What is application modernisation?

Application modernisation is the term used to describe the modernisation of (sub)applications or entire application landscapes. Application modernisation projects pose an organisational challenge for companies; however, they also offer the opportunity for them to reorganise and to adapt their IT landscape to the latest circumstances and requirements.

Depending on the initial situation and the strategy chosen, a number of different approaches to modernisation are possible – ranging from a complete technical overhaul, to the targeted further development of the application, and even to replacing the application with standard software.

Why is application modernisation important?

Application modernisation is necessary so that companies can meet the current and future requirements of their business. Modern companies’ core applications have a decisive impact on how competitive they are: new opportunities on the market need to be acted on quickly, business is becoming more agile and so the software that supports this business needs to adapt as well.

Outdated applications are often based on end-of-life technologies and tend to be extremely complex. As a result, they generate additional costs, pose a potential security risk due to a lack of support, and result in a competitive disadvantage over the medium term. 

What are the greatest challenges in terms of application modernisation?

Working on a business-critical application is essentially open-heart surgery. It demands exceptional methodology and technical skills. Seamless migration of data, archives, and ongoing business must be guaranteed at all times. Most companies wait too long to start the modernisation process, resulting in additional time pressure and poor underlying conditions. This situation is compounded by the fact that the company is often lacking sufficient knowledge of the outdated application and the supporting processes within the organisation. Application modernisation projects are change projects that go beyond simple technical modernisation and also involve organisational changes and updated processes. For this reason, support from management is critical for modernisation projects.

What happens if my company does not modernize its applications?

Additional applications are installed because new business applications can no longer be implemented in the existing system. This makes the overall application and infrastructure landscape even more complex and difficult to maintain. In this way, the outdated applications become an operational risk and inhibit innovation.

What is the ideal way to approach modernization projects?

Zühlke has successfully used a four-step approach to modernization projects for many years:

• Vitality check: what is the current status of your applications?
• Fitness plan: how can we work together to make your applications fit for the future?
• Modernization: we help you modernise your applications. 
• Optimisation: we continually adapt your applications based on the challenges your business faces.

What makes application projects successful?

• Think big: how can we rethink the current opportunities? Where are new and disruptive approaches possible? 
• View all: take a holistic view of the project from the business, technology, and user perspectives.
• Involve people: encourage everyone involved to actively participate.
• Show success: quickly share the initial successes with your team.
• Show benefits: demonstrate the clear advantages for your business.
• Manage expectations: actively manage expectations and create a coordinated, strictly prioritised roadmap for continuous improvement throughout the entire project.
• Prioritise: ensure value-based prioritisation while also considering the resulting risks.

What does the topic of application modernization mean for the company’s strategic orientation?

The freedom regained in the area of applications offers the business new opportunities to develop. Time to market is reduced over the long term, while service quality is improved. The IT landscape can be streamlined through application modernization, which in turn increases efficiency. The reduction of maintenance requirements also allows additional savings to be made.
 

How can cloud technology support application modernisation?

Cloud technologies such as Microsoft Azure and AWS are another option for the operation of applications. Using the cloud can increase organisational flexibility. Often, cloud providers can offer better data security and a more modern infrastructure than an in-house data centre. Furthermore, the cloud makes it possible to remain independent of providers; however, this needs to be taken into account in the architecture of the application and the use of cloud services. The cloud ecosystem can simplify or even enable the integration of new services in the environment of business applications. This means that cloud applications can serve as a viable alternative to local development or local operation of applications.