Maintain system integrity and validate all your changes
There are many aspects to consider, but commonly at the top of the list is either
a) Re-engineering of the code base to make use of service programs and procedures, or
b) UI modernization to appease users who are uncomfortable, even to the point of rebellion, with green screen interactions.
Thankfully there are a whole bunch of tools to help with different aspects of this, which can make the transition easier whilst knowledge is gained over little-understood areas of the application. Hopefully, in the process, this housekeeping exercise will be able to remove some dead wood. In the end, anything from a substantially revised to a completely rewritten system emerges over the course of months or years.
But the reason this application is there in the first place is because it is core to the business. It consistently carries out important business processes without which the business cannot work, and hence the testing of this major surgery becomes massively important.
Thankfully there are tools to help with this, too, and this is why many organisations undertaking modernization use tools like TestBench and TestDrive to validate the accuracy of the changes and to ensure continued operation of the business.
You can hear what this meant for international spirits company Edrington here…..
