As businesses continue to push forward in their digital transformation journeys, legacy systems and technical debt are difficult challenges. These older systems often remain mission-critical, yet hinder the organisation’s ability to freely innovate or scale.
It's a balancing act between risk and opportunity cost, business continuity and growth.
With the right strategy, however, modernising legacy systems does not have to a binary choice. A holistic approach can give legacy systems a new lease of life, reduce operational risks, and dovetail with your digital transformation plans.
Read on to find out how Flowmoco can help you modernise your legacy systems.
1. Evaluate Legacy Systems
Legacy systems are still the backbone of essential business functions for many organisations, yet they can pose substantial challenges for businesses looking to innovate. Evaluating a legacy system's role and impact is crucial to understanding whether it should be maintained or modernised. This assessment should focus on each system’s performance, risk level, and alignment with your company’s long-term objectives.
Key questions:
- Does the system support critical or non-essential operations?
- Are there knowledge gaps due to personnel turnover that make maintaining the system risky?
- Is the system stable, or does it require frequent and costly maintenance?
- Does it create potential security vulnerabilities due to outdated support or infrastructure?
Understanding these factors helps identify which systems are essential and which may hinder growth. Systems with high maintenance costs, limited support, or significant knowledge gaps may be prioritised for modernisation, while reliable, non-critical systems can be considered for continued maintenance.
2. Evaluate modernisation
With a clear understanding of your legacy systems, the next step is to evaluate modernisation options. Modernising a legacy system doesn’t necessarily mean replacing it; it could involve integrating it with modern technologies to extend its life and functionality. This approach blends the stability of established systems with the flexibility of newer, data-driven and services-based tools. If an interoperable solution is not an option, then various levels of refactoring could be assessed.
Common modernisation strategies include:
- Interoperable Solutions: API based middleware that enable legacy systems to safely interact with newer applications, or cloud platforms. Create efficient workflows without significant disruption.
- Federated Data Access: Federated API platforms, for example Hasura, offer a unified API layer that can greatly simplify data interaction and consumption. Minimising bottlenecks and accelerating development.
- Refactor: Restructure and optimise existing code to remove technical debt and improve nonfunctional attributes.
- Rebuild: Redesign or rewrite the application from scratch while preserving its scope and specifications.
- Replace: Eliminate the former application component altogether and replace it, considering new requirements and needs at the same time.