Everything is evolving and getting better, molding itself to the growing needs and changing demands of the industry. Why should enterprise IT be left behind then? One of the key aspects of digital modernization is to modernize the enterprise IT and strangely, many businesses give it a miss.
As a result, IT development is slower and does not match the requirements of the organization. Let’s dig deeper into this and see how enterprises can ensure that IT is a part of digital transformation.
In simple words, an outdated software program is categorized as legacy software. It was useful once but in the present scenario, it does not align with the business needs. The reason why legacy software needs to be brought up to the current requirements is that it poses certain risks.
As per a recent Gartner report, by 2024, low-code no-code application development will be responsible for more than 65 percent of application development activity.
There are several reasons why businesses should take up digital modernization. As per Harris Poll, companies today lose upward of $300 billion a year paying down “technical debt,” as developers pour time into maintaining legacy systems or dealing with the ramifications of bad and old legacy software. Some of the reasons include:
Companies today lose upward of $300 billion a year paying down “technical debt,” as developers pour time into maintaining legacy systems or dealing with the ramifications of bad and old legacy software.
Harris Poll
1. Difficult to Customize
It is difficult to customize because it is code-heavy. Even a single edit or update can cause the whole system to come to a standstill. Customization also takes a lot of time and effort.
2. Security Issues
It can pose as a point of attack for hackers due to poor security. Over time, any software program will have patches, making it more and more vulnerable.
3. Hard to Maintain
It is complicated and expensive. Enterprises have to look for technicians trained on the legacy software and the underlying technology and spend extra even for maintenance. Updates and repairs cost even more.
4. Integration Challenges
Legacy software usually offers limited integration capability. Integration is the most important factor today as the world warms up to remote working. If CRMs, accounting software, etc. cannot be integrated, employees will find it very hard to operate.
5. Compliance Issues
It may no longer be compliant because industry regulations keep changing. Your legacy software may have been compliant earlier but the chances are high that it’s no longer the case. Failure to comply leads to heavy penalties.
6. Mobility Issues
It pushes you to the backseat in terms of competition because it is not mobile and lacks innovation. It does not have updated features that competitors have.
7. Not easily extendible
The legacy architecture is mostly not modular and does not allow for easy extension to add new functionality.
8. Compatibility with the latest products and technology
You won’t be able to make the most out of new products and technology because you are still using legacy software.
Due to the aforementioned reasons, the digital modernization of legacy software is a must. This is nothing but modernizing the enterprise IT as per the current needs to make it agile and competitive.
“Application modernization is not just one thing.” – Stefan van der Zijden, Research Director at Gartner
Following is an outline of the steps you should follow to modernize your legacy systems. Rest assured, it is not going to tamper with your business growth.
Ensure goals are clearly set out. You don’t want to feel lost in the middle of your legacy modernization journey. If established properly, they will guide you throughout. Keep your business needs (current and future) in mind while doing so.
Understanding what you are working with is the key to modernizing it. Study everything about your current system from the UI to the functionalities so that you know what’s lacking and what you need to add.
Based on your findings, create a plan or strategy for legacy modernization. This should ideally be in-depth so that it is easy to implement and cover all aspects of your technology modernization. Make sure you are evaluating the latest technologies including Low-Code, No-Code, AI, RPA, Machine Learning, etc. to see how they can benefit you in meeting the business goals, get you the competitive edge, and help you stay agile in the ever-changing business scene. Consider performance, security, privacy, mobility, integration, and extendibility when you formulate your strategy.
Execute your strategy. Make sure you prioritize your execution tasks and execute them in phases for effective implementation.
Consolidate data that is otherwise may be scattered across the legacy systems. Consider the cloud for your hosting requirements. The benefits are immense.
Integrate your new software with other in-house and external systems so that they can work seamlessly without any data redundancy.
The last step to legacy modernization is getting the employees involved. Train them so that they understand the changes and get used to the new normal.
Also read: Everything you should know about No-Code Development
Make sure you make No-Code a part of your Digital Modernization. The benefits are immense and therefore cannot be ignored.
As per a recent Gartner report, by 2024, low-code no-code application development will be responsible for more than 65 percent of application development activity.
Let us highlight how Quixy, as a leading no-code application platform, is a must-have for your digital modernization.
Quixy is a cloud-based no-code platform that will help you modernize your enterprise IT without affecting your business. With Quixy, you can do the following:
Digital modernization of legacy systems can be the difference between a fast-paced business that’s ahead of the rest and a dying business. The sooner you modernize, the better. And, Quixy is here to help you make that shift seamlessly. For a trial or demo, please get in touch with us today.