Accelerating Legacy Modernization during Skill Unavailability

The IT departments of enterprises and the industry, in general, are at a unique crossroads. Because of the slow pace and high implementation cost of applying new technology, most enterprises have accumulated technology and skill debt. However, the older systems, also called legacy systems, have run their course of utility when new technologies like cloud computing are considered. The same can be said for legacy skills, considering the ageing workforce and their skill gap with cloud technologies.

Cloud technologies, on the other hand, are fairly new to the market, and the skills available to cater to them are also falling short of the demand. The silver lining on this front is that cloud technologies provide functionalities and advantages that reduce the overall workforce requirement for maintaining the infrastructure. There are many other business advantages relating to the skill requirements in business operations on the cloud.

The scenario for most enterprises seems concerning, yet cloud adoption and legacy modernization is continually rising. The strategy to successfully modernize mainframes and applications is a steady investment in strategic ventures and partnerships. Here’s a brief on accelerating legacy modernization even with a lack of skills.

Breaking down project operations into skills instead of roles

Project operations have been traditionally broken down into personas and positions in the human resources context. However, modern DevOps is a highly coordinated and cooperative function compared to the traditional siloed structures. Thus, approaching human resource management and development based on skills is highly effective at filling the talent pool necessary for the projects.

Deconstructing the project requirements based on skills will also give you a better view of the available resources and skill gaps that need to be filled. This can help you effectively plan your up-skilling and hiring programs to enrich your human resource.

Succeed slowly and consistently

One of the key reasons for the failure to modernize legacy systems is the speed at which most organizations intend to complete it. Without the necessary skills available, it is better to plan phase-wise modernization alongside a strategic input of necessary skills for every phase. This can be combined with your human resource development strategy to inject the right skills at the right time to enable the whole project.

74% of organizations started legacy modernization but failed to complete it (Advanced). This can be attributed to multiple factors, but the common denominator in most cases was the haste to complete the projects without the proper resources available.

Partners and Consultants

One of the simplest ways forward is to hire an expert partner capable of modernizing infrastructure and setting up the right systems. Outsourcing your modernization project can help you bypass the skill shortage and accelerate your development. Your partners can also help you set up the right processes and provide the necessary education to your existing workforce to enable smooth operations for the future. You can effectively outsource your development and infrastructure maintenance to your partners until your talent pool is ready to take the helm.

Cloud infrastructure can provide you with multiple functionalities like workflow automation, agile DevOps, test automation, etc. Many of these functionalities can reduce your organisation’s overall human resource and skill requirements. They also help reduce the dependencies of other departments on IT for most business processes.

SLK Software is a premier development partner for many organizations, including Fortune 500 companies. We’ve delivered multi-faceted services, including consulting, development, managed services, and smart technologies to achieve our clients’ modernization goals. We approach every project with an ROI-led approach to enable maximum benefits to our customers.

Lack of skills in the organization and the job market has recently been an ongoing challenge for many organizations. However, there are many strategies to overcome them through strategic initiatives and the right strategy. It will also help you save overall cost and time while gaining a competitive advantage.