Services / Legacy systems
Legacy systems
Taking over software whose original developers have moved on. We document it, stabilise it, and then improve or replace it at a pace the business can absorb, without a risky big-bang rewrite.
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What this involves
Many businesses depend on software that nobody left in the company fully understands. The developer has moved on, the documentation is thin or missing, and every change carries a risk that something else will stop working. The temptation is to rewrite everything. That is usually the most expensive and least predictable option available.
We start by taking the system into care. That means securing the source code and accounts, getting it building and deployable again from scratch, and writing down how it works. We put monitoring around it so that failures are seen before customers see them. This stage alone removes most of the day-to-day worry, and it is usually quicker than people expect.
Once the system is stable we agree what to do next. Sometimes the right answer is to keep it, fix what is broken and add what is missing. Sometimes it is to replace it, one part at a time, so that the business never depends on an unfinished rewrite. Either way the decision is made with the facts in front of you, not in a panic.
Typical work
Recovering source code, builds and deployments
Documenting an undocumented system
Fixing long-standing bugs and performance problems
Upgrading unsupported frameworks and databases
Replacing a system in stages while it stays in use
Suited to
Companies relying on software whose original developer or supplier is no longer available, and who want it made safe before deciding its future.
Not sure which of these you need?
Tell us what you are trying to build or fix. A short call is usually enough to say whether we can help and what it would involve.