Sharing a Must-Have App Makeover Strategy

Did you know that a staggering 70% of legacy apps are currently used by different organizations? Legacy apps often struggle to keep up with modern needs and demands of customers and employees. As a result businesses face a lot of inefficiencies, security vulnerabilities, and keep missing new opportunities to grow and earn more.?

In 2023 legacy app modernization is no longer a choice, it is a necessity. Companies need to consider implementing new technologies, improving UX, and expanding functionality. It’s not an easy task.?

But luckily I know how to perform a successful legacy app modernization, and I’m going to share my experience with you. In this post you will find out:?

• what challenges to expect,
• where to start,
• what approach to choose,
• what to do when your app is modernized.?

Are you eager to read all the insights? Then let’s get started!?

The Essence of Legacy App Modernization

In general, legacy app modernization involves updating outdated systems with modern technology, better functionality, and enhanced capabilities. This process can:?

• efficiently reduce maintenance costs,
• improve efficiency,?
• improve customer retention,?
• help business stay competitive,
• create right brand perception,?
• ensure that the app meets the latest standards.

App modernization usually requires re-engineering its architecture and updating the codebase. It also involves migrating the application to a more modern environment, such as cloud-based infrastructure, to make it more scalable and efficient.

Legacy systems can lead to several problems, such as dependency on outdated technology, difficulty in maintaining, and increased costs.?

By modernizing the application, you can solve these problems, reduce the risks of cyberattacks, and ensure that the application remains compliant with the latest regulations and standards. You will also gain several benefits, such as enhanced performance, improved security, and cost-efficiency.

Challenges of Modernizing Legacy Applications

Modernizing a legacy application is not an easy process. It requires significant effort, resources, and time.

One of the most significant challenges is determining which modernization approach to use, as not all approaches are suitable for all applications. Other challenges include dependency mapping, understanding the system’s existing architecture, and assessing the application’s performance.

Another challenge of modernizing legacy applications is ensuring that the modernized application is compatible with other systems and applications in the business. This requires careful planning and coordination between different teams and departments within the organization.

By taking a strategic approach and working with experienced professionals, businesses can successfully modernize their legacy applications and gain a competitive edge.

Assessing Your Legacy App

Before you begin the modernization process, you need to assess your legacy app to determine its strengths, weaknesses, and dependencies. This process involves several steps:

Step 1 – Identifying Business Goals and Objectives

You should identify why you want to modernize your legacy app and what goals and objectives you want to achieve. Are you doing it to improve performance, reduce costs, or enhance security?

For instance, if you want to improve performance, you need to identify the areas where the application is slow and causes delays. Similarly, if you want to reduce costs, you need to identify the areas where the application is expensive to maintain or requires a lot of resources.

Identifying business goals and objectives helps you prioritize the modernization process and determine the areas that require immediate attention.

Step 2 – Evaluating the Current State of Your App

Assessing the current state of your application involves analyzing the application’s architecture, design, code quality, and performance. You can use various tools and techniques such as code reviews, automated testing, and performance monitoring to evaluate your application.

Evaluating the current state of your application helps you identify the areas that require improvement and the areas that are performing well.

Step 3 – Analyzing Dependencies and Integrations

Understanding the application’s dependencies and integrations is crucial as it helps you in determining the technical feasibility of implementing a specific modernization approach. Dependency mapping also helps identify areas that require expansion and improvement.

For instance, if your application has dependencies on outdated technologies or third-party libraries that are no longer supported, you need to identify alternative solutions or upgrade the dependencies to ensure compatibility.

Similarly, if your application has integrations with other systems, you need to analyze the impact of modernization on those systems and ensure that the integrations continue to function properly.

5 App Modernization Approaches

The modernization approaches are not one-size-fits-all, and each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate your business requirements and choose the approach that aligns with your goals.

1: Rehosting (Lift and Shift)

Rehosting involves moving your application from the current hosting environment to a new one. This approach allows you to optimize the infrastructure and provide more efficient access to the resources.

Rehosting is a suitable option for applications that require minimal changes and have a tight timeline. This approach can help you reduce the costs associated with maintaining on-premises infrastructure and improve scalability.

2: Replatforming

Replatforming involves moving your application from one platform to another by modifying the application code. It allows you to take advantage of modern tools and architecture while not changing the app’s primary function.

Replatforming is a suitable option for applications that require moderate changes and have a longer timeline. This approach can help you improve the application’s performance, security, and scalability.

3: Refactoring

Refactoring involves improving the app’s existing codebase without changing the application’s functionality. This approach is suitable for simple applications that require minor improvements. Refactoring can help you improve the app’s maintainability, scalability, and performance.

However, refactoring may not be the best option for applications that require significant changes to the application’s architecture and design. Additionally, refactoring may not be cost-effective for complex applications.

4: Rebuilding

Rebuilding involves re-designing and re-writing the application from scratch. This approach is suitable for applications with significant defects or outdated architectures. Rebuilding can help you improve the application’s performance, scalability, and maintainability.

However, rebuilding can be time-consuming and expensive. It requires a significant investment in resources and may not be feasible for all applications.

5: Replacing

Replacing involves finding a new application that meets your business objectives and replacing the legacy application with a new one. This approach is suitable when legacy applications require significant updates/changes. Replacing can help you take advantage of modern tools and architecture and improve the application’s performance, security, and scalability.

However, replacing may require significant changes to the business processes and may not be feasible for all applications. Additionally, replacing can be expensive and may require significant training for the end-users.

Preparing for the Modernization Process

Modernizing a legacy application can be a daunting task, but with the right preparation and team, it can be a smooth and successful process. Here is how you can prepare to it:

Assemble a Modernization Team

The team should consist of individuals with diverse skill sets, including developers, project managers, and quality assurance professionals.

Assembling a modernization team is crucial for project success. The team will work together to ensure that the modernization process is executed efficiently, and that the modernized application meets the business objectives.

Establish a Modernization Timeline

The modernization timeline should include key milestones, such as:

• the start and end dates of each phase
• a detailed breakdown of tasks and deliverables,
• resources required for each task.

By establishing a modernization timeline, you can ensure that the project stays on track and that each phase of the modernization process is completed on time and within budget.

Set a Budget and Allocate Resources

The budget should include all costs associated with the modernization process, including development costs, testing costs, and any additional resources required. It should also include a contingency budget to cover any unexpected costs or challenges that may arise during the process.

Allocating resources is also important. You should ensure that the development team has access to the necessary hardware and software resources, as well as any other resources required, such as training or support.

Implement the Modernization Plan

After preparing for the modernization process, you need to implement the modernization plan successfully. This involves 3 core steps:

Step 1: Ensure Data Security and Compliance

One of the most critical steps in modernizing your legacy application is ensuring that your application complies with any applicable data security and compliance regulations.

For instance, if you’re dealing with sensitive data like medical records, you need to comply with HIPAA regulations. Similarly, if you’re dealing with personal data of EU citizens, you need to comply with GDPR regulations. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and legal issues, so it’s crucial to get it right.

You can ensure data security and compliance by conducting a thorough audit of your application and its data. This will help you identify any potential security risks and vulnerabilities. You can then take appropriate measures to address these risks and ensure that your application complies with the relevant regulations.

Step 2: Manage Change and Minimize Disruption

You can communicate changes by sending out regular updates, holding meetings with stakeholders, and providing training to your employees.

It’s crucial to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the changes that are taking place. This will help minimize disruption and ensure a smooth transition to the new application.

Step 3: Monitor Progress and Adjust as Needed

You can monitor progress by setting up regular checkpoints and milestones. You can also use project management tools to track progress and identify any potential issues.

It’s essential to be flexible and willing to adjust your plan as needed. Modernization projects can be complex, and unexpected issues can arise.

Post-Modernization Considerations

After your app is all set and ready, consider several post-modernization tasks to ensure that it is working as expected.

Train and Support

Training should be comprehensive and cover all aspects of the new system. It should include hands-on training, online training, and user manuals. This will ensure that all users are comfortable using the new system and can perform their tasks efficiently.

Support should be available to users at all times. This can be in the form of a help desk, email support, or live chat support. This will help to ensure that any issues or problems are resolved quickly, minimizing any downtime or disruption to the business.

Maintain and Update

Maintenance should be scheduled regularly to ensure that the system is running at optimal performance. This will help to prevent any issues or problems from arising and ensure that the system is always up to date.

Updates should be applied as soon as they become available. This will help to ensure that the system is always compliant with the latest industry and data security regulations and standards. It will also help to prevent any security breaches that may occur due to outdated software or hardware.

Measure Success and ROI

Success can be measured in various ways, including increased productivity, reduced downtime, improved customer satisfaction, and increased revenue. ROI can be calculated by comparing the cost of the modernization project to the benefits it has provided.

Measuring success and ROI will help you to determine whether your modernization project was successful and whether it has provided the expected benefits. This will help you to make informed decisions about future modernization projects and ensure that you are investing in the right areas.

An Example of How My Team Helps to Modernize Apps

One of our clients had an e-commerce platform for selling spare parts and accessories for vehicles. Unfortunately that platform looked and felt outdated. His customers and employees struggled to use it:

Users couldn't search for products, track orders or make any changes to them. Employees struggled with duplication of orders and spent 80% of time on manual work. So it was obvious that the platform requires a solid modernization.

And here is what we did to help our client:?

• user research to define all struggles?
• workshop with stakeholders to understand the core problem?
• new requirements to choose new look and flow for an admin panel?
• shift from old tech stack (jQuerry and PHP) to Angular and Node?
• a new UX with better menu, filters, navigation
• sync of website with ERP

Here is how old platform looked like:

Here is how modernized platform looks now:

And the outcomes of the platform modernization are very impressive:

• our client doubled his client base,
• there are 0 duplicated orders,
• there is no manual work for employees.

It took just5 months to modernize the platform and make it more effective, convenient, and user-friendly.

To sum it up

These days all organizations should consider modernizing their legacy applications to keep up with technological advancement, compliance regulations, and provide better functionality to their customers and employees.

So if you've been waiting for a sign to start app modernization, here it is!

Hope my tips from this post will help you.

And just in case you need any tech assistance, DM me ;)

Let's talk about your app and how it can be improved!