As the world becomes increasingly digital, businesses often rely on software as a core process. Keeping up to date with new techniques and innovation becomes vital, and as businesses evolve, they require software that evolves with them. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, as 74% of businesses fail to complete their legacy modernisation projects. 

The Demystifying Software Modernisation series describes the term software modernisation as “a continuous process to improve strategic systems in order to increase business agility.” 

In practice, this can be explained by making software fit for business, to support and evolve at the same speed. Often categorised in the same bracket as digital transformation, software modernisation is a continuous journey to improve processes and enhance innovation. 

With so many organisations failing to complete their legacy modernisation projects, a deeper dive into the challenges associated is needed. Below are the top 3 challenges businesses face with legacy modernisation projects.

1. Complexity 

Modernisation is about changing a system, not just technology. With so many moving parts and relationships between those parts, the complexity goes further than one person. Often by creating an unravelling effect, coordinating and collaborating becomes a challenge in its own right. 

2. 2. Length of project

One small change can create a large amount of work. Setting boundaries and drawing strict lines into how far the project needs to go is necessary to any software modernisation project. Without these guidelines, the project can quickly derail any budget, time or value objectives.  

3. 3. Older structures have been created to be stable 

Systems that have been operating for a long time have been designed to be solid and unchangeable. During a software modernisation project, these systems are broken down to be updated. However, there is often a lot of fear when discussions begin about breaking down regularly used systems. 

To learn how to overcome these challenges, watch the entire Demystifying Software Modernisation series. Or, watch episodes 1 and 2 below, which discuss the topics shared in this blog in greater detail. 

Demystifying Software Modernisation Ep.1: Introduction to Software Modernisation

Demystifying Software Modernisation Ep.2: The challenges to Software Modernisation

Now you know the challenges of a software modernisation project learn the 3 steps to creating a software modernisation strategy