Rebuild development case study
Introduction
In many companies, legacy systems that have been repeatedly modified over many years still play a central role in business operations. However, as the business environment changes and technology advances, these systems are increasingly becoming obstacles to business growth.
This article introduces the effectiveness and key success factors of rebuild development through a case study of reconstructing a system while leveraging existing assets.
Fundamental issues in legacy systems
Many legacy systems face the following challenges.
- The original design concept no longer aligns with the current business model.
- Ad hoc modifications have accumulated each time business processes changed
- Source code and specifications are not sufficiently available
- A black-box system understood only by specific staff members
- Difficult to integrate with new technologies and external services
These issues go beyond technical debt and develop into management risks that hinder business growth.
Why Choose Rebuild Development Instead of Scratch Development?
When considering legacy system renewal, many companies assume they need scratch development, rebuilding everything from the ground up.
However, scratch development involves the following risks.
- Missed requirements due to insufficient business understanding
- Longer time to completion
- Significant business impact during migration
- Risk of building a system that frontline users will not accept
Case study overview
Industry: BtoB services
Target system
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Order and procurement management
- Billing and sales management
Existing challenges
- More than 10 years have passed since the system was built
- Gaps between business workflows and system specifications
- A situation where adding features takes several months
How to proceed with rebuild development
① Thorough Visualization of Current Operations and Systems
The first step was to understand the business operations, not the system.
- Interviews with frontline staff
- Creating actual business process flow diagrams
- Inventory of existing functions
- Clarifying usage frequency and business criticality
This process clarified the following two points.
- Features that exist in the system but are not actually used
- Processes handled through person-dependent operations
② Future-Oriented Redesign
In rebuild development, we do more than simply recreate existing features. We design with business expansion over the next three to five years in mind.
- Module division by business unit
- Separation of frontend and backend
- API-First Design
- An architecture designed for cloud migration
This created a foundation that can flexibly support future
- Adding new services
- Integration with external SaaS platforms
- Support for overseas locations
as well.
③ Phased Rebuild through Agile Development
In this case, we adopted agile development and rebuilt the system in stages.
- Start with features that have minimal business impact
- Parallel operation with the existing system
- Regular reviews and improvements
- Adjusting requirements as needed
By migrating in phases instead of switching everything at once, we were able to minimize the risk of business disruption.
Results after implementation
After the rebuild development was completed, the following results were achieved.
- Development speed: improved by approximately 40% compared with the previous approach
- Major reduction in maintenance and operating costs
- The impact scope is clarified when new features are added
- Eliminating dependence on specific individuals
- Create an environment where business improvement proposals are easier to make
A major achievement was that the perception of “system changes = major risk” faded, and a continuous cycle of business improvement began.
Key points for successful rebuild development
① Project Managers with Industry Expertise
With PMs who thoroughly understand your business and industry leading the requirements definition, we ensure a development process where "building the system" doesn't just become an end in itself.
② Prioritizing Business Operations over Technology
It is more important to focus on a design that fits the business than on adopting the latest technologies.
③ Build Small and Use Quickly
The key to success is not aiming for perfection, but first creating something usable and improving it over time.
About SMILE
SMILE is a software development company with development bases in Japan and Vietnam. In addition to end-to-end system development, we specialize in legacy system modernization and rebuild development, supporting many BtoB companies.
SMILE is more than a development vendor. We work closely with customers as a partner that starts by understanding their business operations and then redesigns both operations and IT.
SMILE’s Strengths
Drive projects based on industry and business understanding
A PM with deep knowledge of industry characteristics and business workflows leads requirements definition and delivers system designs aligned with actual operations.
Extensive experience in rebuild development and modernization
- Current-state analysis of legacy systems
- Visualization of business operations and functions
- Redesign with future expansion in mind
- Phased rebuild and migration support
We build sustainable systems that make maximum use of existing assets.
A flexible development approach combining Agile and Waterfall
- Reduce migration risk
- Stabilizing quality and schedules
- Flexible response to requirement changes
Japan × Vietnam development structure
- Smooth communication with Japanese companies
- Development that ensures Japanese-level quality
- High cost performance
Summary
Rebuild development is more than a system renewal. It is an initiative to review business operations, organization, and IT, then redesign the foundation for the future.
SMILE helps customers build an IT foundation that supports sustainable growth through a phased and practical rebuild approach, while respecting their current operations and existing assets.
Start a Consultation on Advancing GX and DX
We work with you to design an approach tailored to your company’s situation, from assessing the current state to implementing systems and improving operations.
- You can clarify current operational and data-related challenges.
- You can design implementation steps that fit your company's structure.
- You can also build a framework that remains easy to operate after implementation.
- You can use data to verify results and make improvements.
