A structured template for planning your legacy system modernisation. Covers assessment, strategy selection, phased planning, migration, governance, and budgeting.
This template is designed for technical leaders who need to transform modernisation from a vague initiative into a structured, stakeholder-ready plan.
CTOs and Technical Directors - You need to present a credible modernisation strategy to the board. This template helps you articulate technical debt in business terms, build a phased plan with clear milestones, and establish governance that demonstrates control over a complex initiative.
Engineering Managers - You've been tasked with "modernising the legacy system" but given little guidance on scope or approach. Use this template to assess your current state objectively, evaluate modernisation strategies, and build a plan your team can actually execute.
Technical Leads and Architects - You understand the technical debt intimately but struggle to translate that into a compelling business case. The assessment frameworks help you document pain points, risks, and dependencies in a format that resonates with non-technical stakeholders.
IT Directors and Programme Managers - You're managing the budget and timeline for modernisation. This template provides the governance structure, milestone tracking, and risk management frameworks you need to keep a complex, multi-phase programme on track.
Consultants and Fractional CTOs - You're advising organisations on their modernisation journey. This template gives you a proven structure to accelerate client engagements and deliver consistent, professional roadmap documentation.
If you've ever felt that your modernisation plans lack structure, or struggled to get stakeholder buy-in for technical initiatives, this template provides the framework to move from ambiguity to action.
This comprehensive template guides you through creating a practical modernisation roadmap with:
Plus a summary checklist to ensure you've covered all critical planning areas.
Experienced Fractional Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Architect, and .NET developer with a strong background in leading technical strategy and building scalable applications across diverse industries
View full profileIt depends on system complexity, team capacity, and chosen approach. A lift-and-shift migration might take 3-6 months, while a full rearchitecture could span 18-24 months. This template helps you build a realistic phased plan based on your specific constraints and risk tolerance.
Full rebuilds carry higher risk and cost, but sometimes make sense for severely outdated systems. The template covers seven approaches from rehost to rebuild, helping you select the right strategy based on your drivers, constraints, and technical debt level. Most organisations benefit from a phased incremental approach.
The template includes migration strategy planning covering parallel runs, strangler fig patterns, and phased cutovers. It also guides you through defining rollback criteria and communication plans to minimise business disruption during the transition.
This varies based on your target architecture. The resource planning section helps you identify skill gaps between your current team and target state, with space to document plans for training, hiring, or external support.
The template starts with documenting business drivers and pain points in terms stakeholders understand. The governance section helps you establish clear decision-making processes and communication plans. We recommend completing the assessment sections first, then using the findings to build a compelling case.
Strategic planning and governance for legacy platform transitions
De-risk your modernisation with expert planning, architectural leadership, and ongoing governance. I assess your ecosystem, design the migration strategy and provide oversight while your team executes
Discover moreYou might also find these guides helpful
A 96-item checklist for evaluating technology assets before investment or acquisition. The same framework used by professional investors and acquirers.
Get the Free ChecklistA diagnostic framework to evaluate your software project's health across 6 critical areas. Get your score and actionable improvement recommendations.
Get Your Free AssessmentBook a free consultation to discuss how we can help you implement these best practices in your organisation.
