18.1 Find a Better Way

Find a better way of doing things rather than simply trying to improve the way things have been done in the past. Many modernization efforts simply replace old legacy code with new legacy code. Although this extends the useful lifetime of the legacy systems, this approach often leaves possible moves unplayed.

When deciding how aggressively to approach a modernization effort, ask yourself, "When will the next opportunity to modernize come along?" On the other hand, being too aggressive in your modernization plans means increasing risk that could lead to project failure. Therefore, your plans must be well considered and plausible. In our experience, the best ideas reduce overall risk while providing needed capabilities.

Finding a better way may require you to ignore the existing system and processes and consider the underlying principles instead. This may provide a clearer vision of your goals and allow you to streamline your system and processes to this vision.