The Fundamental Strategies to a Successful Application Modernization
Application modernization is the process of updating legacy software and systems in order to take advantage of new technologies, platforms and business practices. It can also be defined as the transformation from a traditional offline system into an online cloud-based platform that offers a plethora of benefits for both end-users and businesses.
Even if your organization is in a rush to undertake application modernization, do you know how to do it? Well, In this post we will cover the fundamental strategies needed when developing your application modernization strategy. Read on!
How to develop a successful Application Modernization Strategy
Here are some of the strategies that you need to undertake Application Modernization:
Establish Your Goals
The process of Application Modernization is not easy, but there are some fundamental strategies that will make the whole conversion and update much easier. The first key point in Application Modernization is establishing your goal for this change. This can be identifying new features or fixing problems with performance and security issues within your current system. Once you have established what needs changing and why then it becomes far easier to identify some important steps for carrying out Application modernization successfully.
Identify the Application to Modernize
This is a very important factor when it comes to developing an application modernization strategy. It includes coming up with a list of all your existing applications and then ranking them according to priority depending on their importance for business operations, customer experience or competitive advantage.
Get Started with Application Technology Evaluation
When considering application modernization for your business, it is important to evaluate how technology can be used in order transform legacy systems into flexible and more responsive IT infrastructure that will meet new demands of customers and employees alike. A good idea would be listing down what are the specific technologies required by each application so as you know where you need to invest your resources when undertaking this endeavor.
Design an Application Modernization Approach
The approach taken in designing the application modernization strategy will vary depending on what type of legacy system is being modernized, how old it is and where it’s used. The key to getting this design right lies in considering which parts should be replaced or retained when doing Application modernization. For example, if you’re looking at replacing an entire legacy system with a new one then you might want to consider using some form of Application decomposition whereby each component that makes up the legacy application are examined individually so that their importance can be determined.
Know Your Application Requirements
The last thing you want is for your application transformation to turn into a complete disaster- especially if it’s not done properly. Prioritizing applications, understanding their requirements and needs will help make sure everything goes smoothly during this process of upgrade development and implementation. You should also create an Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) strategy so as to be able to identify future risks due from the changes made by introducing newer versions of software or upgrades over time.
Enable Application Accessibility
Whether there are disabled persons in your organization or not, you should think of potential stakeholders who might have special needs when looking at the usability, accessibility and compatibility aspects of your application. This will not only help with providing an optimal user experience but also make sure that anyone can use your app without any difficulties.
Enabling application accessibility comes with a myriad of other benefits such as:
– Improved reputation and perception of your business.
– Compliance with the regulations set by governing bodies or industry standards that may apply to you, such as GDPR in Europe.
– Satisfying customer needs, for example when people need help using an app.
In order to ensure a great user experience
when it comes to accessing your application regardless of their abilities, there are some considerations worth making before releasing any update:
– Ensuring high contrast between foreground and background colors helps those who have low vision or impaired color recognition skills see text more easily on black backgrounds which can be difficult for them otherwise. This advice is especially relevant if you use dark gray shades heavily throughout your interface because they’re less readable than lighter shades like white.
– Providing keyboard shortcuts and avoiding modal dialogs will make it easier for those with limited vision or motor control to interact with your application, as well as making the experience more consistent for everyone.
– Optimizing images because people who have low vision need larger text size when viewing graphics in order to better understand them.
– Adding captions to videos so that they can be accessed by hard of hearing users and translated into sign language if desired.
– Making sure that any content is available in a large variety of languages, including dialects such as British English, American English, Australian English, etc. This makes life much easier for international customers too.
In conclusion, application modernization is an integral part of any digital transformation strategy. The benefits will be felt by both the company and its stakeholders in a wide variety of ways, including improved communication, accessibility for all abilities, and increased customer satisfaction. Follow these strategies to do it right, and you will ultimately see value in your efforts, time, and resources.
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