10 Steps For Succeeding with Legacy IT Modernization

While the idea of mainframe migration can feel daunting, it’s a critical step organizations need to take to stay agile and competitive. Tim Jones, MD of application modernization at Advanced, shares how companies can manage their modernization of IT systems more effectively.

Organizations spend anywhere from 60-80% of their corporate IT budgets by operating legacy applications – whether due to the legacy skill shortage, lack of interoperability, technical debt, or software entropy. Yet, 80% of the world’s corporate data still resides in or originates from mainframes, revealing a backward IT strategy and approach. Despite the growing appetite from organizations to modernize their systems, there are many programs that continue to fail or run into delays due to inadequate planning, poor understanding of the legacy environment, or a lack of mainframe modernization expertise. Others still haven’t quite realized the value in modernization at all.

The pandemic showed the increasing number of organizations that fell short when modernizing. This can be blamed on the fact that they underestimated the issues as well as the steps required to have a successful migration. Among these challenges is a widening gap between truly agile, cloud-operative companies that can more easily innovate their businesses and scale and those still shackled by cumbersome, rigid, monolithic systems and architectures that will continue to fall behind. 

In order for companies to even think about competing with new entrants and keep up with digital transformation shifts of tomorrow — not to mention save annual costs in the process — IT leaders and managers will need to prioritize modernization efforts to reach the ultimate potential. With this in mind, the following are ten necessary steps to prioritize before starting the modernization journey.

1. Understand what systems and applications are used across the organization

Before starting any application modernization project, the first step is to understand what tools and systems are on the organization’s portfolio. To ensure all systems and applications are accounted for, leaders need to audit the primary (i.e., COBOL, CA Gen, Natural, etc.) and secondary programming languages (i.e., Easytrieve, Assembler, etc.) – including looking at where and how these languages are used – as well as examine how the data infrastructure is stored (i.e., files, relational databases, etc.) and used in the organization. 

2. Align on the end goal

Understanding the end goal of the modernization project and the pipeline is key to a successful modernization project. Eighty-five percent of organizationsOpens a new window are in the process of planning a modernization project or have recently completed one. The key to success? Aligning on  the overall goal and a deep understanding of the following questions: 

• • What does success mean in this context?
  • What is the best ecosystem for the environment?
  • What does the pipeline for DevOps look like?
  • What additional factors might impact modernization efforts? 

3. Commit to the project

Like any big project, legacy application modernization projects require planning, preparation and thoughtful solutions. The best way to avoid wasting time in post-migration is through automated testing. Factoring this in at the beginning is essential. 

4. Gain executive buy-in

Thirty-eight percent of organizationsOpens a new window report that leadership lacks an understanding of the business benefits of cloud migration and IT in general, so getting their buy-in can often require a concerted effort from IT executives. Since executive buy-in keeps projects moving forward, it should remain a top priority for the entire team. Presenting data and numbers showcasing how the organization’s technology impacts bottom-line results can make a strong, clear argument as to why this project is essential. When doing this, IT leaders shouldn’t forget to get their input on processes and other operational considerations, as it can be invaluable and further define the scope of the project and help articulate the value and ROI.

Learn More: 3 Industries Other Than the Government in Need of IT Modernization

5. Be swift in fixing any issues that arise

Challenges can be a part of any modernization project – and they are inevitable – but to help reduce the time it takes to cross the finish line, companies should ensure they are equipped with not only the correct tools but also well-versed partners that have the deep expertise to help them get there.   

6. Start preparing test cases early

Don’t underestimate the power of proper testing. Around 50% of the process in a typical modernization project would account for testing. Automated testing solutions use existing testing assets and processes and ultimately help prepare scripts and test data. Organizations should have dedicated resources to ensure proper documentation of all test cases relevant to the mainframe migration as well. 

7. Leverage incident tracking tools

By implementing an incident-tracking solution, teams can ensure more accountability and reportability regarding any issues that may come up, and identifies proper approaches to resolve them. This also makes incidents searchable for greater visibility.

8. Include everyone in the mainframe ecosystem

Involving all internal stakeholders and delivery teams from the beginning of the project can help with roadblocks. These team members can help with internal processes, lead times, change windows, lock-down schedules and other constraints, as they understand internal constraints. 

9. Only modernize what you need

Although modernization is an exciting project, it’s important not to go overboard and to modernize only what’s needed. To help, leaders should differentiate ‘input files’ from other files, as they are the only ones that need conversion. This can be done through automated data migration and will keep the project on budget and schedule.

10. Calculate ROI, track its progress

Further identifying and calling out services reduces risk and leads to a faster ROI for the project. Combining this step with the previously mentioned automated documentation tools will show the interrelationships and simplify the workload.

In the end, there really is no one magic formula for a successful modernization journey – and there’s a long way for the industry to go to truly ensure each pillar and system of the organization is agile and modern. But, with the right strategy and approach, the entire project creates the foundation for businesses to thrive in today’s data-driven digital era.

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MORE ON IT MODERNIZATION: 

• IT Modernization: Misconceptions, Insights, and Wins With Automation Strategies
• IT is Ripe for Modernization, But Supply Chain Issues Will Continue to Persist
• IT Modernization: End Your Toxic Relationship With Legacy Software Now

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