Modernization Assessment App

As organizations continue their digital transformation journeys, one of the biggest challenges architects face is determining which applications should be modernized and how. The process of assessing legacy applications for modernization can be time-consuming, subjective, and inconsistent across teams.
The Challenge
Application modernization decisions require architects to evaluate multiple factors: technical debt, business value, cloud readiness, security posture, and operational costs. Traditional assessment methods often involve spreadsheets, manual scoring, and lengthy documentation processes that can take weeks or even months to complete.
A Streamlined Solution
The App Modernization Assessment App was developed to address these challenges by providing architects with a structured, efficient way to assess applications for modernization. This tool helps standardize the evaluation process while reducing the time needed to make informed decisions.
How the Scoring Works
The Five Scoring Dimensions
1. Business Value (0-100) - Higher is better
- Measures strategic importance to the organization
- Factors: Business criticality, active users, revenue impact, strategic alignment, and compliance requirements
- Weight: 35% of overall priority
2. Cloud Readiness (0-100) - Higher is better
- Evaluates how prepared the application is for cloud migration
- Factors: Architecture type, current hosting environment, deployment frequency, monitoring maturity, and disaster recovery readiness
- Weight: 20% of overall priority
3. Technical Risk (0-100) - Higher means more risk
- Assesses technical health and potential failure risks
- Factors: Age of last update, test coverage, documentation level, code quality, and average downtime
- Weight: 25% of overall priority
4. Modernization Complexity (0-100) - Higher means more complex
- Estimates the technical effort required to modernize
- Factors: Lines of code, architecture complexity, integration complexity, and technical debt (code quality, documentation, test coverage)
- Weight: 20% of overall priority (inverted - lower complexity increases priority)
5. Overall Priority Score (0-100) - The final recommendation
- Combines all dimensions using weighted formula
- Determines the optimal modernization strategy (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Rearchitect, Rebuild, Retain, or Retire)
At the heart of the assessment tool is a sophisticated yet transparent scoring methodology that evaluates applications across five key dimensions:
Intelligent Recommendations
The tool doesn’t just provide scores - it analyzes the score combinations to recommend the optimal modernization strategy:
- Retire: Low business value + high technical risk
- Retain: Low value but stable - modernization not justified
- Rehost: Quick lift-and-shift when other strategies don’t clearly apply
- Replatform: Minor optimizations during migration
- Refactor: Code optimization for valuable applications with manageable complexity
- Rearchitect: Fundamental restructuring for high-value apps with poor architecture
- Rebuild: Complete rewrite for critical applications with severe technical debt
Configuration
Simulation
The scoring methodology is transparent, customizable, and based on industry best practices from AWS, Azure, and Gartner frameworks.
Who Should Use This Tool?
This application is ideal for:
- Enterprise Architects planning modernization roadmaps
- Solution Architects evaluating specific applications for cloud migration
- IT Leaders prioritizing technology investments
- Consultants conducting application portfolio assessments
Getting Started
The App Modernization Assessment App is open source and available on GitHub. You can explore the project, contribute, or deploy your own instance:
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/deepakkumpala/app-modernization-assessment-app
Feel free to fork, extend, and customize for your own learning platform!