Enterprise Modernization Challenges and Solutions

What makes modernization hard

We've spent decades inside these systems. These are the problems that come up in nearly every enterprise.

Legacy tech can’t keep up with change

Core systems are costly, tightly linked and hard to update. Embedded business logic and technical debt slow every change and raise operational risk.

Operations don’t work as one system

Supply chains, fulfillment, field operations and partner networks still run across disconnected platforms and manual workflows.

Digital can’t move at customer speed

Aging platforms and fragmented delivery models make it harder to improve products, launch services and respond to changing customer needs.

Transformation can’t disrupt the business

Critical systems must keep running while they change. Every modernization plan must protect customers, employees and day-to-day operations.

Every industry requires a different approach to modernization

Industry context isn't a layer we add later. It's what our platforms are built on from day one.

Consumer Products Consumer Products Consumer Products Connect product, supply chain and commercial systems to respond faster.
Energy & Commodities Energy & Commodities Energy & Commodities Modernize industrial systems without risking safety, production or compliance.
Health Health Health Connect clinical, claims and operating systems while protecting patient data.
Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Update core systems while protecting controls, trust and service continuity.
Public Sector Public Sector Public Sector Modernize essential services without disrupting citizens or agency operations.
Retail Retail Retail Update commerce, inventory and fulfillment systems to respond in real time.
Travel & Hospitality Travel & Hospitality Travel & Hospitality Modernize reservation and operating systems while keeping services running.
Transportation & Mobility Transportation & Mobility Transportation & Mobility Connect engineering, manufacturing and ownership systems around the customer.
Telecom, Media & Tech Telecom, Media & Tech Telecom, Media & Tech Modernize subscriber, network and content systems built over decades.

Results from real modernizations

Financial Services

Global Bank Turns Three Million Lines of COBOL Into Specs

50 % faster specification creation
70- 85 % reduced code-to-spec effort

Nissan Cuts IT Costs 40% With AI Monitoring

The Problem A large global bank needed to modernize legacy mainframe systems supporting core banking services, spanning 300+ critical batch feeds.

Our Solution Slingshot analyzed nearly three million lines of COBOL to extract hidden business rules and turn them into structured specifications.

Learn more

Retail

Major Retailer Cuts Mainframe Modernization Time by 70%

70 % faster migration
95 % accuracy in generating specifications

Beauty Brand Cuts Costs, Improves Customer Experience

The Problem The retailer’s mainframe environment had become complex. Critical business logic lived across COBOL, Java, Python and Shell scripts.

Our Solution In a six-week proof of concept, we turned legacy systems into cloud-ready services without losing intent or functionality.

Learn more

Enterprise modernization FAQS

+ + + + + +

What is enterprise modernization?

Enterprise modernization is the work of updating legacy applications, data, infrastructure and delivery practices so the business can change faster, carry less risk and support AI. It covers the systems themselves and the way teams build and run them.

How is modernization different from a system migration?

A migration moves a system to a new environment. Modernization changes the system itself—its architecture, code, data and workflows—while preserving the business logic it still depends on. A migration can leave you with the same constraints in a newer place.

How do you modernize without disrupting operations?

The work starts by mapping dependencies, business rules and live workflows. Teams then modernize in controlled stages, validating each change against how the original system behaves before anything switches over, so critical systems keep running throughout.

Can AI help modernize legacy systems?

Yes. AI can read old code, recover hidden logic, create specifications, generate new code and run tests. Human experts still make the decisions that matter most—what to modernize first, how much risk to accept, and whether the result fits the business.

How do you keep business logic intact?

Slingshot reads legacy code to recover the rules, dependencies and specifications that define how a system behaves, then carries that context through build and test. That reduces reliance on the few experts who remember the original logic and produces traceable documentation that regulators and auditors can review.

How does industry context affect modernization?

Every industry has different rules, systems and failure risks. Industry context determines which logic must be preserved, which regulatory requirements apply and which changes could disrupt critical operations. It is the difference between a technically correct modernization and one the business can actually run on.

Enterprise Modernization Challenges and Solutions | Publicis Sapient

Modernize the Systems Your Business Runs On

The challenge