How to Conduct an IT Infrastructure Assessment for Legacy Modernization

We frequently recommend an infrastructure assessment as the first step to a modernization project. Whether you're implementing microservices for the first time or thinking about Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for your organization, a thorough assessment can make a real difference in the success of your project. It will ground you in the here-and-now state of affairs for your company's IT foundation and help you chart a course for a more agile and competitive company.

By understanding the current state, aligning IT with business needs, evaluating risks, analyzing costs, and developing a clear roadmap, you can modernize effectively

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of conducting a comprehensive IT infrastructure assessment for legacy modernization, offering actionable steps and insights along the way.

Understanding the Current State?

Your first step in the assessment is to gain a clear picture of your existing IT infrastructure. This involves taking a comprehensive inventory of all hardware, software, and network components.??

• Inventory and Evaluate: List all hardware and software, noting versions, utilization rates, and performance metrics. This helps identify outdated or underutilized resources.?

• Assess Performance and Reliability: Review the performance of each component to identify bottlenecks or weaknesses that could affect operations.??

• Identify Redundancies: Look for areas where systems overlap, causing inefficiencies that could be streamlined.?

By thoroughly understanding the current state of your IT assets, you set the foundation for strategic modernization.?

Static Code Analysis with CM First Group's CM evolveIT?

An essential aspect of modernizing legacy systems involves analyzing and understanding existing codebases. Static code analysis is a method used to examine and evaluate code without executing it, identifying potential improvements and uncovering hidden technical debt. CM First Group offers a powerful solution with their software, CM evolveIT, specifically designed to facilitate this process for legacy systems.?

• Code Comprehension: CM evolveIT excels at parsing complex legacy code, delivering an in-depth understanding of your system's architecture and dependencies. This allows IT teams to precisely map out the interconnections within your software, making it easier to plan and execute modernization efforts.?

• Impact Analysis: With CM evolveIT, you can perform comprehensive impact assessments to understand how changes in the codebase may affect other system areas. This feature helps minimize unexpected disruptions during the modernization process.?

• Efficiency and Accuracy: By automating static code analysis, CM evolveIT ensures a high level of accuracy and efficiency, reducing the time and resources needed to assess legacy code. This streamlines the assessment phase, enabling quicker transitions to modern architectures.?

Integrating static code analysis with CM evolveIT into your IT infrastructure assessment yields valuable insights, paving the way for a smooth transition from legacy systems to modernized solutions.?

Identifying Business Needs and Future Goals

Modernizing your IT infrastructure should not be a standalone activity. Instead, it should align with your business’s overarching goals and strategies.??

• Engage with Stakeholders: Collect input from key stakeholders across various departments to understand their needs and expectations. This collaboration ensures IT solutions support business objectives.?

• Align IT Goals with Business Strategy: Create synergy between your IT initiatives and business strategies to facilitate growth and innovation.?

Understanding these needs helps tailor your modernization efforts to effectively support the company's future direction.?

Risk Assessment?

With business needs and goals in hand, evaluate potential risks associated with your current IT infrastructure.?

• Conduct a Cybersecurity Audit: Identify vulnerabilities within your system's security to prevent breaches and data loss.??

• Review Compliance: Ensure your system complies with industry standards and regulations. Identify gaps and create measures to address them.?

• Mitigation Planning: Develop strategies to mitigate risks, such as enhancing security protocols and deploying backup solutions.?

A proactive risk assessment protects your organization from potential threats and enhances your overall security posture.?

Cost Analysis?

Analyzing costs is essential to justify modernization efforts and ensure financial viability.?

• Calculate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Consider all operational and maintenance costs of your current infrastructure.?

• Estimate Modernization Costs: Calculate expenses related to new hardware, software, and potential downtimes during transition.?

• Evaluate ROI: Estimate the return on investment by comparing potential cost savings and efficiency gains against modernization expenses.?

A detailed cost analysis helps prioritize projects that offer the greatest value and return on investment.?

Developing a Roadmap for Modernization?

With assessments complete, you can design a strategic roadmap for modernization.?

• Prioritize Efforts: Focus resources on high-impact projects that address critical business needs.?

• Create an Implementation Plan: Outline a step-by-step plan, detailing milestones, timelines, and responsibilities.?

• Identify Key Stakeholders: Assign roles and responsibilities to ensure accountability and progress.?

A well-defined roadmap guides your team through the modernization process, ensuring alignment with business goals.?

Final Thoughts?

Conducting regular IT infrastructure assessments is vital for maintaining business agility and competitiveness. By understanding the current state, aligning IT with business needs, evaluating risks, analyzing costs, and developing a clear roadmap, you can modernize effectively.??

Don’t wait to start your legacy modernization. Engage with experts like CM First offering tools and services that help streamline assessment and modernization efforts. Our expertise can guide your organization toward a modern, efficient IT infrastructure, empowering your business to thrive in a fast-moving technology landscape.

How CM First Group can help

CM evolveIT can play a critical role in helping you make a compelling business case for modernization by analyzing and transforming your underlying code. Our suite of tools and services is comprehensive and designed to accelerate the process while reducing costs and risks—an easy sell to any stakeholders who might be fearful of the costs and risks of legacy modernization that wipes out your technical debt.

Contact CM First today to learn more about how our CM evolveIT software can help you modernize your systems, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.