software, what the modernization should achieve (its goals and requirements), and which path to choose for implementation.
Inadequate project resources, lack of expertise, along with tight budgets and unrealistic expectations exacerbate the situation.
Shortage of Knowledge Holders
Another concern arises when too few individuals maintain the old application and lack the capacity to contribute significantly to the modernization initiative.
Technical Hurdles and Documentation Gaps
Unique technical obstacles and inadequate documentation of the legacy system introduce further risks. Neglecting modern software tools during the analysis and selection of the modernization approach poses a significant project risk.
Additional Challenges
Apart from the aforementioned risks, typical challenges encountered in software development projects include garnering support from management levels, ensuring effective project communication, managing risks, and conducting thorough testing.
Addressing these challenges meticulously during the planning and execution phases of software modernization projects is essential to ensure their success and effectiveness.