Businesses in various sectors are struggling to keep pace with the continually evolving technology. Updating old applications is an important step. It prepares old systems for new technology. This helps businesses regain their competitive edge. However, the transformation path is full of challenges that can hinder your progress and compromise results. Let’s discuss the primary concerns associated with modernisation as well as the effective remedies.

The most common application modernisation challenges

1. Complications of legacy architecture

Legacy software is often associated with monolithic architectures and old programming languages. Their components are tightly integrated, hindering the isolation and replacement of distinct functionalities. This slows down modernisation and poses the risk of overall system disruption or failure during updates.

2. Data migration issues

The migration process from legacy to modern platforms can threaten data integrity and consistency. Fragmented data models, inadequate validation, and legacy dependencies can hamper business operations. Without meticulous data mapping, automated testing, and backups, migration can cause serious trouble.

3. Difficult integrations

Matching legacy systems with newer technologies can be troublesome or even impossible.  The lack of documentation or unified interfaces hampers integration with microservices, cloud environments, API, and AI tools. This creates performance bottlenecks and increases integration costs. 

4. Unforeseen expenses

If not appropriately prepared, application modernisation projects can lead to cost overruns. Initial estimates may not include unexpected complexities and extra work. Thus, the actual expenses can run beyond the budget constraints, further complicating the process and undermining the result.

5. Lack of qualified talent

Professionals experienced in both legacy and advanced technologies are in short supply. At the same time, the demand for cloud-native, DevOps, and security specialists is continually rising. The solution for enterprises lies in training their workforce or partnering with a legacy software modernization company. 

6. Compounding technical debt

Legacy systems accumulate technical debt during the years of their usage, which significantly hinders modernisation. The relevant issues include dependencies on old technologies, third-party elements or tools, or software that is no longer supported. This can stall the modernisation process.

7. Compromised security and compliance

Meeting security and compliance standards is an ongoing process, since regulations and threats are continually evolving. Modernisation in regulated environments and meeting HIPAA, GDPR, SOC2, ISO, and HL7/FHIR can be challenging. Security and compliance measures must be present in every modernisation phase, from planning to production, to prevent risks and penalties.

Overcoming application modernisation challenges

Below are several hints to help you modernise smoothly, effectively, and intelligently. 

Comprehensively assess your application

Before you embark on a transformation journey, you need to understand your current state.  

• Assess your existing applications by determining their business value, technical debt, performance and stability, and integration dependencies.
• Evaluate ROI potential. Prioritise modernisation areas by comparing business impact with modernisation effort.  

Andrew Lychuk, a Managing Partner at Corsac Technologies: “To maximise modernisation outcomes, we start with root-cause analysis of stagnation, identify tech debt, scaling limits, and security risks. This allows for identifying obsolete libraries that hinder compliance or integration with modern IT ecosystems.”

Select the optimal modernisation strategy 

Modernisation approaches are numerous, each with its benefits and trade-offs. Options range from cloud migration to rebuilding applications from scratch. The application assessment can help you determine the right modernisation strategy that matches your requirements and business goals.

Sometimes, the ideal approach should combine the preservation of the system’s working parts to save previous business investments. 

Igor Omelianchuk, the Co-Founder at Corsac Technologies: “Respect the client’s existing architecture and leadership: evolve what works and replace only what must change.”

After the optimal modernisation approach has been shaped, define a clear modernisation roadmap with milestones and KPIs.

Identify the right technologies

Another strategic choice you should make is the technology stack. Ensure that your selected tools and platforms not only provide smooth transformation but also make your systems scalable, maintainable, and ready for future challenges. When establishing a delivery pipeline, consider implementing a result-focused culture with DevOps, handy automations with GitOps, and CI/CD for streamlined releases and updates.

Take care of security measures

A shallow approach to the modernisation process can omit hidden vulnerabilities and issues rooted in your legacy app. Therefore, you should comprehensively assess security and analyse risks to implement the right preventative approaches. The mitigation measures include encryption, access controls, regular security testing, and compliance audits.

Partner with trusted developers

Experienced professionals are well-versed in complicated technologies and can help you choose the right modernisation path. They know industry intricacies and understand how to mitigate threats, maximise gains, and quickly fix arising issues. Moreover, experts with a comprehensive vision not merely update your code but also restore your ability to grow and respond to future challenges.