Your IT and business ready for the future? This can only be achieved with a flexible core system. In this blog, we explain how you can make that happen.

It sounds like a dream: never again being dependent on legacy software, not spending tens of thousands of euros each year on upgrades, and no longer using messy interim solutions. But it is possible if you take the step of replacing your legacy software with a flexible core system. This is the only way to ensure that your IT landscape is prepared for the future. Do you dare to take that step? 

Have you ever considered building your core system yourself with low-code? Low-code is the powerful, flexible, and future-proof answer to legacy software problems. It's not easy though, creating a completely new system from scratch, which you maintain and manage yourself. We know it can be done and we are here to help you! To get you started, we share three concrete steps you can take toward a new system.

It may sound crazy, but when you build a completely proprietary core system, more than just the technology changes. You are currently working with a standard product or system, to which your practices have been adopted.

From now on, you don't have to. You no longer have an off-the-shelf product, but a system with which you make exactly what you need. Compare it with a 3D printer, for example, you print exactly the processes and functionalities that your organization needs.  

Your mindset, processes, and operations will also change! To go through this transition as smoothly as possible, first of all, take stock of what you have and where you are going. You do this using the following three components: 

Technical legacy 
Obviously, this is about the technical aspect: the basics. Make an inventory of the systems and applications you use now, how they work and what the impact would be if you replaced them. Which processes are the most important or the most complex? Are you moving to the cloud? What technology do you want to get rid of and what will you take with you?     

Functional legacy  
This is an essential part of a good migration. After all, if you always use standard solutions, this is the first time your organization has thought about this. When you have that 3D printer at your disposal, what are you going to make? What functionality has priority and what can you actually leave out? This can be overwhelming at first because of the number of possibilities and freedom you now have. Our tip: don't do everything at once and start small.  

Organizational Legacy 
Because you can now make what you need, your thinking also changes the organizational structure. Who will manage this new process? In other words, what roles will your new system create and how will you fulfill them? In addition, pay attention to getting your employees on board. What habits do they have to let go of? How can you make sure that they have the right mindset? 

Now that you know where your organization is heading, it's time to make a clear plan. There are different ways to achieve a new low-code core system and you need to make clear choices.

Replacing your core system is not a small IT project. Your entire organization needs to be involved in this, and you'll only get it done if you take this into account from the start. That's why, at the end of step two, you've created a roadmap that answers questions like:  

  • Will you build the new system entirely yourself with your own developers or will you do it with a partner? 

  • Who will manage and secure the system when it is ready? 

  • What will your working method be? You want to build quickly, test, get feedback and improve. But how do you realize this?   

  • What is the minimum requirement for functionality before you go live with the first version? What will be carried over to a second version?  

Important: make it specific, involve the necessary parties directly, and keep it short and sweet. For example, first write everything you need on one A4, no more. This will force you to make sharp choices and start small! 

Now all you have to do is build the entire system! ;) The most important thing is to break the process down into small pieces and take a few weeks. Because, as you know by now, you don't buy a standard product and your new system won't be finished in one go. Be alert to these expectations.

You will notice that your organization will get into a rhythm after a few uncomfortable first steps: building, testing, adapting, and rolling out. This will take two to four weeks per component, after which you will move on to the next functionality. And once this rhythm is established, you and your colleagues know: you can do this!  

Got the hang of it and want to know more about how to build a core system? Get in contact with us and we'll tell you all the ins and outs of replacing your core system!