The old IT adage “Never change a running system” is only viewed with a nostalgic shake of the head in today’s innovation-driven tech industry. Instead, the modernization of IT systems is a decisive factor in remaining competitive and advancing technologically. The software service provider Avision shows how this works in practice.
There are many reasons to modernize your own software. The challenges and stumbling blocks that companies encounter are just as numerous. Success or failure is primarily determined by a pre-defined roadmap and, as far as possible, realistic planning of the entire project. Before programmers lay their hands on the code, a few key questions should therefore be answered and decisions made. What should companies consider in the run-up to a software modernization?
- No modernization project can do without an in-depth analysis of the current state of IT systems. In this first step, the focus is not only on identifying optimization opportunities in the code, but above all on evaluating the system. What role does it play within the IT landscape – is it still a “running system” at all? And which functions or areas of the code are still important for the company in the future? Which ones are superfluous?
- The second phase revolves around the right strategy and the right concept. The top priority here is to define a concrete goal – what should be modernized and how? What should the end result look like and what benefits can be expected? Once these questions have been answered, the focus shifts to the how: which approaches and methods should IT teams use to modernize systems and components? There are various approaches to choose from – from refactoring and the modernization of individual components to the complete redesign of the software.
- Once all the facts and objectives are on the table, the next important step is to estimate the cost of the entire modernization project. With a view to the previously analyzed system landscape as well as the required resources and potential risks, companies create a reliable basis for the modernization project. In doing so, they should carefully coordinate business objectives, technical feasibility and budget requirements in order to set realistic schedules and priorities. As many companies lack the necessary experience, working with an external service provider has proven to be a best practice that provides valuable support and expertise for all or even just some of the aspects mentioned.
- Investment in test automation is an often neglected but central aspect of software modernization. It accelerates development cycles, minimizes risks and sources of error through early warnings, reduces costs in the long term and ensures consistent testing. There is plenty of software on the market depending on the application – for example the open source products Selenium and Cypress. The decisive factor here is the measurement of test automation: How much code does the tool actually cover? Are there any blind spots?
“Software modernization has long since ceased to be a nice option or a minor technical upgrade; corresponding projects are an investment in the future viability and innovative strength of every company,” says Nadine Riederer, CEO of Avision. “The right roadmap and knowledge of the scope and complexity are important prerequisites – because as important as modernization is, it also has many hurdles.”
This press release is also available at www.pr-com.de/de/avision.
Press contact
Avision GmbH
Christina Karl
Marketing
Bajuwarenring 14
D-82041 Oberhaching
Phone +49-89-623037-967
christina.karl@avision-it.de
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Melissa Gemmrich
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Phone +49-89-59997-759
melissa.gemmrich@pr-com.de
