Overview: Legacy Systems Health Check

Unlocking Business Potential

Now, more than ever, technology supports every aspect of operational success. Many organizations, however, rely on legacy software that may no longer meet the demands of modern business. 

Outdated systems often contribute to inefficiencies, increased costs, and security vulnerabilities, creating a drag on innovation and growth. These legacy systems might struggle to support current business needs, integrate poorly with newer technologies, or even expose businesses to compliance risks. 

For companies facing these challenges, a Health Check can be a crucial step toward identifying risks and uncovering new opportunities for operational excellence.

Here we will outline the recommended examination areas for any business.

Introducing a Comprehensive Health Check Guide

Avantia's thorough assessment guide is designed to evaluate existing software systems against technical standards, best practices, and current business needs. This provides an actionable roadmap to address issues, improve reliability, and support long-term business goals. 

The main objectives include identifying outdated components, assessing technical debt and security vulnerabilities, evaluating system performance and reliability, and prioritizing solutions to optimize your software landscape. With the results, businesses can make informed decisions on necessary upgrades or replacements, ultimately enhancing both productivity and security.

Assessment Components

Technical Assessment

This component focuses on a deep technical evaluation of the system to understand current limitations and potential improvement areas:

1. Version and patch level review: Ensures that systems are running up-to-date software versions, essential for both functionality and security.
    
2. Dependencies analysis: Examines supporting software, libraries, and frameworks to identify outdated or unsupported elements. 
    
3. Performance metrics evaluation: Assesses system performance metrics to understand speed, responsiveness, and efficiency under load.
    
4. Integration points assessment: Evaluates the interactions between systems and identifies any bottlenecks or inefficiencies. 
    
5. Code quality review: If source code is available, a review helps highlight areas for improvement to enhance maintainability and performance.
    
6. Technical debt assessment: Quantifies the work needed to address shortcuts taken in development that may now affect performance or security.

Business Impact Analysis

This component identifies how well the software supports current business needs and highlights the broader implications of maintaining the system:

1. Critical business functions supported: Identifies core business processes that the software supports, emphasizing system importance.
    
2. User base and usage patterns: Analyzes who uses the software and how frequently, helping to prioritize which components need optimization.
    
3. Operational costs: Looks at direct and indirect costs associated with maintaining the legacy system.
   Maintenance requirements: Reviews the level of effort required to maintain the system, including time and resources.
    
4. Business continuity implications: Considers how the system impacts business continuity, especially in terms of backups and recovery.
    
5. Resource availability: Assesses if the skills needed to support the system are readily available or if specialized support is required.

Compliance Analysis

This component ensures that the system adheres to regulatory standards and security best practices, minimizing the risk of legal and financial consequences:

1. Security and data protection best practices: Reviews the system’s alignment with current security standards to safeguard sensitive information.
    
2. License analysis: Verifies software licenses, ensuring compliance with usage rights and avoiding potential legal issues.

You Don't Have to Go it Alone

While we have developed this guide to assist with your legacy systems analysis, we can also take the lead. Addressing the limitations and risks of outdated systems is essential for maintaining competitiveness and reducing operational risks.  

Our Health Check service provides a clear, actionable plan to help your business modernize its software landscape, safeguard data, and improve efficiency. Contact us to learn more about how this service can support your business objectives and future growth. Together, we can turn your legacy software into a streamlined, reliable asset that fuels your success.