Flipping the script: Legacy modernization through digital decoupling

Traditional front-end/back-end is holding enterprise organizations back. To put on a world-class digital show, you need to transform the way you visualize and practice legacy modernization.

Think about “Hamilton,” the stage musical. It’s a global phenomenon because audiences come out of performances not just satisfied or content, but blown away. They tell everyone they can about their amazing experience — the production, the songs, the visual spectacle — and it stays with them long after the performance is done.

This is the level you’re reaching for when it comes to the customer experiences offered by your products and services. But your stage show probably looks very different right now.

Your backstage is in chaos. You have competing business initiatives and cloud providers influencing your IT strategy. You have outdated core systems causing issue after issue. You have people copying and pasting things from spreadsheets because your processes are disconnected and fragmented. New vendors and new software capabilities are coming to market constantly — all of which you have to explore and understand if you want to stay relevant. And you can’t stop the show.

What’s more, senior leaders tell us that they struggle to find the words to help non-technical stakeholders grasp the importance of updating outdated architectures. We need a fresh way to talk about and achieve legacy modernization — one that is more audience-centric, more mindful of internal and external user needs, and better encompasses the need for multiple digital and physical touchpoints.

By visualizing your frontstage and backstage holistically, as a single connected narrative, you can start to tackle the challenges of legacy modernization iteratively. Digital decoupling is the process that allows you to bring this to life.

In this three-act guide, we explore frontstage/backstage thinking alongside digital decoupling and the methodologies that can help you put on a world-class digital show. 

Key plot points

A new vision of legacy modernization. Start to see your frontstage and backstage as a single, connected narrative and discover how this holistic approach can help you tackle the challenges of legacy modernization.

The art of digital decoupling. Explore digital decoupling — a legacy modernization process that uses an abstraction layer (or curtain) between front and backstage — enabling upgrades to be made while audiences enjoy seamless and compelling experiences.

Inside your frontstage/backstage journey. Learn why software development approaches like the strangler pattern and thin-slicing are key to enabling organizations to put on a world-class digital show.