Application modernization is a solution to accelerate the digital transformation journey of any organization. The market presents an ever-changing scenario that requires organizations to undergo a shift in their processes and workflows. Most organizations have their applications in an on-premise environment, thus creating bottlenecks like security vulnerability, reduced productivity, reduced scope of innovation, and ineffective data management. Application modernization is the solution to all these. 

But to have a successful app modernization journey, there are best practices to apply so that the process is seamless and successful. In this article, we discuss a few of the best practices you can adopt for a successful app modernization journey.

Application modernization best practices

Below are a few best practices for a successful app modernization journey:

• Align Modernization Journey With Measurable Objectives

To gauge the success of an initiative, align the modernization journey with your business and I.T. goals. Better agility and faster time to market can be used as  measurable objectives to show progress.

You must identify the most critical and highest-priority applications to start the goal-setting process. Then analysis of how scalability, reliability, and better performance should be done to gauge how they will benefit your business.

• Use a Combination of Modernization Approaches in Phases

The six popular approaches of modernization are Rehost, Refactor, Re-platform, Re Architect, Replace, and Rebuild. To make the most out of the modernization process you can start with any of the approaches. For example, you can decide to first Re-host the application in the cloud without changing the software code. Then you can re-platform it with an efficient cloud-based solution. You can then Refactor a high-priority application of your choice and take advantage of additional cloud technologies. All these are dependent on the approach that will best suit your application type.

• Come Up With a Simple But Effective Project Timeline

Consider project goals, assignments, tasks, and start and finish time to create a project timeline. Communicate with the project team on the priorities, and project tasks and then track the progress based on your objectives. There are tools and software you can use to plan the app modernization timelines.

• When Selecting the Architecture Think Long Term

In any modernization journey, architecture is crucial as it will determine integration with other systems. Select an architecture that easily works with other automated processes. When considering new architecture, consider what it is built on, if it will lock you down, and whether it will restrict you in any way.

• Breakdown the Components of Legacy Software

It is advisable to divide the legacy software into small chunks. Trying to do everything at once will be exhausting and can be very risky. Smaller pieces or goals are simpler to modernize. It also ensures in case of an issue, the whole business doesn’t come to a standstill. This can be achieved by:

• Deconstructing the model into different configurations.
• Model networking among the individual components. 
• Defragmenting every single aspect of the application.

• Use Software Estimation Models

Many organizations tend to wrongly assume the software will work for decades without further investments. The truth is that with time they will have compatibility issues and will become less secure. So for a growing business, modernizing will ultimately save you a lot. It may look costly but will in the end improve operational excellence and save you money. Below are approaches you can use to cost of modernizing apps:

• Constructive cost model

This is a regression model that uses the number of lines of code to estimate the cost of a project.

• Putnam model

Allows an organization to forecast time, what they need to finish the project, and get the correct modernization cost estimate.

• Function point analysis

This method sizes the software work product functionally in terms of what the user requests and receives.

• Document Every Tiny Detail

Documenting will serve as a vital tool for future maintenance and a foundation for later transformations. Ensure you document every detail since the initiation of the job. These may include files and programs you have used during the development process. You also record any changes introduced to the process. Detailed documentation is critical when you want to digitally transform aging applications.

• Deploy Automation to Expedite Tasks

To speed up the delivery cycle of the software and offer value to your organization in a short time, automation has to be adopted in the modernization plan.

This can be done by:

• Harnessing the power of DevOps to get automation tools.
• Use DataOps for accelerated data delivery to analysts for insight.
• Integrate XOps to get rid of organizational silos to ensure better collaboration among software engineers, IT teams, and data scientists.

• Identify Bottlenecks With Performance Metrics

After streamlining the App modernization journey, the next thing should be measuring the performance of the modernization process through performance metrics like response time, throughput, memory usage, and CPU utilization. Tracking them will help identify performance issues and bottlenecks. This will also enable you to track in real-time application’s performance.

• Define and Train for Specific Roles in the Modernization Team

To deploy new applications, you will require transformed skill sets across the company that will drive and sustain the changes. An example of a staffing hierarchy can include:

• C-suite executives.
• Product Owner.
• Project Manager.
• Modernization Architect.
• Legacy App Expert.
• Senior Developers.
• QA Engineer.

Conclusion

App modernization is not an overnight process. It requires meticulous planning and to be able to achieve it successfully you have to apply some tried and tested best practices. We have discussed a few above and putting them into consideration will not only save you money but also precious time. For your business to achieve more efficiency, app modernization is the way to go. You should, however, ensure the process aligns with your business goals and objectives, Also start small and gradually increase.

Planning for Application Modernization? connect with application development company and get a consultation at free of charge.

Also read: Legacy application modernization challenges