From warehouse robotics to automated order processing, modern automation tools reduce manual effort, enhance visibility, and build resilience across operations. Organizations can streamline workflows, integrate legacy systems, and enable real-time data-driven decisions without long development cycles or costly rip-and-replace strategies.

Key Insights

1. Understand supply chain automation: It involves using digital tools like AI, robotics, and low-code platforms to streamline processes across inventory, warehousing, logistics, and procurement with minimal human intervention.
2. Benefits of automation: Businesses see faster operations, reduced labor costs, improved accuracy, better customer experiences, and enhanced supply chain visibility across partners and systems.
3. Real-world applications: From inventory and warehouse automation to logistics and customer service, real-world applications of supply chain automation are streamlining operations, reducing manual effort, and enabling faster, more accurate decision-making.
4. Stay future-ready: Trends like ESG compliance, AI-driven forecasting, labor shortages, and disruption planning are shaping the next wave of supply chain automation, pushing companies to modernize for resilience and intelligence.
5. Leverage LANSA’s low-code suite: Tools like Visual LANSA, LANSA Composer, and LANSA BI simplify automation, integrate legacy systems, and drive data-driven decisions, without requiring costly rip-and-replace upgrades.

Read on to know more.

What is Supply Chain Automation?

Supply chain automation refers to the use of digital technologies, such as software, sensors, robotics, and artificial intelligence, to streamline and optimize supply chain operations with minimal human intervention. It enables businesses to automate repetitive and manual tasks across procurement, inventory management, logistics, order fulfillment, and more. This includes low code automation platforms that make it easier to digitize processes without heavy development overhead. In fact, manufacturing companies automate 35% of workflows using low‑code solutions, making supply chains faster and more responsive The goal is to increase efficiency, improve accuracy, and enhance end-to-end visibility across supply chain networks. 

The evolution of supply chains has moved steadily from paper-based processes and siloed systems to highly integrated, technology-driven ecosystems. In the past, managing inventory or processing shipments relied heavily on manual entry, phone calls, and spreadsheets. Today, automation technologies can trigger replenishment orders, reroute shipments, or update customers in real-time, all without human involvement. This shift is not only about speed and efficiency but also about enabling smarter, data-informed decisions and creating agile systems that can adapt to unexpected disruptions, such as global pandemics or geopolitical events.

Why is Supply Chain Automation Needed?

With the rise of global disruptions, evolving customer expectations, and increasing system complexity, traditional supply chains are under pressure. Automation is no longer optional—it’s a strategic necessity for enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and building resilient, future-ready operations. Let’s find out how automation helps overcome today’s challenges and unlocks long-term supply chain success. 

Enhance Efficiency and Reduce Errors

Automating repetitive tasks, such as inventory updates, order confirmations, and shipment tracking, reduces the risk of human error and speeds up routine processes. This not only improves accuracy but also allows teams to focus on higher-value work that drives strategic growth.

Overcome Limitations of Current Systems

Many organizations still rely on outdated or disconnected systems that create data silos and inefficiencies. Supply chain automation addresses these issues by integrating legacy tools, standardizing workflows, and enabling seamless data exchange across departments and partners. Instead of costly system overhauls, platforms like Visual LANSA’s low-code automation solution support API-first development to modernize operations quickly—without replacing your entire tech stack.

Better Scenario Planning

Let’s face it, unexpected events like COVID-19, sudden supply disruptions, or shifts in consumer demand highlight the need for agile supply chains. Automation supports proactive scenario planning by providing real-time data, predictive analytics, and faster decision-making, allowing businesses to pivot with confidence.

Key Benefits of Supply Chain Automation

As global supply chains become more complex and data-driven, automation is no longer optional; it’s a strategic necessity. From cost savings to improved customer satisfaction, automating core processes unlocks a range of operational and competitive advantages that traditional systems simply can’t match. Read on to find out some of the major benefits of supply chain automation.

More Transparent IT Systems & Operations

Since automation provides real-time visibility into every stage of the supply chain, from procurement to delivery, it eliminates data silos and enables centralized monitoring, helping teams make faster, data-backed decisions.

Enhanced Customer Experience & Satisfaction

With accurate order tracking, faster fulfillment, and fewer delays, customers enjoy a smoother, more reliable experience. Automation also enables proactive communication and personalized service at scale.

Reduced Operational Costs

By minimizing manual effort and streamlining workflows, supply chain automation cuts down labor costs, reduces errors, and lowers overhead. Moreover, it also improves resource allocation, which directly impacts the bottom line.

Faster Operations

Tasks that once took hours, like processing orders or updating inventory, can now be completed in minutes. Automation accelerates the overall supply chain cycle, increasing responsiveness and delivery speed.

Improved Data Security

Automated systems are less prone to human errors that can lead to data breaches. With built-in controls, audit trails, and compliance features, automation strengthens supply chain data integrity and security.

Increased Productivity

Last but certainly not least, automation allows employees to focus on strategic and high-impact work rather than repetitive tasks. This boosts overall output, shortens lead times, and enhances team efficiency.

Examples of Supply Chain Automation

Automation spans every stage of the supply chain, from procurement and production to logistics and customer service, reshaping how organizations manage complexity and scale operations. These technologies reduce manual workloads, enable real-time data flow across systems, and help companies adapt quickly to changing market demands. The following areas highlight where automation is creating measurable improvements in speed, accuracy, and cost-efficiency.

Warehouse Automation

From robotic pick-and-pack systems to conveyor belts and autonomous forklifts, warehouse automation boosts throughput and accuracy. These technologies reduce human error, enhance safety, and enable faster handling of large order volumes, especially during peak seasons.

Manufacturing Automation

Automation in manufacturing includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), robotics, and machine vision systems that ensure consistent quality and reduced downtime. Smart manufacturing also enables predictive maintenance, improving equipment lifespan and minimizing unexpected disruptions.

Transportation and Logistics Automation

Automation in transportation and logistics helps streamline complex processes like shipment scheduling, load optimization, and real-time vehicle tracking. These tools reduce delays, improve delivery accuracy, and ensure better coordination across carriers, warehouses, and distribution centers.

Inventory Management

Automated inventory systems use real-time data, barcode scanning, and IoT-enabled sensors to provide accurate visibility into stock levels, reduce shrinkage, and improve reordering efficiency. This minimizes stockouts and overstock scenarios, improving overall supply chain responsiveness.

Order Processing Automation

Automated order management systems streamline everything from purchase order creation to invoicing. This reduces manual data entry, speeds up the sales cycle, and improves order accuracy, critical in maintaining customer satisfaction in high-volume operations. Tools like LANSA Composer make this process even more efficient by enabling low-code automation of order flows across internal and external systems. It simplifies tasks like generating purchase orders, transforming data formats, and handling partner communications, all without deep coding expertise.

Office Administration Automation

Routine tasks like data entry, procurement requests, compliance reporting, and payroll are increasingly handled by robotic process automation (RPA) tools. This frees up valuable time for administrative teams and enhances consistency across internal processes.

Customer Service

Automated customer service systems, such as chatbots and intelligent IVRs, handle common queries and service requests instantly. These tools improve response time, enhance customer satisfaction, and free up human support teams to focus on high-priority or complex issues.

Future Trends in Supply Chain Automation

As global supply chains grow more complex, volatile, and digitally connected, automation is moving beyond cost-cutting to become a strategic enabler. The next wave of automation will be defined by its ability to drive resilience, sustainability, and intelligence across the supply chain. Below are the most critical trends that will shape how companies automate and modernize their supply chains in the years ahead.

Automation to Meet ESG and Sustainability Goals

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities are becoming central to supply chain strategy. In the future, automation will play a key role in enabling sustainable operations—through real-time emissions tracking, optimized resource consumption, and automated compliance reporting. These tools will empower companies to meet increasingly stringent sustainability regulations and consumer expectations.

Workforce Automation in Response to Labor Shortages

Labor shortages and an aging workforce are pressuring logistics and manufacturing sectors globally. Automation will increasingly fill these gaps by taking over manual, repetitive, or hazardous tasks, ensuring business continuity, boosting output, and maintaining safety without relying on human availability alone.

AI-Powered Decision Intelligence

Artificial intelligence will become deeply embedded in supply chain automation, driving smarter forecasting, anomaly detection, and real-time decision-making. By processing large, unstructured datasets from across the value chain, AI will power predictive models that reduce waste, optimize planning, and improve service levels.

Automation for Resilience and Scenario Planning

Future-ready supply chains must be built to withstand disruptions, from pandemics to geopolitical events and climate risks. Automation tools that support scenario modeling, digital twins, and real-time alerts will help businesses proactively simulate risks and adapt quickly to changing conditions with minimal operational fallout.

Legacy System Modernization Through Automation

The shift toward connected, API-driven infrastructure will push companies to modernize outdated ERP and supply chain systems. Automation, especially via low-code tools, will ease this transition by enabling data integration, automated workflows, and scalable system upgrades without complete rip-and-replace overhauls. To explore this topic in depth, watch this LANSA webinar on the four pillars of digital supply chain transformation.

Supply Chain Automation Tools

Modern supply chains demand integrated, scalable tools that simplify complex processes and enable seamless automation. LANSA offers a suite of solutions designed to meet these challenges across different levels of the supply chain.

Visual LANSA

Visual LANSA is a comprehensive low-code development platform that enables rapid modernization of enterprise applications. Beyond just building new solutions, it allows businesses to extend and transform legacy systems by wrapping them in modern interfaces, integrating with APIs, and enabling seamless data flow across cloud and on-premise environments. With built-in support for cloud deployment, hybrid architectures, and secure cross-platform delivery, Visual LANSA empowers organizations to digitize their supply chain operations, accelerate development cycles, and adapt quickly to evolving business needs, all without the need for a full infrastructure overhaul. For example, Distribution Solutions Inc. used Visual LANSA to automate complex backend distribution workflows, cutting down manual labor and improving operational efficiency without replacing their core systems.

LANSA Composer

LANSA Composer is a powerful process integration and automation tool that simplifies supply chain workflows without the need for extensive coding. It allows users to design and execute business processes, such as EDI handling, data transformation, and system-to-system integration. A great example is the CBH Group, which used LANSA to automate and modernize their grain supply chain operations. By leveraging LANSA Composer and low code automation, they streamlined data exchange, enhanced real-time visibility, and significantly reduced manual intervention. This helps eliminate manual data entry, reduce processing time, and ensure consistent communication between internal systems and external partners.

LANSA BI

LANSA BI brings real-time business intelligence and analytics to the forefront of supply chain management. Its intuitive dashboards and data visualizations provide actionable insights into operations, inventory levels, supplier performance, and demand fluctuations, enabling data-driven decision-making and improved forecasting. Additionally, LANSA BI can support ESG tracking by visualizing data related to emissions, energy usage, and sustainability metrics. This empowers organizations to monitor their environmental impact and align supply chain strategies with ESG goals, driving continuous improvement across both performance and compliance dimensions.

Conclusion

In today’s increasingly complex and fast-moving supply chain landscape, automation is no longer optional; it’s a strategic necessity. From minimizing manual errors and accelerating operations to enhancing end-to-end visibility, supply chain automation delivers tangible ROI across every logistics function.

With low-code platforms like Visual LANSA, building custom automation workflows, dashboards, and integration layers becomes faster, more agile, and cost-efficient. Visual LANSA empowers businesses to modernize legacy systems, create scalable supply chain applications, and embed real-time analytics, all within a unified development environment.

Complementing this, LANSA Composer simplifies B2B data exchange and process automation, while LANSA BI brings decision-making clarity with intuitive, actionable dashboards.

Ready to future-proof your supply chain? Contact us today to see how Visual LANSA and the LANSA suite can help you build intelligent, integrated automation solutions tailored to your operational goals.

References

[1]  “Supply Chain 4.0 – the next-generation digital supply chain,” McKinsey & Company, Jun. 10, 2018. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/supply-chain-40–the-next-generation-digital-supply-chain?

[2]  “120+ No-Code/Low-Code Statistics and Trends That You Need to Know in 2025,” 

Userguiding.com, 2025. https://userguiding.com/blog/no-code-low-code-statistics?

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This rising demand for Transportation Management Systems is reflected in market trends: according to Allied Market Research, the global TMS market was valued at $5.47 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $11.37 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.6%. This growth emphasizes the increasing importance of TMS platforms in modern supply chain strategies.

Key Insights

1. Understand TMS: A transportation management system (TMS) is a software platform that aids businesses in planning, executing, and optimizing the movement of goods.
2. Explore modern features: TMS platforms come equipped with real-time tracking, freight audit automation, compliance management, and business intelligence dashboards that enable data-driven decision-making and faster issue resolution.
3. Benefits of TMS: By automating logistics tasks like route optimization and load planning, a TMS helps reduce operational costs, speed up deliveries, and minimize manual errors.
4. Stay future-ready: Emerging technologies like AI, IoT, cloud computing, and sustainability-focused features are redefining TMS capabilities, offering smarter tracking, predictive analytics, and greater scalability to support evolving logistics needs.
5. Leverage low-code innovation: Low-code platforms like Visual LANSA and data integration software like LANSA Integrator make TMS development more accessible by enabling rapid customization, intuitive dashboards, seamless API integration, and workflow automation with minimal technical effort.  

Read on to know more. 

What is a Transportation Management System (TMS)?

A Transportation Management System (TMS), also known as transportation management software or transportation management solution, is a logistics platform that is designed to streamline and optimize the movement of goods across the entire supply chain. This system allows companies to plan and execute while fully monitoring their transportation operations efficiently, ensuring that shipments are compliant with industry regulations and customer expectations. 

Transport management systems provide broad visibility into both incoming and outgoing transportation activities. This not only makes it easier for businesses to manage logistics across different modes of transport, whether by land, sea, or air, but also helps in reducing costs and improving delivery timelines.

How Does a Transportation Management System Work?

Designed to enhance the efficiency of the supply chain, a transport management solution is a unified system that takes care of the entire chain of logistics, from order creation to execution and final delivery.     

Planning– The process of the transport management system begins with order management, where the TMS collects key information such as shipment details, product specifications, and delivery locations. Once this data is in place, the system moves on to planning the most effective transportation strategy by evaluating various factors like shipping costs, delivery timelines, and distance. 

Execution– Finally, the TMS also takes care of shipment execution, where it handles tasks such as booking shipments with carriers and generating shipping documents. It also carries out the tasks related to notifying the relevant parties through integration with carriers via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) or APIs.

Who Uses a TMS?

Any supply chain actor that needs to plan and execute logistics operations can benefit from a transportation management solution, including:

• Shippers: To manage outbound and inbound freight efficiently.
• Third-party logistics (3PL) providers: For better coordination and real-time visibility across client shipments.
• Carriers: To optimize route planning, fuel usage, and asset utilization.
• Distributors and wholesalers: To streamline delivery operations and reduce transit time.

While TMS platforms were once primarily adopted by large enterprises, the rise of cloud-based solutions has made this technology accessible and affordable for small and mid-sized businesses as well. Today, even a growing e-commerce startup can leverage a TMS to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance delivery performance.    

Features of a Transportation Management System

By offering a robust suite of features, TMS solutions streamline transportation, enabling seamless coordination between various logistics components and delivering significant cost and time savings for businesses. Here are some of the core features offered by transportation management systems: 

Freight Audit & Payment Automation 

Let’s face it, manually handling freight audits and payment processes, such as validating charges, ensuring accurate invoicing, and processing payments, can be both time-consuming and prone to errors. TMS solutions streamline these tasks by automating charge verification against shipment data, preventing late payments, and ensuring faster, error-free transactions.

Automated Load Planning & Job Assignments 

In logistics, making sure goods are loaded and distributed efficiently is key to keeping operations smooth and costs low. In large supply chains, it can be difficult to manage all the loads, routes, and resources manually. A Transportation Management System (TMS) automates the process by grouping shipments based on factors like size, weight, or delivery location, and then assigns the most suitable drivers and vehicles for each delivery.

To enhance logistics efficiency, tools like Visual LANSA and LANSA Integrator help in building a robust TMS. Visual LANSA allows businesses to rapidly develop or customize applications with minimal coding, such as creating dashboards, automating dispatch rules, or building user interfaces that align with logistics workflows. Meanwhile, LANSA Integrator ensures seamless communication between the TMS and other systems like warehouse management, ERP, or inventory platforms.

Carrier Management 

Not only does a TMS solution streamline carrier selection, but it also helps logistics teams track carrier performance for cost-effective transportation. By using a TMS, businesses can integrate carrier management tools that evaluate the performance of carriers, such as on-time delivery and service quality, to make way for more informed decisions.

Route Optimization 

Whether you are managing parcel dispatches, grocery deliveries, or large furniture shipments, delivery route optimization can make or break your ability to meet demand. With a TMS, you can effortlessly map out the most effective delivery routes by evaluating factors such as traffic conditions, delivery schedules, travel distance, fuel efficiency, and vehicle space.

Integration Capabilities

Since a TMS integrates with tools like CRM, ERP, and warehouse management systems, it will help users keep data connected and organized. LANSA offers advanced data integration software like LANSA Integrator to integrate third-party applications. With just simple commands, developers can integrate data into their transport management systems without the need for complex development effort or invasive integration techniques.    

Benefits of a Transportation Management System  

Offering a range of operational and strategic advantages that enhance the efficiency and visibility of logistics operations, transportation management systems are highly essential for any business looking to intelligently streamline supply chain activities and reduce costs. Below are some of the benefits of transportation management systems: 

Real-Time Visibility

One of the major benefits of a modern TMS is the fact that it lets you monitor the movement and condition of shipments in real-time across the logistics network. With this capability, logistics teams can easily track deliveries as they happen, monitor estimated arrival times (ETA), and proactively detect delays or disruptions.

Cost Management 

In addition to providing comprehensive visibility of freight operations, transport management solutions also play a crucial role in cost management by continuously monitoring freight spending, analyzing carrier rates, and identifying cost-saving opportunities such as mode optimization and route efficiency.

Automation for Compliance

While staying compliant with the constantly changing transportation regulations can be complex and time-consuming, it is a highly important factor that ensures logistics businesses do not face any legal troubles. A robust TMS ensures that all necessary documentation is completed accurately and on time, minimizing the risk of fines or delays due to non-compliance.

Documentation Management & Settlement

By automating the creation and sharing of documents like bills of lading or proof of delivery, a TMS reduces manual errors and administrative workload. In addition to that, it also facilitates faster and more accurate financial settlements between shippers and carriers by automatically matching shipment details with billing data, enhancing both speed and accuracy in payment processing.

How can Low-Code Platforms Help Build a TMS?

With traditional development becoming increasingly complex, low code platforms have offered an alternative way to build a transportation management system by significantly reducing the complexities traditionally associated with software development. 

Unlike traditional development, which relies heavily on coding, these platforms enable faster time-to-value by providing pre-built templates and drag-and-drop features that streamline the development process. Additionally, low-code platforms typically offer a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) by minimizing development time, resource dependency, and long-term maintenance efforts. Needless to say, low code plays a critical role in modern TMS development by allowing organizations to quickly respond to logistics challenges, integrate with existing systems, and deploy custom features without deep coding expertise.

Not to mention, powerful low-code platforms like Visual LANSA are particularly well-suited for building scalable and customized TMS solutions. With a unified low-code language and a centralized active repository engine, Visual LANSA allows businesses and enterprises to accelerate development and deliver powerful transport management systems across web and mobile environments with ease. 

For example, Hupac Group, an international freight shipment company, was experiencing difficulties due to a legacy IT system for over 30 years. To support its growth and enable future innovations without disrupting operations, Hupac turned to Visual LANSA to modernize and future-proof its transportation management infrastructure.

Using LANSA’s professional low-code platform, Hupac was able to reduce development time by 40% and maintenance costs by 50%, while delivering new functionality tailored to their evolving logistics needs. Their team developed a modern web-based booking system, giving customers the ability to book transport and view international train timetables online. They also created a real-time train monitoring system that provided complete visibility into transport operations and wagon fleet maintenance processes.

TMS in the Cloud 

Considering the fact that cloud-based transportation management systems are hosted on the internet and accessed through a web browser or mobile device, it eliminates the need for costly on-premise hardware and software licenses. In fact, according to a study by BCG, enterprises can save between 15% to 40% on IT operating costs by moving to cloud-based solutions.  

Cloud TMS solutions are easier to implement and upgrade, with minimal downtime and lower upfront investment. They are also significantly less expensive to maintain and operate. This approach offers a scalable infrastructure that can grow with business needs, making it ideal for companies of all sizes.

Future TMS Trends

As global supply chains become more and more complex and customer expectations rise, transportation management systems need to undergo rapid modernization to meet the demands of a digital-first world. Here are some of the upcoming trends in transportation management systems that will shape the future of logistics: 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Generative AI                       

By leveraging AI, transport management solutions are enabling intelligent planning and predictive analytics that deliver instant insights and recommendations to enhance efficiency and reduce human intervention.

Internet of Things (IoT)

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to evolve, its role in transportation management is becoming more prominent, enabling users to use their devices and retrieve data on vehicle location and cargo status. In the near future, it will also allow supply chains to further modernize their fleet operations by enabling proactive issue resolution and data-driven logistics management.

Cloud Computing

The shift towards cloud-based solutions is starting to be reflected in transport management systems as well, with companies proactively implementing them due to their scalable infrastructure, seamless collaboration, and access to data from anywhere. 

Sustainable Logistics

With sustainability becoming a core feature of any modern software solution, next-generation TMS platforms are also embracing it by integrating features that support electric vehicles, renewable energy usage, and optimized routing to align with global environmental goals.

Modernization  

Automation and smart systems have taken center stage in today’s world. Businesses are increasingly replacing their legacy TMS solutions with modern ones that have advanced features like real-time analytics, AI-powered automation, cloud deployment, and seamless integration with other digital tools. 

IBM i Modernization and rapid application development platforms like Visual LANSA allow businesses to keep pace with the latest digital innovations and transition from legacy systems to a modern, sustainable platform, without disruption.   

Conclusion

In today’s increasingly complex and fast-paced logistics environment, a robust transportation management system is no longer optional, but indispensable for any business handling logistics. From route optimization and real-time tracking to compliance automation and cost savings, a modern TMS can significantly elevate the efficiency and reliability of your supply chain operations.

When developed with low-code platforms like Visual LANSA, deploying a custom TMS has never been easier. With built-in tools for creating interactive dashboards, automating logistics workflows, and embedding real-time analytics, Visual LANSA empowers businesses to build robust TMS solutions that are agile, scalable, and insight-driven. 

In addition to that, LANSA Integrator allows teams to quickly connect with third-party carriers, ERP systems, and tracking services via APIs, enabling faster development cycles and seamless connectivity. 

Contact us today and discover how Visual LANSA can help you create high-performance, custom-built transportation systems that align with your unique business goals and future growth.

References

[1]          Transportation Management System Market Statistics and Forecast- 2027,” Allied Market Research. https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/transportation-management-market-A06268

[2] https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/hrishi-hrishikesh, “For Many Enterprise Applications, the Cloud Is Ready for Prime Time,” BCG Global, Jan. 08, 2021. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2019/enterprise-applications-cloud-ready-prime-time

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Considering the fact that there are a plethora of custom software development tools, businesses can now easily streamline the development process and reduce time-to-market while fully customizing it. Whether you are aiming to streamline internal processes, address operational challenges, gain better control over your data, or implement custom dashboards and reporting features, custom software development offers the flexibility to meet your exclusive requirements. 

Key Insights

• Custom software is built from scratch by a dedicated development team and can accurately meet business needs and industry regulations.
• Unlike off-the-shelf software that is not flexible to specific workflows or needs, custom software offers robust security and is highly versatile. 
• In recent days, low-code platforms like Visual LANSA have gained popularity for being cost-efficient while allowing businesses to customize their applications, making it an ideal choice. 
• Custom software development offers various benefits like complete data control, full ownership of software, ongoing support and maintenance, and airtight security that safeguards important data. 

What is Custom Software Development?

Custom software development is the process of designing, developing, and deploying software for the particular needs of businesses or individuals. Not to mention, with the advent of a low-code platform like Visual LANSA, custom software development has become more accessible and cost-effective, allowing businesses to rapidly build tailored solutions without the need for extensive coding expertise. Being highly tailored solutions, custom software can also seamlessly integrate into existing workflows, easily adapt to evolving needs, and offer a competitive advantage over competitors. 

Custom Software vs. Off-the-Shelf Software

When deciding between custom software and off-the-shelf software, it is important to be informed of their differences and advantages. While commercial off-the-shelf software might propose lower upfront costs, it is a fairly generic solution that limits the ability to stand out. It is not entirely flexible to adapt to specific workflows or future scalability requirements, often forcing businesses to adjust their processes to fit the software rather than the other way around.

On the other hand, custom software offers complete versatility and aligns perfectly with the long-term goals of businesses. Although it may seem that the software development estimation is high, it is cost-effective in the long run. These solutions are created with robust security protocols, making them highly secure for businesses in sensitive industries to protect confidential data and safeguard against potential cyber threats.

As custom software continues to evolve, the advent of low-code platforms has revolutionized the way businesses build and deploy their solutions, offering faster and more accessible development options. Tools like Visual LANSA provide an ideal alternative by enabling businesses to build fully customized applications at a fraction of the cost and time. Here is a table that further demonstrates the differences between custom software application development and off-the-shelf software. 

Benefits of Custom Software Development  

By developing custom software, you not only get a product designed around your business objectives but also the advantage of long-term adaptability and ongoing updates as your needs evolve. Read on to find out some of the major benefits that custom software application development offers: 

Complete Data Control 

Unlike out-of-the-box software that offers a one-size-fits-all approach to data management, custom software development offers superior data control with private cloud storage, secure hosting providers, cybersecurity protocols, and robust encryption. 

Ongoing Support and Maintenance 

In addition to letting you be flexible with your updates, opting for custom software development also allows you to keep your software aligned with the latest trends and innovations. With a dedicated team behind your custom software development, you do not need to wait for support and can receive timely assistance to address bugs, vulnerabilities, and other evolving requirements quickly. 

Visual LANSA can reduce application maintenance costs by as much as 80% with its centralized, active repository. The repository’s cross-referencing capabilities allow developers to quickly identify where specific components are used. By generating and storing detailed impact lists for precise and efficient updates, the need for extensive rework during updates is also greatly reduced.  

As a result, the entire change implementation process becomes more efficient and reliable, significantly lowering maintenance efforts and freeing teams to focus on building new functionalities.  

Pre-planned Updates

Off-the-shelf vendors push updates on their software, causing businesses to face sudden downtime. With custom software development, updates can occur based on your timeline, with plenty of pre-planning and testing that ensures minimal disruption of operations. 

Compliance with Industry Regulations 

Custom software application development allows you to build compliance into your system from the ground up. Whether it is GDPR for data privacy, HIPAA for healthcare, or PCI DSS for payment security, tailored solutions ensure you meet industry-specific regulations while minimizing legal and operational risks.

Cost Effectiveness 

Custom software development offers long-term cost efficiency by focusing specifically on the features your business actually needs. Unlike off-the-shelf software that often comes with recurring licensing fees, custom solutions eliminate unnecessary expenses. Here is a infographic that depicts how custom software development helps in saving money while delivering better value over time.   

Automation

From data entry and inventory management to reporting and customer notifications, automation reduces the need for manual intervention and streamlines operations. Through custom software development, you can build tailored software that automates repetitive tasks and ensures seamless integration with existing tools and systems. 

Visual LANSA supports automation by providing a drag-and-drop interface and visual development tools that make it easy to design and implement automated processes. Developers can effortlessly integrate business logic and connect to backend systems with minimal coding effort, which accelerates the deployment of automation solutions and ensures consistent execution across business operations.

Personalization

It goes without saying that custom software is designed to match your unique business processes and goals in mind. Unlike generic solutions, it offers a personalized experience that aligns perfectly with how your team works and leads to higher user adoption, better performance, and software that evolves with your business needs over time.

Custom Software Use Cases

Whether you are a large enterprise looking to streamline operations or a growing startup seeking a tailored system, custom software development serves a wide range of industries and businesses. Here are some examples of the use cases of custom software application development: 

Financial Management Systems 

In finance, where data sensitivity and compliance are non-negotiable, custom software development plays a pivotal role. Financial institutions often require tailored solutions that support secure transactions, industry regulations, and compliance, and advanced risk assessment tools. 

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Platforms 

Off-the-shelf software often misses the mark in creating ERP platforms that help organizations streamline their core business operations. On the other hand, custom ERPs can integrate modules like inventory, HR, and finance into a single, seamless system that aligns perfectly with internal operations. 

Manufacturing Organizations

Complex supply chains, production lines, and large inventories make manufacturing one of the most demanding sectors. Custom software development can be purpose-built to integrate seamlessly with every stage of the production lifecycle, enhancing productivity and operational efficiency.

Healthcare Systems 

When it comes to the healthcare industry, the data handled is highly sensitive, requiring businesses to develop custom software, as off-the-shelf solutions may not provide the level of security required to protect patient information adequately.

From PWAs and mobile apps to ERP systems, Visual LANSA enables the development of a wide range of fully customizable applications. By allowing developers to embed HTML directly into their applications, offering dynamic theme options, and enabling customization to pre-built components, Visual Lansa helps in fully tailoring the applications to specific needs, leading to organizations worldwide leveraging it. 

For example, Duskin Cleaning Services, a franchise business in Japan sought the help of LANSA for streamlining their inventory management with a mobile app. Likewise, CBH Group, Australia’s largest grain co-operative, optimized its grain supply chain operations with LANSA’s development environment that allowed it to create both rich Windows and web applications.

How to Decide if Your Enterprise Needs Custom Software Solutions

More often than not, businesses find themselves caught in the dilemma of whether to build custom software from scratch or buy an off-the-shelf solution. In order to find the right choice between the two, you need to ask yourself several important questions. Below, you can find some of the most important questions to help you decide if your enterprise needs software engineering: 

Do you have unique business needs?

If your operations or service models do not fit into the standard functionalities of off-the-shelf software, custom software development provides the flexibility to build solutions around your specific processes. 

For example, Civadis, an IT Solutions provider, wanted to develop and maintain custom software solutions for civil administration and welfare centers across Belgium. In order to fulfill their unique business need, they turned to LANSA to build highly customized systems that manage key functions such as public records, social welfare, housing, accounting, and more.

By using Visual LANSA, Civadis was able to enhance existing RPG applications, implement new features faster, ensure consistent user interfaces, and generate error-free code, resulting in lower support costs, improved data integrity, and faster compliance with changing legislation.

Are you looking for a temporary solution or a long-term investment?

If you are focusing on building sustainable and scalable software that can adapt to your future needs, then custom software development is a smarter investment. Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, which may become limiting over time, custom-built platforms are designed to evolve alongside your business, allowing you to achieve better long-term growth. 

Is data protection paramount in your sector?

When it comes to industries such as finance and healthcare, highly sensitive information is being handled, and compliance with regulations and advanced data security is non-negotiable. With commercially available solutions where data ownership is with the software vendor, it would be difficult to implement advanced security measures and legal requirements.

Are you trying to stand out from your competitors in a highly saturated market?

Most SMBs and enterprises rely on custom software development to differentiate from their competitors by introducing unique functionalities like AI-powered features and predictive analytics that off-the-shelf solutions are not competent enough to do.      

Best Practices for Developing Custom Software

When it comes to developing custom software, there are a number of factors that you need to take into consideration. From choosing the right development approach and technology stack to thorough testing and quality assurance, understanding software development metrics and practices will not only help in managing risks but also improve software quality. Here are some of the best practices to adhere to when you develop custom software. 

DRY Principle

The DRY Principle, an acronym for “Don’t Repeat Yourself” emphasizes staying clear of duplicating code and maintaining a clean codebase, which will lead to a minimized occurrence of bugs and inconsistencies. 

Staging and Production Environments

Having distinct staging and production environments will ensure that new features or updates are tested in a safe and simulated environment. Not only does it help in identifying bugs early in the custom software development cycle, but it also prevents potential data loss and minimizes emergency fixes post-deployment.

Always Design Before Coding

Designing before front-end and back-end development is a smart upfront investment that ensures the software’s architecture, data flows, and user interface align with business requirements and technical aspects. 

Ensure Proper Version Control

When you are working with a team of developers, it is important to use version control systems like Git for teams to collaborate and track the changes they have made. It will ensure that each change is recorded, making it easy to revert to earlier versions and avoid code conflicts between developers.

Conclusion

There’s no denying the fact that custom software development provides a strategic advantage by offering solutions that are uniquely tailored to your business processes and long-term goals. Whether you are a startup aiming for scalability or an enterprise navigating complex workflows, investing in bespoke software development can unlock greater operational efficiency for your business. 

Not to mention, low-code platforms like Visual LANSA make this process even more accessible by offering the power of customization without the complexities of custom coding. If you want to know more about building bespoke software like b2b e-commerce platforms, get in touch with us for a personalized demo and see the platform in action! 

References

[1] “Custom Software Development Market Size Report, 2030,” www.grandviewresearch.com. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/custom-software-development-market-report

The post Custom Software Development: Guide to Benefits, Challenges, and Best Practices appeared first on LANSA.

According to Gartner, cloud migration will become a business necessity by 2028, highlighting the undeniable shift toward cloud-based environments. Given the wide range of cloud migration services available today, it is essential to choose a partner that thoroughly understands your business. Cloud migration service providers like LANSA offer a wide range of services, from comprehensive assessment of your existing system to providing end-to-end support to help maximize your investment. By making the right migration choices, businesses can lay a strong foundation for digital transformation and ensure a more secure and scalable future.

Key Insights

• Understand Cloud Migration: Cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications, and IT infrastructure from on-premises systems to cloud environments to improve scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency.
• Explore cloud migration types and strategies: Organizations can choose from data center migration, hybrid cloud, cloud-to-cloud, or app-level migration, and align their efforts with the 7 Rs (Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retire, Retain, Relocate) based on their business needs and technical readiness.
• Benefits of migration: From enhanced scalability and cost savings to improved security, disaster recovery, and access to innovative technologies like AI and serverless computing, cloud migration delivers long-term business value and agility.
• Prepare for challenges: Cloud migration comes with common hurdles like downtime, data loss, compliance concerns, and integration complexities. Careful planning and phased execution help minimize risks and ensure a smooth transition.
• Leverage migration services: LANSA’s professional services offer robust cloud migration strategies for organizations, allowing them to unlock future innovation and simplify maintenance while eliminating costly hardware.

Read on to know more.

What is Cloud Migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving digital assets, such as data storage, servers, applications, and even entire IT infrastructures, to the cloud, a vast online space that is powered by remote servers for storing and processing data. 

Migrating to the cloud helps streamline operations by reducing hardware dependency and lowering IT maintenance efforts. Not only does it support seamless collaboration across global teams, but it also enhances business continuity with features like automatic backups and disaster recovery.   

Cloud Migration Types 

Cloud migration can take several forms, depending on the organization’s goals, infrastructure, and the specific resources being moved, with each type serving a different purpose and offering unique advantages. Below are the four primary types of cloud migration. 

• Datacenter Migration: This type of migration involves relocating physical or virtual infrastructure from on-premises data centers to the cloud to improve scalability and reduce maintenance overhead.
• Hybrid Cloud Migration: In a hybrid cloud migration, businesses integrate on-premises infrastructure with cloud-based solutions to achieve enhanced flexibility, control, and scalability.
• Cloud-to-Cloud Migration: Cloud-to-cloud migration refers to transferring workloads, applications, or data from one cloud service provider to another, typically to take advantage of improved features, cost efficiency, or regional availability.
• App, Database, and Mainframe Migration: Application, database, and mainframe migration involves moving key components of legacy systems to the cloud to achieve better performance, flexibility, and scalability.

Benefits of Cloud Migration

From improving scalability and cost savings to enhancing security and faster innovation, cloud migration allows organizations to modernize their operations and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Whether you are a startup or an enterprise, moving to the cloud can significantly transform how you manage and grow your IT resources. Read on to find out some of the well-known benefits that cloud migration offers:    

Cost Efficiency

By moving to the cloud, businesses can shift from capital expenditures (CapEx) to operational expenditures (OpEx). Instead of investing in and maintaining costly on-premises hardware, companies would need to pay only for the resources they use, benefiting from predictable pricing models and reduced overhead costs. 

Scalability and Flexibility

In addition to cost efficiency, cloud migration also allows organizations to easily scale their resources up or down based on real-time demand. This flexibility supports business growth without the need for heavy upfront investments in physical infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance during peak times and cost savings during low-usage periods.

Improved Security and Compliance

One of the major benefits of cloud migration is the fact that it provides access to advanced security tools and practices, including encryption, access controls, and continuous monitoring. These features help organizations enhance their data protection and meet regulatory compliance requirements more effectively than many traditional on-premises setups.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Considering the fact that cloud platforms are specifically designed with built-in redundancy and backup capabilities, they can effortlessly recover important data in case of system failures or disasters. This ensures minimal downtime and helps maintain business continuity even during unexpected disruptions.

Faster Innovation with Cloud-Native Technologies

Migrating to the cloud enables organizations to take advantage of cloud-native technologies such as microservices, containers (like Docker), Kubernetes, serverless computing, and managed services. These technologies are designed to work seamlessly in cloud environments, allowing teams to develop, test, and deploy applications more rapidly than with traditional infrastructure.

Common Cloud Migration Strategies (The 7 Rs)

Let’s face it, migrating to the cloud is a complex process that requires careful planning to minimize risks, optimize costs, and ensure operational continuity. The 7 Rs strategy, which includes rehosting, re-platforming, repurchasing, refactoring, retiring, retaining, and relocating, provides a structured approach to help organizations determine the best migration path for each application.

 Initially developed by Gartner with five strategies (the original 5 Rs), it was later expanded to six by AWS. As cloud migration matured throughout the years, AWS refined the framework further into seven distinct strategies. Not only do these strategies help organizations transition to the cloud efficiently, but they also ensure that the migration occurs with minimal disruption. Below is an overview of each of the 7 Rs:

Rehosting (Lift and Shift)

Widely regarded as the simplest strategy for cloud migration, rehosting involves shifting applications, along with their dependencies, to the cloud with minimal or no modifications to their core infrastructure. In this approach, applications that are lifted from their current on-premise environment match their existing storage, networking, and other computing requirements. 

Due to its simple “lift and shift” method, this strategy is usually used by organizations that are looking for a fast and straightforward migration path or those with resources who have limited cloud-native expertise.

Replatforming

Being an ideal choice for organizations that are aiming at both performance and simplicity, re-platforming is a cloud migration strategy that focuses on modifying certain aspects of an application without altering its core architecture or source code. 

This strategy enables better use of cloud capabilities such as automation and scaling. In addition to that, it also enhances flexibility and agility while keeping costs, time investment, and the migration workload low and manageable.

Repurchasing

If you are struggling with underperforming legacy workloads, then repurchasing can be a highly effective migration strategy as it replaces outdated systems with modern, cloud-based solutions that offer improved performance and lower maintenance overhead. 

Rather than migrating outdated systems, this approach involves replacing them with cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that offer equivalent or enhanced functionality. 

By adopting third-party cloud applications for their repurchasing migrations, organizations can move away from legacy infrastructure, streamline operations, and transition to a more flexible, subscription-based cost model.

Refactoring (Re-architecting)

Among the 7Rs, refactoring can be considered the most complex and resource-intensive strategy as it often requires a complete overhaul of the application architecture. The process involves completely redesigning or rewriting applications in order to fully leverage cloud-native features.

It also includes breaking down monolithic applications into microservices and integrating advanced automation to enable greater scalability. Although this strategy might seem demanding, it is the most future-ready approach, offering long-term flexibility and performance benefits. 

Retire

Often considered the first step in a cloud migration strategy, retiring involves identifying and removing applications or infrastructure components that are no longer useful. This strategy ensures that only necessary and valuable workloads are transitioned to the cloud.

By removing redundant or outdated assets, organizations can not only reduce maintenance costs but also lower security risks that are associated with legacy assets and simplify their IT landscape.

Retain

When migrating to the cloud, organizations do not need to move all their on-premises components at once. The retaining strategy focuses on keeping certain workloads in their existing on-premises environment, often because they are too complex, tightly integrated, or time-consuming to migrate immediately. This approach is also useful for legacy systems that are still critical to operations or bound by compliance requirements.

Relocate

Last but not least, Relocation is a relatively new strategy that enables entire environments to be migrated to the cloud without rewriting applications or purchasing new hardware. It is commonly used in virtualized environments, such as VMware, where systems can be transferred as-is into cloud-based equivalents. 

In addition to bringing predictability to migration costs by avoiding the need for large-scale architectural changes, this method also helps minimize downtime during migration, since there is no need to rebuild or reconfigure applications.

The Cloud Migration Process/Phases 

While many organizations are drawn to cloud migration for its flexibility, agility, security, and cost-efficiency, it is often underestimated as a straightforward task. But, in reality, it is a multi-phase journey that demands a structured approach for organizations to reap its complete advantages.  

By following a systematic cloud migration process, IT teams can ensure minimal disruption and long-term success of their cloud migration. Here is a detailed explanation of the ideal cloud migration process you need to follow for a sustainable transition to the cloud. 

Step 1: Assess Your Current Infrastructure

The first phase is to thoroughly audit your current IT environment. This means taking stock of everything, from your applications and databases to workloads, storage systems, servers, and network setup, and how all these components are connected and depend on each other. 

Through this assessment, you would be able to uncover any performance bottlenecks, legacy systems that are nearing end-of-life, compliance requirements, licensing constraints, and areas that require high operational costs. 

The goal of this step is to establish a baseline of your infrastructure for cloud adoption, uncover any potential challenges that could impact migration, and evaluate the total cost of ownership in both current and future cloud states.

Step 2: Define Your Business Goals

Once the infrastructure is assessed fully, the next step is to clearly define what your organization aims to achieve through cloud migration. This involves reducing capital expenditures, increasing scalability, enhancing disaster recovery capabilities, improving application performance, or enabling global accessibility for distributed teams. 

While defining your business goals, you need to make sure that they are measurable and aligned with your broader business priorities, such as digital transformation or geographic expansion. 

Step 3: Choose the Right Cloud Deployment Model

After defining your business goals, you should move on to selecting the appropriate cloud deployment model. This should be done based on several factors like workload requirements, data sensitivity, compliance considerations, and budget constraints. Here are the three different types of cloud deployment models that you can choose from.

Public Cloud – AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud

When opting for a public cloud model, organizations leverage infrastructure and services provided by third-party vendors such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud. This model is ideal for most enterprise workloads, especially those that require cost flexibility,  unlimited scalability, global availability, and access to cutting-edge innovations like AI, machine learning, and serverless computing.

Private Cloud – VMware, IBM Private Cloud, Azure Stack

A private cloud, unlike a public cloud, is deployed and maintained either on-site or via a dedicated provider such as VMware Cloud, IBM Private Cloud, or Azure Stack. These allow organizations to maintain a higher level of control over their infrastructure and data. This model is particularly suited for industries such as healthcare, finance, and government, where regulatory compliance and data sovereignty are the top priorities.

Hybrid Cloud – Azure Arc, AWS Outposts, IBM Cloud Satellite

The third deployment model, a hybrid cloud model, combines elements of both public and private clouds, offering the flexibility to run workloads across multiple environments while enabling integration between on-premise data centers and public cloud infrastructure. The Hybrid cloud model is ideal for businesses that want to gradually transition to the cloud or that need to keep sensitive data and latency-sensitive applications on-premise while offloading other workloads to the cloud.

Step 4: Select a Migration Strategy

With the deployment model selected, the next step is to move on to choosing the most suitable migration strategy. The 7 Rs framework, which includes Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retire, Retain, and Relocate, discussed above, provides a structured way to determine how different applications and systems should be handled during the migration.

Step 5: Plan the Migration Process

After selecting a migration strategy, you should develop a detailed roadmap for executing your cloud migration by setting timelines, defining KPIs, prioritizing workloads based on business criticality, and determining which teams or third-party vendors will be responsible for various tasks. 

Step 6: Execute the Migration

Once you have wrapped up the planning phase, it is time to start the actual migration. This is when you need to move your workloads from your on-premise setup to the cloud using the strategies you have selected. This phase is typically done in waves or phases, starting with non-critical workloads before scaling up. During this step, IT teams closely monitor application latency and integration points to ensure functionality remains intact.

Step 7: Monitor and Optimize Post-Migration

After the migration is complete, you should continuously monitor all systems and track key performance indicators such as application response times and resource utilization to ensure peak efficiency and identify areas for improvement. It is also essential to re-evaluate security policies if needed and implement cloud-specific compliance controls so that the cloud investment continues to meet business goals and other regulations.

Common Challenges in Cloud Migration

While there’s no denying the fact that cloud migration can help enhance scalability and reduce IT infrastructure costs, it is also a complex process that might present several technical or operational hurdles along the way. In order to proactively prevent and strategically overcome these challenges, you need to be well ahead in terms of understanding them and how they impact the success and overall efficiency of the transition. Below are the most common challenges that organizations should know for effective planning and risk mitigation:

Downtime 

Let’s face it, any occurrence of downtime during migration can severely disrupt business operations, especially when critical applications are involved. This challenge often arises due to misconfigured environments, inadequate testing, or network latency issues during data transfers. These unplanned outages not only result in lost revenue but can also erode customer trust. 

Security & Compliance Considerations

Cloud migration introduces a new security landscape, shifting data from a confined on-premise perimeter to shared environments. As a result, encryption, access control, and continuous monitoring become critical components of protecting that data.

Additionally, data migration in highly regulated industries such as healthcare and government must comply with strict regulatory standards, as non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal consequences. 

Data Loss

The risk of data loss is a serious concern during cloud migration, particularly when moving large datasets across different architectures. In many cases, backup strategies are either insufficient or not tested properly for restoring data. To address this, organizations must implement robust backup protocols, validate data integrity throughout the migration lifecycle, and ensure version control. 

Cost & Resource Management 

Cloud services operate on a consumption-based pricing model, which can lead to unpredictable costs if they are not carefully monitored. Many organizations underestimate the cost of data transfer and storage tiers, which often leads to unprecedented costs. 

Beyond technical inefficiencies, cost management is often compromised by organizational challenges such as skill gaps and insufficient training. Additionally, the absence of clearly defined KPIs during the migration process hampers the efforts to track financial performance and validate ROI.

Data Exchange (between applications and newer cloud environments)

Legacy applications often have deeply integrated system environments that can break when moved to the cloud. These challenges are further amplified when existing systems need to exchange data with new cloud-native applications or services. 

In addition to that, issues such as data format incompatibility, API limitations, and latency can hinder real-time data exchange between applications and newer cloud environments. 

How can LANSA Help with your Migration Efforts?

With LANSA’s professional cloud migration services businesses can effortlessly move their legacy applications to the cloud through a structured and low-risk migration approach, without the need for costly and time-consuming rewrites. 

LANSA’s end-to-end migration services begin with a comprehensive assessment of the existing environment to determine the optimal strategy for your migration. Not only does LANSA securely transfer applications to the cloud, but also rigorously tests and offers post-migration support to ensure continuous functionality. 

With complete support for hybrid environments, organizations can migrate at their own pace to cloud providers like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure and can eliminate outdated hardware, simplify ongoing maintenance, and unlock long-term innovation potential. 

LANSA’s expert team has collaborated with various clients for their migration needs. For example, one of the world’s largest radio station networks turned to LANSA to migrate its advertising scheduling application to AWS. In just three months, LANSA successfully removed all IBM i dependencies from the web application, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to the cloud.

If you would like to know more about cloud migration and how LANSA can help with this transformation, don’t miss out on our webinar, which provides an in-depth explanation of how our services can provide long-term business value through robust cloud migration.

Conclusion 

In today’s era of cut-throat online competition, cloud computing is no longer just an option for businesses. It has become a necessity for organizations looking to stay competitive in a fast-evolving landscape. Not only does cloud migration help businesses to re-architect legacy systems, but it also allows them to adopt agile development practices that enable faster deployment of new features and services. 

With deep expertise in cloud migration, LANSA’s professional services make it possible for you to execute migrations that surpass lift-and-shift methods, delivering modernization-ready environments that are tailored to your business needs. 

Get in touch with us today to discover how we can help you turn your cloud migration into a strategic leap forward for your organization or business. 

References

[1] Gartner, “Gartner Says Cloud Will Become a Business Necessity by 2028,” Gartner, Nov. 29, 2023. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-11-29-gartner-says-cloud-will-become-a-business-necessity-by-2028 

[2] “Migrating Applications to the Cloud: Rehost, Refactor, Revise, Rebuild, or Replace?,” Gartner. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/1485116 

The post Cloud Migration: Strategy, Process & Benefits appeared first on LANSA.

This is where RAMP steps in. RAMP (Rapid Application Modernization Process) by LANSA offers a seamless and flexible approach to bridge the gap between legacy IBM i systems and modern demands. It provides a structured path that reduces risk and cost, supporting both the transition from a green screen to a graphical user interface (GUI) and long-term 5250 modernization. By modernizing incrementally, RAMP guarantees minimal disruption while enhancing usability and scalability. With its composite application framework, RAMP enhances the user experience across devices like Windows, Linux, macOS, iPad, and Android tablets and enables gradual system evolution.

Understanding RAMP

RAMP (Rapid Application Modernization Process) is a powerful framework designed to modernize 5250 applications by transforming them into a web-based interface and then building new features on top of it. Coupled with Visual LANSA, RAMP simplifies the modernization process by reusing existing logic and database structures to allow businesses to integrate new features seamlessly without overhauling the entire system. This will allow RAMP to optimize the usability and flexibility of the application to match modern standards and accelerate the change of legacy systems with minimal disruptions.

RAMP includes aXes lite, which web-enables green screen applications without coding. This capability alone greatly minimizes the time and effort to bring new developments to the surface while helping organizations to deploy upgraded systems rapidly. By implementing RAMP, organizations can react to the digital revolution by protracting the life cycle of inefficient applications and enhancing user experience.

RAMP not only drives modernization but also preserves older systems from becoming obsolete. It enhances IBM i applications with new Web 2.0-like modules, providing a flexible solution that adapts to evolving business needs. It offers flexibility and long-term value, helping companies stay competitive and cost-effective in their modernization efforts.

Why Choose RAMP?

Summary of RAMP’s key benefits

RAMP stands out as a comprehensive solution for modernizing legacy systems; it provides a phased approach that minimizes risks and ensures smooth transitions. Its user-centric design enhances usability and productivity, while cost-effective updates and seamless integration capabilities enable businesses to adapt to evolving needs without significant disruption.

By combining flexibility, scalability, and innovation, RAMP empowers organizations to streamline processes, future-proof operations, and achieve sustainable growth. Discover why RAMP is the best choice for organizations to drive efficiency and position their business for long-term success.

Phased Modernization for Minimal Disruption

RAMP helps implement a phased modernization strategy that doesn’t disrupt day-to-day business operations. With RAMP’s modular approach, businesses can modernize their applications incrementally instead of requiring a complete overhaul. This allows organizations to preserve the core functionality of the existing systems while updating the user interface and integrating new features.

For example, PartyLite implemented RAMP to gradually modernize its customer service ERP module, helping the company integrate multiple separate programs into a single application with easy-to-navigate tabs. This streamlined interface allowed customer service representatives to access the tools quickly and efficiently, improving the productivity of their call center.

By adopting this phased approach, PartyLite avoided major operational disruptions while achieving a smoother, more efficient modernization process.

User-Friendly Interfaces for Enhanced Usability

With RAMP, businesses can transform outdated green screen applications into modern and intuitive user web-based interfaces. This enhances the user experience by replacing the text-based complex navigation with visually appealing and easy-to-use layouts. These user-friendly interfaces boost employees’ productivity while reducing the learning curve for new users.

For instance, PartyLite leveraged RAMP’s ability to upgrade its old interfaces to contemporary, user-friendly UIs. This included modernizing aspects like sorting and searching products, consultants, and orders with integrated web access for tracking parcels to improve the customer service representative’s overall usability. Additionally, RAMP introduced integrated web access, enabling customer service representatives to track parcels seamlessly. By updating its interfaces, PartyLite modernized not only its technology but also the way its team interacted with vital business applications.

Cost-Effective Incremental Upgrades

RAMP supports modular upgrades to allow businesses to modernize selectively and manage resources effectively. With RAMP, businesses can modernize the critical components with immediate effect first and gradually modernize other areas as needed. By reusing existing logic and database structures, RAMP minimizes redevelopment expenses while maximizing the value of legacy systems. This approach offers a cost-effective and practical modernization process without draining resources.

Scalable Feature Expansion for Future-Ready Systems

RAMP’s modular framework supports the integration of new functionalities into existing systems for scalability and future growth. This flexibility was key for PartyLite, which utilized RAMP to provide a customized AS/400 ERP solution. The changeover helped simplify operations by eliminating disparate external systems in favor of a unified and real-time interface. Also, RAMP’s adaptable structure made it easy to facilitate complex inventory forecasting and analysis tools, which means that PartyLite can efficiently administer complicated database queries as well as big volumes of data. Because of the flexible design of RAMP, PartyLite’s systems could continuously adapt and expand based on the changing needs of the business. This future-ready foundation empowered PartyLite to innovate continuously while maintaining stability and efficiency across its operations.

RAMP vs. Full Rebuild

A man thinking of RAMP vs. Full Rebuild in application development

Modernizing legacy systems often presents businesses with a critical decision: whether to choose a complete system rebuild or leverage RAMP’s hybrid approach. Here’s how these approaches stack up:

Complete System Rebuild Vs. RAMP’s Hybrid Approach

A Comparative Illustration of RAMP vs. Full Rebuild

When it comes to a complete system rebuild, companies need to create an entirely new architecture and user interface, starting from scratch with writing code, implementing features, and system construction. This process demands significant time, large financial investment, and more effort at each stage of development. In addition, it has higher risks of potential project delays, budget overruns, and the possibility of failing to meet all business requirements.

On the other hand, RAMP offers a hybrid approach that combines traditional coding with low-code development in a unified, integrated development environment(IDE). By enabling incremental updates, RAMP allows enterprises to continuously test and validate new features, ensuring that any issues are addressed early in the process. Furthermore, RAMP’s phased deployment approach enables faster rollouts with minimal disruption to ongoing operations, making it a more cost-effective, less risky, and faster-to-deploy solution.

RAMP’s Phased Modernization for IBM i Systems

RAMP (Rapid Application Modernization Process) provides a streamlined solution to bridge the gap between legacy IBM i systems and modern demands. Its flexible and structured approach to modernizing IBM i systems ensures a smooth transition while minimizing disruption, making it a cost-effective and efficient way to future-proof your IBM i systems.

By employing a hybrid approach, RAMP minimizes large upfront investments, enabling incremental updates that allow for continuous testing, faster deployment, and reduced risks. This ensures your IBM i systems remain reliable, scalable, and aligned with your organization’s evolving needs.

Getting Started with RAMP

Are you ready to modernize your applications, and introduce new functionalities and a friendlier user interface without writing extensive code?

Significantly reduce development time with RAMP. Contact us today to discuss your modernization project with our experts.

The post Why Modernize Your IBM i Applications with RAMP? appeared first on LANSA.

In this article, you will learn about the history and evolution of the RPG programming language, how it is used in modern business applications, and the key industries that rely on it.

RPG Open Access enables seamless integration with cloud computing, web services, mobile devices, and external databases, extending its capabilities in the modern IT landscape.

What is the RPG Programming Language

The RPG (Report Programming Generator) Programming Language is a high-level programming language designed for business applications. RPG programming language is IBM’s proprietary programming module, primarily used on IBM’s midrange computer systems such as IBM i.

RPG programming language has undergone several changes over the years. It was developed by IBM in 1959 to replace punch card systems on the IBM 1401. RPG language has evolved into a full-fledged procedural programming language through several versions, from RPG I to RPG IV (also known as ILE RPG). During the early versions of the RPG programming language, it was known for its program cycle, which processes data sequentially, making it ideal for report generation and business data handling.

Despite the rise of other programming languages, RPG remains one of the most popular languages for the IBM i Operating system.

RPG Language History

The RPG programming language has been the cornerstone for commercial applications, continually evolving to add new features, enhance functionality, and meet the needs of IBM i programmers. Let’s dive into the history of the RPG language to understand how it has transformed over the years. 

1964: IBM System/360 launches RPG (Report Program Generator), which offers basic file handling and calculation capabilities.

1970s: RPG II enhanced functionality with data structures, subroutines, and conditional branching.

1975: RPG III becomes widely adopted for its interactive capabilities and better data manipulation, including support for external procedures.

1980s: RPG/400 (later changed to RPG IV) is released for IBM AS/400 systems, introducing an integrated development environment (IDE), object-oriented concepts, and structured programming.

1995: RPG LE (Limited Edition) simplifies RPG IV for smaller systems and introduces a free compiler.

2001: RPG ILE integrates RPG IV with IBM languages like COBOL, improving performance and code sharing.

2003: A free RPG compiler for Windows and Linux launches, supporting open-source development.

2008: RPG Free Edition introduces support for SQL, XML, and web services.

2013: IBM i 7.1 includes RPG enhancements like new APIs, Unicode support, and advanced debugging tools.

2015: The Open RPG Project fosters community-driven development and open-source libraries.

2018: RPG/CL enables embedding RPG code within CL commands for greater flexibility.

2020s: RPG evolves with a focus on cloud integration, AI and machine learning APIs, and web application development.

As technology advances, RPG continues to modernize, embracing web technologies, AI tools, and modern frameworks to ensure compatibility with tools that RPG developers use today. 

Additionally,  RPG IV’s ILE compliance enhances functionality, performance, and multi-language integration, making it ideal for maintaining legacy systems while adapting to modern needs. This makes RPG programming a powerful tool for maintaining legacy applications while adapting to the demands of the modern development environment.

Who uses RPG?

RPG programming language is mainly used by IT teams and software developers working on IBM systems. Many organizations that rely on IBM i systems utilize RPG computer language to create, update, and maintain their business processes, ensuring stability and efficiency. 

Industries That Depend on IBM i

• Finance & Banking – RPG is widely used in core banking systems, transaction processing, and financial reporting.
• Manufacturing & Supply Chain – Companies use RPG for inventory management, order processing, and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
• Retail & eCommerce – Many retailers use RPG-driven systems for point-of-sale (POS), inventory control, and customer management.
• Healthcare – Hospitals and insurance companies leverage RPG applications for patient records, billing, and claims processing.
• Government & Public Sector – RPG coding language is used in administrative and financial systems for local and national governments.

Why should developers learn RPG programming?

There are plenty of reasons for learning RPG programming, including widespread use and in-demand skills. Let’s find them out.

1. Strong Demand for RPG Developers:  Many businesses, especially in manufacturing, distribution, and finance, still rely on RPG-based legacy systems. As long as these systems remain in use, skilled RPG developers will continue to be in demand.
   
2. Career Growth Opportunities: RPG programmers often focus on essential business functions like inventory management, supply chain operations, financial reporting, and logistics, leading to higher salaries and long-term career stability.
3. Integration with IBM i: IBM i systems are used by many large enterprises, and they heavily rely on RPG. Learning RPG provides access to a stable, enterprise-level computing environment, allowing developers to expand their technical expertise.
4. Versatility in Business Applications: RPG is widely used for database management, report generation, and building interactive user interfaces, making it a valuable skill across various IT roles.
5. User-Friendly Syntax: RPG programming is known for its structured and easy-to-learn syntax, making it accessible even to those with minimal programming experience.

Are businesses still using the RPG Programming Language?

IBM i (AS/400) remains one of the leading enterprise platforms trusted by both small and large businesses to power critical operations. The majority of these companies are still using multiple RPG-based applications due to their stability, efficiency, and strong compatibility with IBM i. 

Here are some of the factors that contribute to RPG coding language’s ongoing use:

• Legacy System Dominance: Many businesses have long-standing RPG-based applications that are highly reliable and optimized for business operations.
• IBM i Ecosystem Support: IBM continues to enhance RPG with modern capabilities, ensuring compatibility with emerging technologies.
• Skilled Workforce Demand: Organizations require experienced RPG developers to maintain, optimize, and integrate IBM i applications with newer systems.
• Cost-effective Modernization: Replacing and rewriting RPG applications can be expensive. However, businesses can modernize existing RPG code to integrate with SQL, APIs and web services. 

Does the market lack RPG developers with high skills?

Thousands of businesses are using RPG programming language for their apps. However, the number of experienced RPG programmers has declined over the years. There are several factors that contribute to this shortage of skilled developers:

• Aging Workforce: The average age of RPG developers is increasing, with many approaching retirement. Some estimates suggest that by 2025, the typical RPG programmer will be around 70 years old, leading to a significant reduction in the available skilled workforce. 
• Declining Interest Among New Developers: The new generation of developers often focuses on learning modern programming languages, leading to fewer individuals trained in RPG. This trend results in a talent gap as seasoned professionals retire. 

Limited Educational Resources: There are fewer educational programs and training opportunities for RPG compared to more widely used programming languages, making it challenging for new developers to acquire the necessary skills.

Can integrating the programs with modern technologies be time-consuming?

If you want to use RPG programs, you have to integrate them with the latest tools and technologies. Otherwise, it will be impossible to meet the business demands. However, integrating the RPG programs with modern technologies and tools can be very difficult for developers. It can take a lot of time.

To solve this common issue, you can use modern low-code tools. They enable you to modernize RPG business apps without migration. As a result, they have become massively popular. For example, developers can utilize Visual LANSA to simplify the modernization of legacy tools. It has the ability to make application development workflow up to ten times faster. Hence, you can quickly modernize your legacy app.

Read: Why You Should Modernize Your RPG and COBOL 5250 Apps

What is RPG programming language used for?

Developers use RPG language for commercial business application development on IBM’s leading minicomputer system – the AS400 or iSeries. It provides users with an interactive programming environment. Hence, you can conveniently enhance existing software applications or automate the existing business processes.

RPG Open Access: Expanding Flexibility

RPG Open Acess extends the capabilities of traditional RPG programming language by allowing developers to interact with external resources beyond the IBM i database. With RPG Open Access, programmers can leverage the familiar RPG I/O model to access devices and resources that are not supported by RPG, enhancing integration with modern technologies.

How RPG Open Acess Works

RPG Open Acess introduces I/O handlers, which act as intermediaries between RPG programs and external resources. Instead of solely relying on IBM i system files, RPG Open Access allows RPG programmers to specify custom handlers to handle the I/O operations. This enables RPG applications to interact with:

• Browsers
• Mobile devices
• Cloud computing resources
• Web services
• External databases
• XML files
• Spreadsheets

o create, update, and maintain business applications on IBM computer systems. Developers use it for a variety of purposes. For example, users can utilize RPG to automate business workflow.

How can I connect my RPG programs with modern web and mobile applications with LANSA?

Developers can connect RPG programs with apps by using LANSA integrator. It is based on the Java Service Framework. It enables easy integration between Java programs and RPG applications.

LANSA integrator supports a wide range of B2B technologies such as FTP, FTPS, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, POP3, SOAP, and JMS. They eliminate complexities and simplify the integration process. Hence, you can save time and focus more on the business requirements.

Can Visual LANSA solve issues with app development in RPG programming language?

Visual LANSA is a low-code development platform available for free. It is feature-rich. It enables you to simplify the development process. You can use Visual Lansa to quickly modernize legacy apps. It gives you access to a low-code method. Hence, you can easily build apps and deploy them to IBM i.

Also, you don’t have to learn RPG programming language to use it. You don’t even need to learn other languages, like Java. You can do everything from defining to deploying app logic with LANSA low-code tools. Also, it has a strong community support. Overall, it offers a great solution for effectively developing and modernizing apps. Therefore, you should definitely consider using Visual LANSA.

The post RPG Programming Language: All you Need to Know appeared first on LANSA.

The mobile app development lifecycle includes stages such as research, planning, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Whether you’re an IT manager, developer, or business executive, understanding these stages is crucial for a smooth development process and a high-quality product that aligns with user needs and business goals. 

What is Mobile Application Development?

Mobile application development refers to the process of creating a software application that can run on a mobile device. Generally, a mobile app makes use of a network connection to make use of remote computing options. Therefore, the mobile app development process involves building software bundles, implementing backend services like data access with an API, and testing the app on different target devices.

Mobile apps can be developed for different platforms; each platform comes with its own set of tools and technologies. The most widely used platforms for mobile app development include:

• iOS: It is one of the most popular mobile application development platforms. iOS app development focuses on creating mobile apps exclusively for Apple devices like iPhones and iPads. Developers utilize tools like Xcode and programming languages such as Swift and Objective-C to develop iOS apps.
• Android: Android dominates the global market share for mobile apps, making it one of the most popular development platforms for devices running the Android operating system. Developers commonly use programming languages like Java or Kotlin, along with Android Studio, to build apps for a diverse range of devices from various manufacturers.
• Cross-Platform: Cross-platform development allows developers to create apps for both iOS and Android platforms with a single codebase. Frameworks like React Native are used to develop cross-platform apps.

Mobile Application Development Approaches

When it comes to choosing the best approach for mobile app development, it depends on the unique goals and objectives of a business. Below are the key mobile app development stages approaches that developers utilize:

Native App Development

Native apps are designed for one specific operating system, such as iOS or Android, using platform-specific programming languages and frameworks. These apps can take full advantage of all the device features. They can use the camera, GPS, accelerometer, and more but require separate development efforts for each platform.

Cross-Platform App Development

The cross-platform app development approach allows developers to write code once and reuse it for both Android and iOS apps. Developers can leverage a range of various programming languages and frameworks for development.

Hybrid App Development

A hybrid app is the perfect blend of a native app and a web app. Developers utilize technologies like JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS for hybrid app development. The apps are wrapped in a native web container, enabling them to operate on multiple platforms

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

A progressive web application (PWA)  is a web application that provides a native app-like user experience. Users do not need to install a separate app for PWAs as they run on the web. They can work offline without any internet connection and are highly secure and cost-effective.

Each approach has its own advantages. However, the right choice depends on your needs, budget, features, and goals. You need to dive deeper into the key differences and choose the best approach for your project needs.

If you are not sure whether native or hybrid apps are the most suitable for your business, check out LANSA’s guides comparing:

• Native vs. Hybrid Applications
• Progressive Web App (PWA) vs native applications

Mobile App Development Lifecycle: 10 Key Stages

The app development lifecycle provides a structured approach from concept to deployment and maintenance. By understanding each stage, teams can ensure efficiency, manage resources, and deliver high-quality mobile apps. Below are the key stages of the mobile development lifecycle.

Research & Planning 

This is the foundational stage of the mobile app development lifecycle process. It involves defining the app’s purpose, target audience, and goals. This stage also includes analyzing market trends, competitor research, and creating strategies for the app’s success.

Requirements Analysis

During the requirement analysis stage, the development team gathers and analyzes the requirements of the mobile application. This includes defining essential features, technical specifications, and both functional and non-functional requirements based on research and planning. 

Technical Feasibility Assessment

Once you have a clear understanding of our app’s requirements, you need to evaluate the technical feasibility of your project. This involves selecting the right technology stack, ensuring compatibility with the development platform (iOS and Android), and addressing technical issues such as integration and security. Taking these steps will help ensure a seamless development process and a high-performance app.

Wireframes Design

In this step, the development team starts by creating a wireframe that outlines the app’s structure and user flow. This serves as a blueprint to visualize the layout and functionality before the actual design phase begins.

Prototyping

Once wireframes are designed, the next step is to create a prototype. The prototype is a more interactive and detailed version of the wireframes, showcasing the app’s look and feel. Prototyping allows stakeholders to review the user workflows, test the app’s functionality, and provide feedback to refine the mobile app’s design and user experience before starting the full-scale app development process.

Application Design

With a prototype in hand, designers focus on creating a visually appealing, intuitive, and easy-to-navigate user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) while ensuring that it aligns with the brand and user expectations.

Development

In the development stage, the actual coding of the mobile app begins. Developers utilize programming languages like Java, Swift, or Kotlin, depending on the platform, to build the app’s features and functionality.

Development teams often leverage low-code development frameworks, like Visual LANSA, to streamline development while maintaining high quality and ensuring a faster time to market. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Visual LANSA helps businesses build high-performance mobile apps quickly, empowering developers to focus on innovation and meet user needs without compromising on quality. 

Testing

Once the coding is complete and features are implemented, the app undergoes rigorous testing to identify and fix any bugs and issues. Testing ensures seamless performance in any environment and offers a smooth user experience. 

Deployment

Once the testing is complete, you can prepare to launch the app on the respective app stores, such as the Play Store and Apple App Store. The deployment process includes submitting the app for review and ensuring it meets all the platform guidelines and privacy policies. 

Maintenance and Updates

After the app is deployed, ongoing maintenance and regular updates are required to ensure smooth performance. This includes fixing any performance issues, adding new features, and ensuring compatibility with the latest mobile operating system.

Conclusion

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, developing mobile apps has become a necessity to stay ahead of competitors. However, the lifecycle of app development is a detailed process that requires careful planning and execution to deliver an app that meets business goals and user expectations. 

Whether you’re looking to develop a new mobile app from scratch or modernize an existing one,  tools like Visual LANSA can streamline the mobile application development phases. This professional low-code development solution empowers developers to create engaging, secure, and high-performance applications effortlessly.

Contact us today to discover how Visual LANSA simplifies and accelerates the development of high-quality mobile applications, helping you meet today’s business needs. Watch the Visual LANSA webinar to learn how it can help transform your app development lifecycle.

The post Mobile App Development Lifecycle: 10 Key Stages appeared first on LANSA.

As businesses strive for agility, modernizing 5250 applications for mobile use is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Bringing these applications to mobile preserves the reliability of IBM i systems while meeting modern accessibility needs. Enabling mobile access, whether through web-based solutions, APIs, or UI enhancements, is a smart move for businesses to be more agile.

This is where aXes comes in. aXes provides a seamless solution for modernizing 5250 applications without modifying source code. It allows businesses to transform green screens into web and mobile-friendly interfaces, enabling users to interact with IBM i applications from any device. With LANSA aXes, organizations can enhance user experience and extend the life of existing legacy systems, all while minimizing development time and costs.

Adapt Your Applications to Mobile with aXes

Successful transformation of 5250 applications involves enabling access on mobile devices and creating secure, optimized, and sustainable mobile experiences that drive efficiency and user satisfaction.

aXes is a no-code/low-code approach to modernizing your green screens and optimizing them for mobile.  It goes beyond simple UI refacing by enabling smooth integration of essential mobile features into your applications. With aXes, you can improve functionality by incorporating tools like camera-based document scanning, barcode reading for inventory management, and geolocation tracking for field operations. These capabilities allow your applications to adapt to modern mobile workflows to improve efficiency and usability.

By bridging the gap between traditional applications and mobile technology, aXes sees to it that your software is not only visually optimized but also fully equipped to handle real-world mobile tasks with ease.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started with this transformation:

• Web-Enable and Transform Green Screens

aXes modernizes the user interface of legacy IBM i applications without touching its source code. It automatically converts IBM i 5250 screens into interactive HTML, eliminating the need for extensive redevelopment.

With aXes, developers can utilize a drag-and-drop editor that allows businesses to enhance applications with Google Material Design themes, mobile-friendly layouts, and interactive elements.

Green screen input fields can easily be replaced with touch-friendly controls and responsive layouts. Developers can also transform menus into clickable links, function keys into buttons, and subfiles into scrollable tables, all without coding.

• Menus become clickable links – Instead of typing numbers or commands to navigate, users can just click on options, like in a regular website.
• Function keys turn into buttons – Instead of pressing old-style function keys (like F3 to exit), users can just click a button.
• Tables become scrollable – Instead of paging through data manually, users can scroll up and down like on a modern website.

By leveraging these capabilities, businesses can improve usability, boost efficiency, and extend the lifespan of their IBM i applications.

• Enhance 5250 Applications with Mobile Features

aXes extends IBM i applications with built-in support for modern device functionalities. It allows 5250 applications to interact with mobile hardware features such as cameras, barcode scanners, and GPS, without requiring extensive redevelopment. Once web-enabled, aXes allows applications to access device APIs and developers can incorporate mobile-specific actions in the application’s UI with minimal coding. These capabilities allow businesses to enhance their IBM i applications to make them more adaptable, efficient, and user-friendly in mobile environments.

• Test and Deploy

aXes simplifies the testing and deployment of your mobile applications. It provides an intuitive environment where you can quickly verify that the transformation applies flawlessly on various devices and screen sizes. With this, you can confidently deploy your application to empower your mobile workforce while bypassing the complexities of traditional methods.

• Keep Modernized Applications Up-to-Date

aXes provides regular bug fixes, product updates, new features, and a dedicated support team. It also helps users stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in the mobile platform and access assistance, including improvements in UI/UX, performance enhancements, and new integrations as outlined in the application development roadmap.

From Legacy to Mobile: The Future of 5250 Applications

Modernizing 5250 applications is not a choice but a necessity. By converting your legacy IBM i 5250 systems into mobile applications, your organization can improve efficiency, enhance user experiences, and optimize workflows.

With aXes, businesses can seamlessly transition to mobile, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming redevelopment. Mobilizing 5250 applications can help unlock their full potential, helping businesses stay efficient, competitive, and ready to meet the evolving demands of today’s digital world.

Make It Mobile with aXes

Ready to take your 5250 applications to the next level with mobile access? Take the first step with aXes and effortlessly transform your business operations by making your applications mobile-friendly. Consult with an expert today and request a free trial or demo to see how aXes can revolutionize your 5250 applications and drive your business forward without the need for extensive redevelopment.

Don’t let outdated systems hold you back; make your 5250 applications accessible to mobile users today!

The post How to Bring Your 5250 Applications to Mobile appeared first on LANSA.

Software Measurement Principles

The software measurement principle comprises five activities that are utilized for analyzing the system metrics:

1. Formulation: The derivation of software measures and metrics for appropriate representation of software under consideration.
2. Collection: The mechanism employed to gather data required for the induction of calculated metrics.
3. Analysis: The application of mathematical instruments and computation of metrics.
4. Interpretation: The evaluation of the metrics results offers insights into the quality of representation.
5. Feedback: Recommendations were derived from the product metrics analysis and transmitted to the software development team.

Measurement Objectives

The primary objectives of measuring software metrics include:

1. Improving Software Quality: Employing software metrics for measuring attributes like code complexity, defect density, and code coverage helps you to identify areas of improvement and work towards delivering high-quality software products.
2. Optimizing Development Process: Software metrics, namely cycle time, lead time, and velocity, help reduce waste, streamline the software development process, and improve the overall efficiency of the software development team.
3. Project Control and Monitoring: Using software metrics such as effort estimation accuracy, schedule variance, and resource utilization in your software engineering process, managers can monitor progress, take corrective actions, and detect risks to keep the project on track.
4. Making Data-Driven Decisions: Software metrics utilize objective data to eliminate guesswork in decision-making. This enables better planning, resource allocation, and risk management.
5. Enhancing Team Performance: Process-related metrics, such as the number of features delivered per sprint or defect resolution time, help assess team performance and identify areas where training, tools, or communication could be improved.

Why do we Need Software Measurement?

Software measurement is needed to:

• Craft the quality of the ongoing project or process.
• Predict the future qualities of the software product or process.
• Improve the quality of the product.
• Manage the state of the project regarding budget and schedule.
• Validate data-driven decision-making in project control and planning.
• Find out the constrictions and areas of improvement to drive process enhancement activities.
• Make sure the ongoing enhancement software development practices.

What Are Software Metrics?

Software metrics are a measurement of countable or quantifiable software characteristics. Software metrics are vital for multiple purposes, such as measuring productivity, measuring software performance, and planning work items. 

Multiple software metrics are interrelated within the software development process. Software metrics incorporate four management functions: organization, improvement, planning, and control.

• Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI®), developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), is an industry model and industry-standard like ISO 9000 that helps in utilizing the software metrics to monitor, manage, understand, and predict software projects, products, and processes. 
• Software metrics offer management and engineers the necessary information to make technical decisions.
• If software metrics offer helpful information, everyone involved in selecting, designing, implementing, collecting, and utilizing it must understand its definition and purpose.
• Software metrics are chosen on the basis of project, organizational, and task objectives that must be determined beforehand. Software metrics programs must be crafted to provide accurate data to enhance software engineering processes and services, as well as manage software projects.

You must employ software metrics to determine the efficacy in achieving these objectives:

Software development teams can utilize software metrics to plan upcoming project tasks, measure software performance, control the production process, and track productivity during project management.

Importance of Metrics and Measurement in Software Engineering

Software metrics and measurement play a critical role in software engineering and serve as the building block for efficient project management, continuous improvement, and quality assurance. Listed below are reasons why software metrics and measurement are indispensable in the software development lifecycle:

Project Planning and Estimation

Size measurement, effort estimation, and complexity assessment are software metrics that enable project budgets and schedules. Precise planning minimizes risks associated with overcommitment or underutilization and ensures resource optimization.

Quality Assurance

Software metrics, like defect density, test coverage, and mean time to failure, help teams assess software quality at each stage. Software metrics and measurements offer you insights into where enhancement is required while ensuring reliable and robust software delivery.

Performance Tracking

Monitoring productivity metrics helps software development teams track progress and adjust workflows to meet deadlines. Software performance metrics ensure alignment with project goals and customer expectations.

Risk Management

Code churn and requirement volatility are software metrics used to identify potential risks in the project. Addressing these risks proactively reduces project delays and cost overruns during the project.

Informed Decision-Making

Selecting tools and technologies to allocate resources, as well as objective data, supports decision-making processes. Data-driven strategies are more likely to succeed than those based on intuition.

Types of Software Testing Metrics

Software metrics can be broadly classified into these types:

Product Metrics

A subset of software testing metrics, product metrics are employed to count the features of a software product. The primary features are listed below:

• Dependability and Software Quality
• Size and Product Complexity

Process Metrics

Process metrics evaluate the characteristics of the software development process. It highlights nummerous factors such as fault detection, techniques, tools, techniques, defects or error efficiency, and overall software reliability.

Project Metrics

In addition to process metrics, managers utilize project metrics to monitor the project’s progress. The most important measurement factors include time, labor, cost, etc.

Internal Metrics

Properties that are crucial to the software developer are measured by using internal metrics. Examples of an internal metric include Line of Control or LOC.

External Metrics

All user-important properties are measured by utilizing external metrics. 

How to Track & Measure Software Metrics?

When tracking and measuring the software metrics, the metrics list must defined on an individual case basis:

• Unnecessary repetition of software metrics provided by the other projects or tracking anything provided by a software development framework/model or a project management tool is an egregious waste of effort and time.
• Software metrics are only helpful in tracking metrics if they won’t change how teams are working or won’t help answer inquiries from project stakeholders. Performance metrics’ availability is prioritized in a distributed asynchronous system but is highly valued in a real-time processing system.
• Software management teams gain insights from tracking metrics by establishing objectives, quickly analyzing the results, and keeping tabs on the software development process.

Benefits of Tracking Software Metrics

Identifying suitable and effective software metrics for any software development process has proven to be a challenging task, but it can be productive for organizations in the long run. 

• Employing accurate software metrics is vital to the software development process because they help enhance the quality and plan the overall software development process. It also helps to delay, reduce, and provide accurate data on performance and productivity on time.
• Precise software metrics enhance process transparency, enabling software development teams to be on the same page and own up to any mistake without unnecessary finger-pointing. This helps create an environment with trust and dependency and fosters continuous improvement.
• Software metrics help software development teams to make objective decisions without any incorrect assumptions or biases. This assists in leveraging unbiased, critical thinking, and automated data for optimal choices.
• Software metrics allow developers’ teams to communicate accurately with stakeholders on the health of the project and represent performance productivity and countability.
• Software metrics must be utilized to represent a web-based dashboard, which is accessible 24/7, and automatically delivering an up-to-date view of the project update to all stakeholders. This helps senior management make critical decisions and align priorities as needed.

Challenges in Tracking Software Metrics

The primary challenges in tracking software metrics observed due to the management not being committed to using software metrics are listed below: 

• Management opposes measurement: Software developers don’t  acquire or measure data as management doesn’t understand their importance. Management authorizes a software development metrics program but doesn’t help in putting the program into an action.
• Not Adequately Utilized Data Collection: The data collected during the measurement procedure should be working for project, product improvement, or process. This is due to collecting data that is inaccurate leads to wrong decision-making, which causes deviations from the software development schedule and delays the process.
• Prematurely and Excessively Measuring: Software project accumulate excessive data in advance that is challenging to analyze and manage. This causes the implementation of the software metrics to fail.
• Incorrect factor Measuring: Employing software metrics is a time consuming process, and only those data that provide useful feedback should be measured proficiently. Queried should be addressed to identify whether the data should be measured or not.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that software metrics are important tools in software development, offering valuable insights into the performance, quality as well as efficiency of both the final product and the development process. Furthermore, by systematically measuring and analyzing these metrics, businesses can find out where they need to improve, where they need to optimize workflows, which in turn will help them deliver high-quality software that aligns with business goals as well as user needs. Needless to say, incorporating a software metrics-driven approach fosters transparency and ensures the continuous evolution of software development practices in one fell swoop.

The post What Are Software Metrics? How Can I Measure These Metrics? appeared first on LANSA.

This is where Visual LANSA, a powerful low-code app builder, provides a centralized repository for managing and reusing application components and resources. This empowers software developers to streamline cross-platform development, eliminate code redundancy, and reduce development time significantly. By leveraging Visual LANSA Repository, you can create applications that are faster to develop, more efficient, and easier to maintain, which will enhance your overall coding experience and ensure scalability.

What is Visual LANSA’s Repository?

Visual LANSA’s Repository is a centralized database that stores all application logic and components, including fields, tables, relationships, and system variables. It supports rapid application development by allowing developers to reuse high-quality code and maintain consistent design across projects.

This centralized Repository simplifies code management, fosters collaboration, and supports scalable updates across multiple applications. It also enhances code maintainability by reducing redundancy and ensuring efficient, error-free development.

Visual LANSA’s Repository Workflow

Repository Benefits

Visual LANSA Repository serves as a single source of truth for managing application information and streamlining development by enabling developers to reuse code and access shared resources from one central location. Furthermore, it offers various benefits for application developers:

Centralized asset management for better collaboration

One major benefit of Visual LANSA’s Repository is that it serves as a centralized hub where all application components, assets, business logic, and resources are defined, stored, and cross-referenced. In addition, this centralization facilitates collaboration among developers by offering them a single source of truth for managing assets between the hosts and the client. It reduces errors caused by inconsistent coding practices and ensures a more streamlined approach across teams.

Simplified updates for universal and cross-platform deployment

When simplifying and updating the application universally or making updates for cross-platform deployment, Visual LANSA’s Repository helps you to conduct these changes once and propagate those changes universally. This ultimately helps developers avoid writing codes multiple times and reduces the risk of error.

Reduced development time through reusable code and assets

Developers can significantly reduce development time by reusing the codes and assets stored in the Repository. For example, assume your team has designed a function to validate a user input (e.g. detecting invalid characters or enforcing length constraints). You can store it inside the Repository for use in other applications or modules and avoid implementing it from scratch in every application or module. This way, you save time and effort while reducing the possibility of introducing new bugs. Developers can focus on more complex tasks to shorten the overall development cycle and maintain high-quality and error-free code.

Lower maintenance costs through advanced cross-referencing

When a component requires modification, developers can use the Repository’s cross-referencing capabilities to identify where the component is being used. It also generates and stores detailed impact lists for precise and efficient updates, avoiding errors and rework. By optimizing the change assessment and implementation process, Visual LANSA reduces overall application maintenance costs by up to 80%.

Improved control over application versioning and deployment

Visual LANSA’s Repository improves control over application versioning and deployment by integrating with Git. This integration allows software developers to track changes, manage repositories, and collaborate directly within the environment. Git integration also enhances workflows, reduces errors, and ensures code integrity throughout development. Its version control features, like branching, merging, and commit history, improve collaboration and maintain code consistency. In addition, it provides improved oversight of application versioning and deployment since all components are centrally managed.

Building Your Application with Visual LANSA’s Repository

With Visual LANSA’s Repository, you can speed up the application development process while maintaining high-quality code and minimizing errors. Utilizing its centralized nature for managing and reusing application components makes creating applications more efficient.

Step 1: Plan your Repository structure

• When developing your application, it is ideal to define the fields, tables, business rules, and other reusable components in your Repository.

• Fields: They store data elements like CustomerID and OrderDate, which ensures consistency across the platform.
• Tables: Used to organize related data into logical structures, such as a Customer table with fields for Name, Email, and Phone.
• Business rules: These are centralized rules like data validation or formatting to enforce consistent behavior across your application.
• Reusable components: These are common application parts like buttons, input fields, or entire modules that can be reused to save time and maintain design standards.

Example: An example of a reusable field could be CurrencyCode, whereby all the monetary values for various applications or modules could be standardized. It lets the usage of consistent currency codes such as “USD,” “EUR,” and “JPY” to avoid any confusion or errors raised because of mixed formats. In the end, it will let the teams do easy tracking of the financial data without any mistaken calculations, and clear auditing trails in projects where many different currencies would be involved.

Developers can also inform LANSA about external databases, which populate the data dictionary with fields and definitions.

Step 2: Add Metadata

Metadata offers additional information and context about the fields, tables, and components within your application. Adding metadata ensures better organization, discoverability, and usability across projects.

• Validation Rules: Define rules to ensure data integrity by enforcing specific formats, ranges, or constraints on input values.
• Referential Integrity: Establish relationships between tables, such as primary and foreign keys, to maintain consistency and prevent orphaned data.
• Virtual Field: By specifying a virtual field, you can derive values from the real field defined in the IBM i file definition.

Example: Adding metadata to a customer email field can define constraints such as only accepting valid email addresses and enforcing a maximum character length. By applying these rules, you help ensure accurate and consistent data entry across your system.

Step 3: Develop Your Application

Apart from adding the metadata, you can store application logic in the Repository so that it can be easily accessed across projects. This allows applications to be developed smoothly and effectively, ultimately increasing their performance.

• Server modules: Server modules perform backend jobs like retrieving a set of records from a database or consuming REST APIs. It helps with centralized logic to ensure that the impact of changes is immediately updated in all projects without redundancies and errors.
  • It allows software developers to retrieve records from a local or remote database to simplify the codes and avoid code redundancy.
  • With the help of Visual LANSA’s Repository, you can publish and consume REST APIs, which improve application performance.
  • Developers can access other data sources like Excel spreadsheets or NoSQL databases.
• Routines for common operations:
  • During the application development process, calculating employee tenure provides data for performance analysis.
  • When building applications, accessing email clients and FTP servers helps you build robust applications.
  • Developers can use authentication standards like OAuth2 to streamline maintenance and application coding.

Step 4: Versioning

Versioning is a crucial process when developing or deploying an application, and it ensures that the changes are tracked and managed effectively. This step helps you to maintain a history of updates, revert to previous versions if necessary, and ensure consistent application functionality across all stages of development.

• Version Control Systems: Use tools to track changes made to Repository items, documenting modifications for better traceability.

Step 5: Deployment

Deployment involves delivering the completed application to end-users or production environments. The Repository simplifies the deployment process with efficient tools for packaging, updating, and maintaining your application.

• Deployment Tools: Visual LANSA’s built-in tools are used to package applications and push updates to production environments. These tools help ensure that all users have access to the latest features and updates.

Improve your development skills by mastering the Repository — enroll in this comprehensive Visual LANSA Repository course.

Accelerate Development with Visual LANSA’s Repository

Building applications quickly without compromising quality is crucial for business success. However, maintaining speed while incorporating new features remains a challenge for developers. Visual LANSA’s Repository offers a powerful solution for IBM i developers by streamlining the application development process. It helps to store, manage, and retrieve the application codes efficiently as well as reduces code redundancy, and accelerates development. By centralizing assets and promoting reusability, the Visual LANSA Repository helps increase developer productivity, improve code quality, and ensure scalability.

Boost Efficiency with a Centralized Codebase

Writing the same code again and again is slowing down your development process. Discover how creating a Repository on Visual LANSA, a professional low-code platform for IBM i developers, can accelerate your application development, eliminate code redundancy and boost efficiency. Talk to us to learn more and start your development experience today!

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