Pitfalls of Delphi migration and ways to reduce risks
Overview
Even the most sophisticated systems have life cycles, regardless of the Delphi project’s cost or functionality. Even if it was created with the most cutting-edge technologies when you launched it, any software product you use in your business processes will eventually become obsolete. Additionally, business requirements and market conditions are constantly evolving. It’s only natural that you might discover that your solution no longer meets your needs after a few years of use. And moving it to a more recent Delphi version becomes necessary.
We have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the peculiarities of this process and potential pitfalls over the course of more than 14 years of industry work. We want to share our knowledge and give you important advice in this article so you can be ready for a successful Delphi app migration.
Pitfall 1. Overexpenditure
We’ve learned from the accounts of our clients who have already had some unfavorable Delphi migration experiences before getting in touch with us that it happens frequently for the migration projects to end up costing more than the initial approval. Companies may experience numerous issues as a result of overestimating the budget allotted for software migration, which may force them to cut back on other projects or even abandon an unfinished project.
How to stay away from it
The only way to prevent this from happening is to thoroughly assess the amount of work that needs to be done, conduct high-quality research on the project and its requirements, and take into account any potential risks that could add to the cost. Before beginning the migration, we never skip these steps. Otherwise, unpleasant project cost surprises are unavoidable.
We advise you to confirm that the project estimates are accurate and take into account any potential risks before beginning work with a new partner.
Pitfall 2. Technical debt
When development speed takes precedence over quality, technical debt is always the result of poorly written code. Unfortunately, even when they are aware of the existing technical debt, many development teams choose not to address it for a variety of reasons. However, the more serious the effects of these issues become as they go unresolved. While the development is sluggish, the technical debt is increasing over time. When developers who contributed to the creation of a solution leave the company and the tech documentation is lacking, the situation only gets worse.
When the migration process simply involves moving some functionality to a more recent Delphi version, it won’t be causing any major issues, but when the core calculations that are concealed in the legacy code are unknown to those who are familiar with their business logic, things become much more complicated. Any modifications, updates, and improvements are hampered by technical debt. And continuing to ignore it would be pointless. You will eventually realize that you have a fix for many bugs that could cause your company to suffer significant reputational and financial losses if you try not to notice them.
How to stay away from it
Conducting a thorough code review is the only way out. However, it takes a lot of time and calls for developers to have specialized knowledge and abilities. Finding experts who can handle such tasks is essential because of this. According to our experience, it is frequently impossible to foresee the length of time that could delay the migration project. When studying the solution architecture, components, database structure, and other aspects, the same problems may arise. Developers will only have binary files to decompile in order to understand at least something if there is no legacy code at all in the worst-case scenario.
However, maintaining high-quality documentation and promptly resolving all issues that could result in a significant technical debt are, of course, the better ways to prevent any issues in the future.
Pitfall 3. Lack of the desired functionality in the migrated app
Risks associated with its functionality may become more apparent the more complicated the migration you plan to carry out. Many businesses worry that their Delphi apps will become less functional or that certain features won’t function properly as a result of the migration. And these scenarios are actually conceivable because some Delphi components might not be supported by more recent versions or because programmers might make a mistake that causes something to stop working. However, these issues can be prevented with the right strategy.
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How to stay away from it
It is essential to anticipate all potential problems and find proactive solutions to them in order to reduce the risks of losing functionality during the migration of Delphi apps. The most likely problems that are already at the preparatory stage can always be defined by a good team with relevant Delphi working experience, and they will go into more detail about how to handle them. For instance, at our company, we always take the time to ensure that we have clearly defined all potential testing scenarios before beginning to test the app in order to be on the safe side.
Pitfall 4. Downtimes
Such systems exist and ought to function without interruptions or pauses. Otherwise, a business could suffer significant losses. We are aware of instances where software modernization can cause even the most devoted customers to leave, so we work hard to preserve business continuity while core systems are being moved. Even for the most seasoned teams, it is one of the hardest tasks. Furthermore, not even the best planning can guarantee risk-free conditions. It can, however, greatly reduce them.
How to stay away from it
Prepare for the deployment of a new system as the first step that needs to be taken. When the deployment won’t present any problems for your employees or clients, you should specify the most suitable time for it. Companies typically conduct this process on the weekends and at night, but in this case, everything depends on your company’s unique needs. Everything, including the procedure for system deployment, data migration, and the date that your old system will be shut down, should be planned out in advance.
You should consider other factors in addition to the technical one. Prepare your teams for use of the migrated system as well. Finding time to train your staff and explain all the updates to them is essential. They will feel more at ease after the migrated system is deployed the more they learn about it.
It is advised to have a plan that includes the algorithm of actions in case something goes wrong, even if you are well-prepared for the deployment. Additionally, it’s important to provide assistance to staff members who might encounter bugs that make it difficult for them to carry out their regular duties. Consider alternative approaches to at least the most crucial processes.
There aren’t any universal migration strategies that can be used in every situation, in our opinion. Because of this, we take a very unique approach to our work and develop migration plans that fully meet each client’s unique needs. However, it’s also crucial to plan ahead and be aware of all the risks before solving potential issues. Their effects will be lessened as a result.
Pitfall 5. Malfunctioning of the migrated app
One of every organization’s worst nightmares is a poorly functioning app. Migration is a fairly intricate process with numerous risks-increasing steps.
How to stay away from it
Finding highly qualified experts with the knowledge and skills to upgrade your legacy app to a more recent technology version is the only piece of advice we can offer in this situation. In our experience, we encountered clients who had incorrectly migrated Delphi apps, and we can say that fixing errors is much harder than properly migrating a solution from the start. Testing migrated apps and fixing every bug before deployment are part of our strategy.
Summary
Your software undergoes significant changes with each migration. Because of this, it’s crucial to consider all the risks and to think carefully before making a choice.
With our customers, we always maintain our integrity. We always warn them and provide a different plan of action when they approach us with the task of migrating their app but we decide it is not the best option or if it makes no sense financially.
We’ve created a special migration procedure based on our experience that enables us to save clients’ time and money while also seamlessly transferring apps to more recent Delphi versions.
Contact us and schedule a free consultation if you’re interested in learning more about how we migrate Delphi apps, the costs involved, and the turnaround time. To provide the most practical and effective solution, our experts will analyze your situation.
