What is Legacy Software and how do you deal with it?

Legacy Software's challenges.

The problems of legacy software are well recognised. Many organisations discover that a legacy system is difficult to adapt. Implementing adaptations or new functionalities costs a lot of time and money because the code is complex, poorly documented or relies on outdated technologies. Small changes can have major consequences and unintentionally disrupt other processes. In addition, maintenance costs of legacy systems are high. Troubleshooting requires a lot of knowledge and time, as the software is hardly clear or logically structured. An additional challenge is that the original development team often no longer exists or no longer supports the software, resulting in a lack of knowledge to realise new wishes or solve existing issues. 

The risk of failure also increases: when critical processes depend on an old system, a failure can have major consequences for the organisation. Integration with modern software often poses a challenge, for example with a Data Management Platform. New dashboards, cloud solutions or other tools do not always fit with outdated software, leaving processes fragmented and inefficient.

Gaining insight with code reviewing.

A first way to address these issues is code reviewing. This involves a thorough analysis of the existing software to understand the quality of the code, vulnerabilities and critical parts of the system. The aim is to understand which functions are essential to the organisation, which parts pose risks and where improvements can be made.

Code reviewing reveals which parts of a legacy system can be retained and which need to be optimised or prepared for migration. A practical example is an organisation with an old ERP system where the inventory and purchasing logic was outdated and complex. By improving and documenting this code first, they were later able to move step-by-step to a more modern platform without disrupting daily processes.

Modernise with replatforming.

Besides insight, replatforming offers an opportunity to revamp a legacy system without radically replacing everything. Replatforming means moving the existing system to a more modern platform, while retaining core functionality. This makes the software more flexible, more scalable and easier to integrate with other tools, such as a Data Management Platform.

Takeover of your existing software.

Taking over existing software can be a strategic choice for organisations that want to keep a grip on their applications and processes. Often, critical business logic runs on systems that have been in use for a long time, while the original development team is no longer available. By transferring management, you ensure that the software remains secure, stable and scalable. This allows you to keep working efficiently, add new functionality and prevent an outdated system from slowing down your business operations.

Tailored management approach.

Taking over software involves more than just transferring responsibility. It starts with a thorough analysis of the current situation: how is the software structured, which processes does it support and where are potential risks or bottlenecks? It is also important to look to the future: can the application grow with your organisation, and how easy is integration with modern tools and systems? At Cube, we help with this process by first conducting a thorough audit and code review and then formulating a tailor-made management approach. This ensures that your application can be properly maintained and developed, without affecting the continuity of your business processes.

Ready for growth and innovation.

By continuously analysing and making improvements, we ensure that the application not only meets current requirements, but is also ready for growth and innovation. When Cube takes over responsibility for your existing software, we perform a thorough audit to evaluate the current state of the application. For standard software, we inventory exactly which processes the application handles and examine how we can possibly link it to other systems. For custom software, we do a code review to determine whether we can take over management of the software and whether the code base is suitable for further development.

Legacy software as fundament for innovation.

The beauty of this approach is that legacy software need not be an obstacle. By making smart use of code reviewing and replatforming, organisations can transform legacy systems into stable, future-proof environments. Legacy applications thus no longer become an obstacle, but a foundation on which the organisation can continue to grow and innovate. 

So it's not about replacing everything, but about making systems that are essential to your organisation secure, manageable and modern. In this way, an ERP implementation or other legacy system can remain a solid foundation, while you are prepared for the future. Cube can support this by advising the right strategy and carrying out technical implementation. This way, an ERP implementation or other legacy system remains reliable and scalable, while the organisation is prepared for future developments.