Modernization is the game in the current technology landscape. Whether it is updating databases or apps, keeping up with the pace means having a well-crafted app modernization roadmap.
A report shows that 77% of businesses started but couldn’t finish at least one app modernization program for SMBs or enterprises, and 38% of those enterprises said their failures were due to poor planning.
From the outside looking in, a roadmap might seem like an easy task, but it’s actually a complex process that needs extensive planning and execution. Having a dedicated team and a step-by-step guide will bring you closer to success.
In this guide, we will break down the steps to creating an effective application modernization roadmap simple steps.
What is an application modernization roadmap?
An application modernization roadmap is basically your blueprint that outlines how you will transform your legacy applications into modern systems.
Following a roadmap ensures everything aligns with your business objectives, follows best practices, and gets done in a smooth and controlled way. It’s all about fostering smart collaboration between your IT teams and business stakeholders.
More so than that, it is equally important to strategically create your app modernization roadmap. So, what is typically in an app modernization roadmap?
- Clear steps for digital transformation
- A timeline to keep everyone on track
- Overview of scope and objectives
- Team roles and responsibilities
- Application modernization tools
- Key milestones to measure progress
Depending on the size of your organization, this roadmap can be anywhere from a single page for smaller teams to over 100 pages for larger corporations.
How App Modernization Roadmap Benefits Your Business
Modern customers expect a seamless digital experience, and businesses need to meet those to stay relevant. The bridge between your business and modernization is an effective application modernization process.
A well-crafted app modernization roadmap is the first step to ensuring your organization can keep up with the changing digital landscape. Here are some of the benefits you can expect by following a well-designed roadmap:
Alignment across teams
We are all too familiar with the fact that any mix-ups among team members could slow down and lead to issues for any type of project. So, when it comes to application modernization, communication among everyone involved should be open.
And a clear roadmap strengthens that team alignment.
It ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding modernization goals, strategies, and timelines, which boosts collaboration and paves a smooth modernization journey.
Reduced risks and costs
When older systems don’t work well with the latest cloud-based apps, it can be tough for organizations to stay flexible and scalable. This often results in security risks and extra costs.
The roadmap helps spot potential risks and challenges early on, which allows for proactive strategies to reduce uncertainties and boost project success.
Also, a legacy application modernization roadmap includes compliance assurance. By tackling regulatory and compliance requirements during the planning phase, the roadmap ensures that modernized applications meet all the necessary legal and industry standards.
Focused and clear product vision
Legacy apps should be designed with growth in mind. Product teams work hard to improve and outpace the competition based on customer feedback and market changes.
During development, teams may lose sight of their main goals. A roadmap template helps create a unified product vision, ensuring coherence and keeping everyone aligned from the start.
That said, just because you have a plan doesn’t mean it can’t change. A roadmap keeps your focus, but you can definitely stay flexible and adjust the project timeline or goals as needed.
8 Steps to Build an Effective Application Modernization Roadmap
If you already know how businesses benefit from having a mobile app, the next thing you should look into is how to evolve your apps as the world moves forward.
To run a profitable digital business, modernizing applications should already be in your mind. But, it would be best if you also tackled it with a smart strategy.
As you plan to create a solid app modernization roadmap, here are 8 steps to follow:
1. Form a Team
As a first step, you should know who, how, and how much will be involved in your app modernization process. Essentially, you want to have a dedicated team for this specific cause.
Include people from both IT and business teams. Business stakeholders know what they want out of modernization, while IT pros have the technical know-how to make it happen. Bring them into a single team and assign clear roles and responsibilities.
If your company doesn’t have enough in-house experts for this project, it might be a good idea to consider application modernization services. Before you pick a vendor, take a moment to jot down the specialists on your team who will be working with the external partner.
Typically, your team should consist of:
- Project Manager: Oversees the project, ensuring it aligns with timelines, budget, and goals.
- Product Owner/Business Analyst: Bridges business objectives and technical execution by defining requirements and priorities.
- Enterprise/Solution Architect: Designs the technical architecture for scalability, integration, and alignment with IT strategy.
- Development/DevOps Team: Modernizes through coding, testing, deployment, and continuous integration.
- Security and QA Specialists: Ensures the application is secure, high-quality, and compliant.
2. Examine your current app infrastructure
Without a good understanding of the challenges you’re facing, you can’t really prioritize your modernization efforts.
So, once you have a team in place, it’s time to take a look at all your existing applications. This step helps you figure out what’s working and what needs an upgrade.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- The hardware and software currently in use at your organization
- Outdated features that aren’t working as they should
- Any integration issues you’re facing
- Compatibility problems between apps
Your IT team or a dedicated software development partner can analyze your current setup and develop a plan for the future. However, they can only work with the information they have, so be ready to collect feedback from different departments about the software they use.
Make sure to discuss these issues with all the key stakeholders. And for customer-facing IT infrastructure, check in with Customer Support teams and look into the Voice of the Customer (VoC) feedback.
3. Determine the scope and key objectives
With all the information gathered, it’s time to identify your main goals. Consider why you’re modernizing your app in the first place—the why will help steer all your decisions about the modernization process.
You probably have a few good reasons to update your legacy systems, but narrowing them down to three or four main objectives can really help you prioritize and track your success. Here are some questions to get you started:
- What problems are we aiming to solve by modernizing our application?
- How do these issues affect our business, employees, and customers?
- What new capabilities do we need in the updated system?
- What are our long-term and short-term goals, and how will this modernization help us reach them?
- Which applications are the most critical to modernize?
Taking the time to clarify these points ensures you’re in line with what the organization truly needs and gives you a clear path forward. Whatever your goals are, remember to keep them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
4. Establish a modernization approach
Now that you know what you want from your modernization efforts, it is time to get technical with employing the right app modernization strategy.
There are a few common methodologies that teams use when modernizing apps:
- Rehost or “Lift-and-Shift”: This involves moving your apps from one location to another, such as from an on-premise data center to the cloud. It’s a straightforward process using containers, virtual machines (VMs), and an automated platform.
- Replatform: This is similar to rehosting, but you’ll make a few adjustments to your apps before moving. For example, you can move from an on-premise environment to the cloud and upgrade your operating system. This method is less manual than rehosting and can be more efficient.
- Refactor: This is when developers review existing code and restructure it without altering the app’s core functionality, improving performance and scalability. It involves optimizing the code to leverage new cloud-native technologies while keeping everything else intact. It’s like a makeover for your software that maintains its essence but with a cleaner internal structure.
- Rearchitect: This approach is more involved and requires serious code changes to shift the app to a new cloud-based setup. While rearchitecting can improve performance and scalability, it takes more time and resources to implement.
- Rebuild: In this approach, developers conduct an entire modernization process to build a new app from scratch. It’s the most expensive and time-consuming option, but it can result in a high-performing, scalable app that fits your needs perfectly. Just be sure to plan out how all the new parts will work together.
- Replace: If the current app is outdated and beyond repair, it might be best to replace it entirely. This approach involves finding a new commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product or building a new in-house solution to replace the legacy system.
Whichever method you choose, ensure you clearly understand its potential impact on your business before starting. Consider factors like cost, time constraints, team skills, and alignment with long-term goals when deciding.
5. Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Measuring the results of your modernization efforts is essential to evaluating its effectiveness. By setting clear, specific, and relevant KPIs, you can track progress and adjust your strategy as needed.
KPIs can vary depending on the application modernization strategy you have taken, but some common metrics for measuring success include:
- Cost Savings: Measure the cost savings achieved by modernizing the app compared to maintaining the legacy system.
- Application Performance: Measure the time it takes for the app to complete tasks or how well it responds during peak usage times.
- Reduced Downtime: Measure the amount of downtime experienced with the legacy system versus the updated application.
- User Satisfaction: Gather feedback from users to see if they are happy with the updated application.
- Employee Feedback: Survey employees to gauge their satisfaction with the new app and any changes made.
You can customize your KPIs to fit your modernization priorities, but be sure to regularly review and report on progress to keep your team and stakeholders informed.
6. Create your step-by-step implementation plan
With a clear understanding of your objectives and approach, it’s time to create a detailed implementation plan. This plan should outline the specific steps required for each of your modernization projects.
Here, you’ll want to lay out some actionable tasks and milestones, figure out your resources, and set a timeline for getting everything done. The key is to break down the complex process into manageable tasks that support your modernization goals and vision.
To get you started, here are some questions to consider:
- What is the timeline for each phase of the modernization process?
- What are the key milestones that need to be reached, and by when?
- Who will be responsible for each task or milestone?
- What resources (project management software, team members, budget) must we use to complete each step?
- How will we handle any potential roadblocks or challenges that may arise during the modernization process?
Creating a detailed timeline like this can help you stay organized and track progress.
7. Engage stakeholders and communicate the plan
Remember your app modernization team? Well, it is time to bring everyone together again and loop in any relevant stakeholders about your plan.
By engaging them early, you’re more likely to gain their support for the modernization efforts. Keeping everyone updated on progress will help manage expectations and build trust.
Your engagement plan should provide the following:
- Stakeholder identification: List all stakeholders in modernization, outlining their roles (internal: executives, managers, developers, end-users; external: vendors, partners, regulators).
- Communication channels: Plan for regular updates via meetings, reports, and defined communication formats to keep stakeholders informed and engaged.
- Change management strategies: Implement strategies for the smooth adoption of modernized applications, including training, support, and communication addressing cultural aspects.
The focus is on fostering ownership, alignment, and collaboration to build a culture of trust and teamwork. By leveraging the voices and expertise of all stakeholders, the quality and impact of modernization efforts are enhanced.
8. Monitor and adjust as needed
Many would think that once the roadmap has been diligently followed and the modernization process is over, their work is done. This should not be the case.
Updating legacy systems is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing progress.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that once you have your new app deployed, you can put your feet up and relax. Technology is constantly evolving, and so are business needs.
Keep your team close and your detailed roadmap closer. Regularly read about trends and new technologies while consistently monitoring your KPIs to spot areas that need further improvement.
Regular reviews can help you identify areas for improvement and ensure your modernization efforts are aligned with your long-term goals. So, stay proactive and never stop looking for ways to improve!
Challenges to Overcome During Modernization Process
Even with a well-defined strategy and plan, challenges can still arise during your application modernization journey. Here are some common ones to keep in mind:
Technical and Integration Challenges
Legacy systems come with their fair share of technical debt, integration headaches, and outdated tech, making modernization a bit tricky and costly. Plus, figuring out how to keep everything running smoothly while dealing with old components can be quite a challenge.
Data Migration and Security
Migrating data from old systems comes with some risks, like potential data loss and compatibility issues. Plus, older applications might have security vulnerabilities that we need to fix to guard against today’s threats.
Skill Gaps and Resistance to Change
It can be tough to find skilled pros to work on legacy systems, and sometimes, organizations resist new technologies, which can slow down modernization. That’s why effective training and change management strategies are key for a smooth transition.
Let’s Modernize Your App!
Do you want to start your application modernization project?
At Startechup, we specialize in modernizing legacy applications and providing custom software development services. Along with digital transformation projects, we leverage modern technologies to meet today’s business needs.
Contact us today!
