To replace or not to replace

Up-to-date applications are critical for enterprises to stay relevant and available for their customers and end users. Unfortunately, companies often struggle with the increasing complexity caused by applications reaching retirement. These end-of-lifecycle apps often require expensive customizations, updates and ongoing support to continue delivering business value.

A pioneering high-tech manufacturer was looking for a new tool capable of managing the process of replacing these end-of-life applications. It needed a solution with sufficient scalability and new digital capabilities, as well as support for today’s work-anywhere culture, including remote and mobile device access.

It identified the Mendix low-code platform as the right tool for rapid development, but its dev teams needed help. They needed assistance with both the implementation and with building a workable operating model for the long-term.

Making the switch

The manufacturer chose Atos as the systems integrator to support the implementation of Mendix as its in-house rapid application development platform. Together, the two companies reimagined and redesigned ways of working for the company’s development center, in order to implement a faster, more efficient factory model of operations.

One of the keys was adopting an Agile methodology for all projects, and standardizing processes for demand management, scoping, estimation and proposing new applications. Based on its strong Mendix capabilities, Atos also helped define best practices for scoping, solutioning, and an implementation checklist that helped make the app factory model a reality.

In addition, Atos’s partnership with Mendix will enable the manufacturer to leverage the low-code platform to drive hyper automation and decarbonization across the enterprise.

Reaping the rewards

As a low-code platform, Mendix enables users with and without coding experience to quickly create scalable, modern applications in place of older systems in need of retirement. To date, the company has used Atos’s Mendix expertise to create dozens of applications for use cases such as legacy modernization, customer engagement and operational efficiency.

Among the quick wins achieved are a new app that provides its IT security teams with a digital experience, and another that consolidated several HR processes into one efficient workflow.

With the build times for 90% of its new apps ranging between three weeks and three months, this project has enabled the manufacturer to reach end users faster, stay relevant and operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Best of all, it has a consistent, efficient, scalable development model that will deliver value and agility well into the future.