Is your organization running mission-critical IBM i (AS/400) applications? You’re not alone in facing crucial decisions about their future. While these systems have delivered rock-solid reliability for decades, staying competitive in today’s digital landscape requires strategic transformation.
The 6 Rs of Transformation provide a strategic framework for navigating your futurization journey. In this blog series, we’ll explore each path and show how Profound AppEvo‘s innovative approach supports your chosen strategy:
- 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
Let’s dive into our first transformation strategy…refactoring with Profound AppEvo lets you preserve that value while embracing future-ready technology.
What is Refactoring in IBM i Transformation?
Think of refactoring like renovating a solid house – you keep the foundation and framework while futurizing the infrastructure and appearance. For IBM i applications, renovating the infrastructure means converting RPG or COBOL code to modern languages like Node.js while maintaining your critical business logic. Renovating the appearance is moving from outdated green screens to a modern web-based UI.
Why Choose Refactoring?
When evaluating transformation strategies, refactoring stands out for organizations that want to preserve their valuable business logic while embracing modern technologies. This approach offers a balanced solution that minimizes risk while maximizing the return on your existing investment. By choosing refactoring, organizations can achieve their transformation goals without the disruption and uncertainty of a complete rewrite or replacement.
By refactoring your business can:
- Preserve valuable business logic and investments
- Transform incrementally with minimal disruption
- Reduce risks compared to complete rewrites
- Enable modern capabilities while maintaining stability
- Lower costs through automated conversion
How Profound AppEvo Transforms Refactoring
Traditional refactoring approaches often involve time-consuming manual processes and significant risk. Profound AppEvo revolutionizes this process through advanced automation and proven methodologies developed over decades of IBM i transformation expertise. Our comprehensive solution addresses the common challenges of refactoring while providing a clear path to future-ready applications.
Our innovative approach makes refactoring more efficient and reliable than ever before:
Automated Intelligence
- Advanced code conversion technology
- Preservation of critical business logic
- Consistent, maintainable output
Coexistence Capabilities
- Integrate modern and legacy systems seamlessly
- Transform at your own pace
- Minimize business disruption
Future-Ready Architecture
- Platform independence
- Modern web interfaces
- API enablement
The UI Revolution: From Green Screen to Web
A key component of our refactoring process is the transformation of traditional green screen interfaces into modern web UIs.
This isn’t just a cosmetic change – it’s a complete reimagining of how users interact with your applications:
- Convert character-based displays to intuitive web interfaces
- Implement responsive design for desktop and mobile access
- Add modern UI elements like dropdown menus, date pickers, and dynamic grids
- Enable rich user interactions through contemporary web technologies
- Maintain familiar workflows while improving user efficiency
- Incorporate new technologies like generative AI into your applications
Is Refactoring Right for You?
Deciding on the right transformation strategy requires careful consideration of your current systems and business objectives. Refactoring often proves to be the ideal choice for organizations whose existing applications function well but need updating to meet modern demands. This is particularly true when your applications contain complex, valuable business logic that has been refined over years of operation.
Organizations that prefer a methodical, gradual approach to transformation will find refactoring especially appealing. This strategy allows you to modernize your systems incrementally, minimizing risk while maintaining business continuity. If your organization prioritizes preserving existing investments while reducing the risks associated with large-scale changes, refactoring with Profound AppEvo offers a pragmatic path forward.
Next Steps in Your Futurization Journey
Ready to explore how refactoring with Profound AppEvo can transform your legacy applications? Reach out to our team at futurization@ProfoundLogic.com for a one-on-one evaluation!
Stay tuned for our next post in the series, where we’ll explore the “Replace” strategy for legacy systems.
