Legacy system modernization
A structured engagement to decide what to keep, wrap, replace, or retire — grounded in how your current system actually behaves in production.
Who this is for
Engineering managers, product owners, and business sponsors who know the current system is fragile but cannot afford a blind rewrite. Typical clients run line-of-business applications that still process orders, payroll, warehouse movements, or regulatory filings.
Result you leave with
A modernization roadmap tied to observed behaviour: which modules still earn their keep, which interfaces are load-bearing, which data stores must migrate carefully, and which “temporary” scripts have become permanent infrastructure. You also receive a phased plan your internal team can execute or co-deliver with us.
What is included
- Source and deployment inventory, including build scripts and environment differences
- Dependency and interface map across applications, databases, and batch jobs
- Risk register focused on regression, data integrity, and staff knowledge gaps
- Modernization options with trade-offs (contain, strangler, replace, retire)
- Recommended first phase with effort bands and decision checkpoints
- Working sessions with operators and developers who still know the quirks
What is excluded
- Full rewrite delivery as an open-ended build contract (available only as a separately scoped follow-on)
- Hardware procurement or cloud account setup sold as a package
- Ongoing 24/7 support retainers unless agreed in writing after the engagement
Provider and process
AmberPath consultants lead the work from our Sydney office, with on-site days in NSW when the codebase and stakeholders benefit from being in the same room. A typical sequence: discovery workshop → recovery and reading period → findings review → roadmap workshop → written handover.
Duration and delivery
Most flagship engagements run six to fourteen weeks depending on repository size, documentation gaps, and how many systems touch the core. Delivery mixes remote analysis with scheduled workshops; we state the on-site days in the quote.
Preparation we ask of you
- Read-only access to source control, CI history if it exists, and staging environments
- A named business sponsor and a technical contact who can unlock tribal knowledge
- A short list of “must not break” processes (month-end, despatch, lodgement, etc.)
Constraints
We will not recommend discarding a module solely because it looks outdated. We also will not hide uncertainty: if a path depends on unreadable binaries or missing source, that risk stays visible in the plan.
Pricing basis
Quoted per phase after a paid or complimentary triage call. See Rates for starting bands. Deposits secure calendar time; remaining fees follow accepted milestones.
Next step
Request this engagement and note “Legacy modernization” in the form. We reply within two business days with questions and a proposed discovery window.