How to get the most out of your application modernization efforts : Transform your business – Part 2

The transformation phase of application modernization begins with architectural and technological change, where monoliths are transformed into a microservers-based landscape for agility and flexibility. In this blog, we will focus on the tools, technology, and cultural change required to adopt a cloud-first way of working.

Go cloud native to get results

Our client, Corteva Agriscience, wanted to modernize their IT infrastructure landscape to scale their operations in line with business demand. They wanted to migrate their workloads to the cloud for better flexibility and agility.

We partnered with Corteva to modernize their on-prem IT systems using serverless, cloud-native architecture. Legacy processing systems based on Hadoop were switched to a new platform based on AWS cloud-native technology.

As a result of this transformation, Corteva was able to reduce the processing time from 30 days to just one day. The company was able to scale its business operations, become agile, and significantly reduce its cost base.

Some of the key lessons we learned from this transformation project are :

• Identify key investment areas for cloud-native technologies: Assess the application portfolio to identify apps that are a source of competitive differentiation or customer experience. Investing in apps of strategic importance, such as mobile, IoT, and big data apps, will reap business benefits.
• Start s mall and then scale up: As cloud-     native projects demand up front investments in platforms, people, and skills, start with small projects. Learnings from the pilot projects can be scaled to achieve ambitious goals.
• Align your business with IT: To derive maximum business value from your cloud- native investment, microservers design should focus on single business domains. We recommend using domain- driven design, data- driven microservers, and an API-first approach to drive business results.

Containerize and conquer!

A leading aerospace manufacturer wanted to implement predictive maintenance of its supply chain for better after market service parts management. For this modernization project, we used containers as a primary format of deployment to enable portability and improve resource efficiency. With a cloud-first approach, the company was able to adopt AI/ML to aid in predictive asset maintenance. This helped improve lead time, forecasting accuracy, and inventory optimization. Server provisioning now takes just hours instead of days, building agility and efficiency into the business.

Modernizing the hybrid IT landscape is often tricky as there are a lot of moving parts across the build, deploy, and operate life cycles. Container platforms with a vendor-agnostic eco system integrate seamlessly and can be ported across on prem and cloud platforms. Leverage Kubernetes to drive process automation. If you are cost conscious, use an off-the shelf PaaS or containers as a service solution.

Let DevOps lead the way

Application modernization projects require close collaboration with business and IT teams, creating the need to shift to a DevOps way of working. Organizations must break away from the waterfall approach to an agile way of working, where a single team owns all the aspects of product development. This model encourages the team to take responsibility and instills a product- driven mindset to maximize speed and agility. Leverage DevOps tools, such as automated testing, Cloud Management Platform (CMP) and Application Release Automation (ARA), to automate infrastructure provisioning and other processes.

Embrace cloud-native technologies, such as microservers and containerization, to unleash the full potential of application modernization. Let DevOps be your compass to guide you through technical and cultural change.

Kaushik De

Expert in Cloud Services

Working with client executives across verticals, to provide IT transformation solutions and providing options to move workloads to the public and private cloud and to setup large transformation initiatives. Responsible for the go to market initiatives in the Cloud space and also working closely with alliance partners to provide clients the best solutions for Cloud offerings in North America.