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The popular opinion among the key stakeholders from worldwide companies is that conventional software or applications are stable and trustworthy, as it has consistently performed for years to manage their various business operations. However, that is not completely the fact. Outdated and conventional systems make integrating business processes with the latest technologies difficult, disrupting workflows and reducing productivity. Hence, the demand for innovative approaches and enterprise application modernisation has increased in the last few years.

That is where Rapid Application Development (RAD) comes into play. Contrary to the linear and sequential order of the traditional development process, RAD offers a more iterative method of application modernisation with minimal coding requirements. But how is RAD different from the conventional approach, and what makes it more agile?

This blog explains the major differences between RAD and traditional models for modernising organisational legacy applications. It also covers the challenges that companies face when they have legacy systems and reasons to choose RAD technologies to update them.

Challenges Faced by Workflow in Having Legacy Applications

Legacy applications are computing systems that companies have used for a long time. They are built on dated technologies, programming languages, and algorithms, making it difficult to respond to the latest trends and industry demands.

Even though legacy applications were previously responsible for managing business operations, as of now, technology advances utilising legacy systems pose significant difficulties to business workforces, such as:

Challenges Faced by Workflow in Having Legacy Applications

Minimal Productivity

Companies operating with outdated legacy systems frequently encounter challenges, including slow processing speeds and frequent application downtime, hindering overall productivity and the business’s workflow.

Security Risks

Legacy systems are more susceptible to security threats and exposure due to their dependency on old features and updates, which are ineffective in avoiding modern cyber-attacks.

Compatibility Issue

Companies struggle to combine legacy systems with more modern technologies and applications, which leads to errors throughout the department and more manual work.

Poor User Experience

Legacy applications with outdated and restricted functionality can result in a low user experience, which can negatively impact employees’ job satisfaction and productivity.

Expensive Maintenance Cost

IT staff with high skills and experience are required to conduct regular checks on legacy systems, which can be costly. Additionally, finding hardware and software components can be expensive and time-consuming.

As a company’s key decision-maker, you must have already known that if your application’s functionality is not designed to adapt to your user requirements, it may severely affect your company’s revenue growth and revenue.

However, this is not the case when you modernise your outdated applications. Updating your systems using a rapid application development process is time-saving, enhances functionality, improves user experiences, and ultimately increases your business management process.

Major Differences Between RAD Vs Traditional Model in Modernising Legacy Applications

Here are the differences between rapid application development (RAD) and the traditional model in updating conventional applications:

Factors
Rapid Application Development
Traditional Model
Development Process
It allows for iteration and prototyping at different phases of development, enabling developers to receive feedback continuously and adjust accordingly.
It is linear and prognostic, following only a sequential order of application development. You cannot iterate in the middle of the development process.
Flexibility and ProductivityFlexibility and Productivity
Due to continuous iterations and customer interactions, using low-code and predefined templates reduces excess time and resources, increasing productivity and flexibility.
It requires coding to build and design templates, layouts, and elements from scratch according to the project’s needs. Hence, you can use the same elements.
Predefined Templates
Since it’s a low-code platform, you can find access to predefined templates, layouts, elements, and pre-tested applications in a ready-to-use format.
It requires coding to build and design templates, layouts, and elements from scratch according to the project’s needs. Hence, you can use the same elements.
Documentation
Minimal documentation is needed, as the platform itself repeats iterations at every stage of development, resulting in deliverables that are not fully documented.
It requires strict documentation and supervision at each stage of development.
Team Collaboration
It requires small, quick teams with average technical, communication, and business skills. It also involves a lesser level of product management.
Usually, large teams with vast technological, business, and communication skills collaborate, which involves a high level of product management.
Cost & Time Valuation
Developers can quickly modernise or update your organisation’s outdated legacy applications. Moreover, it is low-cost maintenance.
It requires more time, as you cannot move to a different phase of development without completing the previous one. Developers also need extra time for reworking and maintenance costs.
Testing Approach
Testing is performed at every stage of development and iteration.
Testing is performed only after the completion of the coding phase.
Risk Management
It has low risks due to the constant iteration and validation of prototypes at every stage of the development process.
High risks because the final product is tested and verified only after the entire coding and development phase.
End User Involvement
Complete customer interaction with continuous audits and suggestions at every stage of the modernisation process
User involvement occurs only during the beginning stage and the delivery stage.

Key Benefits of Using RAD Technologies for Legacy System Modernisation

Utilising rapid application development tools provides a wide range of advantages for updating your organisation’s out-of-date software. A few of them are listed below:

Key Benefits of Using RAD Technologies for Legacy System Modernisation

Agility

The rapid application development process offers an opportunity for the teams to respond to comments swiftly, ensuring that the updated systems perfectly match the various enterprise needs and objectives

Enhanced Collaboration

Rapid application development platforms allow small, dynamic teams to operate easily. Developers can communicate with each other and resolve iterations, making system modernisation effortless.

Simplified User Experience

Due to continuous iteration in the development stage and frequent user involvement while using the rapid application development platform. The updated system showcases a smooth, functional, and seamless experience for end users.

Easy Integration Process

Systems updated using low-code tools, such as rapid application development (RAD), integrate more smoothly with the latest technologies and trends.

Increased Satisfaction

The RAD platform’s low-code solutions and predefined elements streamline the development process. This enables users to focus on modernisation rather than repeated tasks and creates a sense of job satisfaction.

Budget-friendly

Rapid application development (RAD) platforms have pre-defined designs, elements, and layouts. Updating the software usually requires fewer coding skills; therefore, it saves a lot of money that could otherwise be invested in hiring highly qualified IT professionals and programmers.

SquareOne - Your Ultimate Choice for Acquiring RAD Platforms

For more than 10+ years, SquareOne has been in the industry, offering the most recent technology solutions for organisations to handle their complex and challenging task. By successfully working with top IT giants, such as Microsoft and Mendix, we provide low-code platforms to facilitate rapid application development processes for updating your traditional software with limited coding requirements. Our industry experts work towards providing go-to technologies that make sure your company stands out from the crowd.

Our solutions are designed to ease difficult and repetitive development challenges. Low-code tools, such as Rapid application development, help us ensure cost-effectiveness and boost performance while accelerating application modernisation services. SquareOne’s main motto is that every organisation should access scalable and flexible software with a streamlined implementation process.

Conclusion

Businesses need the modernisation of legacy software if they want to witness growth in this evolving technology sector. With the use of a rapid application development process, companies can update their dated systems and increase speed, ensuring overall growth and productivity with minimum coding demands.

In the future, recent technologies, such as AI, ML, and serverless computing, will play a pivotal role in reimagining your enterprise system by automating long and repetitive tasks. Additionally, if you’re looking for low-code software to speed up the modernisation of your dated application, partnering with SquareOne can be your ultimate solution.

Are you looking to modernise your legacy applications? Contact us today to get started!