Digital transformation isn’t just about modernizing systems – sometimes it requires making strategic decisions about which applications to sunset.
In this final installment of our 6 Rs of Transformation series, we’ll explore how the retirement strategy can reduce technical debt and free resources for innovation. Profound AppEvo supports this strategic transition by ensuring valuable business data and processes are preserved while safely decommissioning outdated systems.
As a reminder, the 6 Rs provide a comprehensive framework for navigating your futurization journey:
- Refactor: Futurize code while preserving valuable business logic
- Replace: Implement new solutions for obsolete systems
- Rewrite: Build fresh with modern architecture
- Re-architect: Transform application structure
- Retain: Maintain what works while planning ahead
- Retire: Sunset applications that no longer serve your business
In our previous posts, we’ve explored various transformation approaches, from refactoring and replacement to re-architecting and retention. Today, we’ll examine how strategic retirement of legacy applications can create opportunities for business growth and innovation.
Understanding the Retire Strategy
Application retirement isn’t simply about turning off entire systems – it’s a strategic process that allows organizations to sunset specific components while preserving valuable functionality in others. This selective approach requires careful planning and execution, enabling you to identify which applications or modules no longer provide sufficient business value while protecting and potentially modernizing those that do. By retiring strategically chosen components, organizations can reduce complexity and cost while maintaining critical business operations.
When to Choose Retirement
The decision to retire specific IBM i applications or components stems from careful analysis of business value and operational costs across your application portfolio. Organizations often find selective retirement to be the most strategic choice when certain applications or modules have become obsolete, redundant, or too costly to maintain, while other parts of the system continue to deliver value.
Common indicators that signal it’s time to consider retiring specific components include:
- Declining usage patterns in particular modules
- High maintenance costs for specific applications relative to their business value
- Redundant functionality in newer systems
- Changes in business processes that make certain components less relevant
- Technical limitations in specific modules preventing necessary updates or integrations
- Presence of “shadow IT” solutions that have organically replaced legacy functionality
How Profound AppEvo Supports Retirement
Selective application retirement requires more than just shutting down systems.
Profound AppEvo provides comprehensive support for organizations choosing to retire portions of their IBM i applications through:
Strategic Assessment
- Granular business impact analysis of individual components
- Data preservation planning for retired modules
- Risk evaluation across interconnected systems
- Timeline development that considers dependencies
- Resource reallocation guidance for hybrid environments
Data Management
- Historical data preservation from retired components
- Archive solution implementation that maintains data relationships
- Selective data cleanup and validation
- Compliance verification across retained and retired systems
- Seamless access maintenance between archived and active data
Process Transition
- Business process mapping across retained and retired components
- Functionality transition planning that preserves critical integrations
- Targeted user communication and training
- System decommissioning procedures that protect active components
- Ongoing support for hybrid environments
Impact on Business Operations
Many organizations hesitate to retire legacy applications due to concerns about business disruption. However, a selective retirement strategy actually strengthens your IT ecosystem by removing outdated components while preserving valuable functionality. This targeted approach allows you to optimize your technology landscape without compromising critical business operations. A well-executed selective retirement strategy can deliver significant benefits to organizations.
By strategically retiring legacy components while maintaining valuable systems, organizations can achieve:
- Reduced maintenance costs for outdated modules
- Decreased technical debt in specific areas
- Simplified IT landscape without sacrificing essential functionality
- Improved operational efficiency through streamlined processes
- Better resource allocation for maintaining and developing priority systems
- Clearer technology roadmap for remaining applications
- Enhanced overall system portfolio through strategic futurization
This approach enables better resource allocation, as teams can focus on maintaining and developing modern systems rather than supporting outdated ones. The overall system portfolio is enhanced when legacy components are strategically retired, and the technology roadmap becomes clearer as organizations can better plan their digital transformation journey without the constraints of maintaining obsolete systems.
Next Steps in Your Futurization Journey
Thank you for following our 6 Rs of Transformation series. By understanding these different strategies – Refactor, Replace, Rewrite, Re-architect, Retain, and Retire – organizations can make informed decisions about their IBM i applications’ future. Profound AppEvo stands ready to support whichever path best serves your business needs.
