The Five Value Adds You Should Expect from Your Modernization Efforts

You may have seen our recent posts about the Travel and Tourism industry, which is increasingly focused on legacy modernization. After the pandemic, this sector is beginning to regain its footing, but ongoing global economic downturns have added to the strain. Outdated systems are holding the industry back, creating a trifecta of challenges which must be overcome.

In this tough environment, several United Techno clients in the sector have recently reached out to address the immense resource drain they’re facing in their IT departments, caused by outdated, underperforming database systems. These systems, suffering from poor performance and scalability (their ability to handle growth), required full overhauls, and we were enlisted to lead the modernization efforts.

Key Transformation Patterns

While each project was unique, common patterns emerged across these projects. A key component was transforming traditional Data Description Systems (DDS)—which are older methods of defining how data is stored—into SQL tables, a more modern and efficient way to organize and manage their data. This shift enabled more effective data handling, meeting more modern demands for both integration with other systems and scalability.

Modernizing databases is a complex challenge which often requires more than just updating the database itself. It impacts system integration, performance, and maintenance. Many companies that take short-term, tactical approaches often face future problems, as even robust DDS systems can create bottlenecks (points of congestion), with limited functionality and integration capabilities. But when you step back and look at the bigger picture, there are clear value-adds from a comprehensive modernization project.

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Here’s what you can expect from a legacy system overhaul:

1. Enhanced Data Integrity: By introducing constraints (rules for data accuracy) such as primary keys (unique identifiers for records in a database) and foreign keys (links between different tables), as well as triggers (automated actions when certain conditions are met), we improved data accuracy and reliability.

?? - Why it matters: Poor data quality costs businesses an average of $15 million per year. Constraints and triggers ensure your data remains accurate, preventing costly mistakes and enhancing decision-making. However, careful planning is essential, as overusing triggers may impact system performance.

2. Performance Gains: Modernized data structures like SQL indexes (tools which speed up data retrieval) made data operations for our clients way more efficient.

- Why it matters: Improved data structures can lead to a 20% boost in database performance, saving hours each week in data processing. Faster data operations reduce bottlenecks and allow businesses to respond to market changes more quickly.

3. Advanced Functionality: Adopting modern data types, such as Large Objects (LOBs), which are used for storing large amounts of data like images or text, and XML (a format for structuring data), significantly enhanced the development environment.

?? - Why it matters: Companies using modern data types report up to 40% faster development cycles. This means quicker feature rollouts and an improved ability to stay competitive.

4. Increased System Portability and Integration: SQL-based systems provided better integration with other platforms (technologies or software) and modern systems.

?? - Why it matters: Businesses often lose 15-25% of their revenue due to poor data integration. Modernized systems not only improve integration but also make it easier to scale (expand) across different platforms, ensuring future growth.?

5. Reduced Maintenance Efforts: Streamlining database structures (organizing data in a simpler, more efficient way) reduced the complexity of future updates and maintenance.

- Why it matters: Simplified database structures can can reduce IT maintenance costs by up to 30%, freeing up resources for innovation rather than troubleshooting legacy systems.

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Our Methodology: Tried and Tested

At United Techno, we continuously refine our processes to ensure greater efficiency in future projects. For these transformations, we focused on converting DDS files to SQL, ensuring seamless data migration (moving data from one system to another) to new schemas (the structure of the database). This process ensures that data is transferred without disrupting existing operations. We also identified dependencies (connections between data) and migrated them to logical files (virtual records of data), ensuring both data integrity and system continuity.

After migration, a thorough quality assurance (QA) process was performed to ensure that physical file consistency (the actual data storage) was maintained post-conversion. Any programs affected by the migration were reconciled (adjusted) to align with the new SQL structures.

Final Thoughts

We are proud to have delivered these five key value-adds to our clients in the travel and tourism sector, setting new benchmarks for leveraging modern technologies to overcome legacy system challenges. These transformations not only resolved existing inefficiencies but also equipped our clients with robust databases capable of meeting future demands. These transformations are also not limited to the travel and tourism sector alone, although it is fascinating to see the patterns come through.

Are you ready to modernize your legacy systems and unlock new efficiencies? Contact United Techno today to discover how we can help your business overcome the challenges of outdated systems and move forward with confidence. Our team is ready to deliver the solutions you need to stay competitive in today’s ever-evolving marketplace. Let's get started!