How to reduce risk and accelerate ROI with CMS migrations

All technologies age and eventually become obsolete. This poses a significant challenge for marketers, as websites and their content managements systems tend to get more complex and inflexible over time, making modifications or feature additions increasingly difficult and costly. This complexity often results from numerous individuals customizing the technology, creating a maze of customizations that can hinder marketing efforts. 

Previously, the only solution for monolithic CMS systems was to start over or re-platform, typically requiring a 'big bang' migration. This approach involves shutting down the old system and building a new one in parallel over an extended period. While beneficial for developers starting afresh without legacy code constraints, it also delays realizing ROI and unlocking full business value until the new system is fully operational. Big bang migrations demand extensive planning, training, and entail higher risks due to their substantial investments and prolonged development timelines.  

Introducing a new solution 

Marketers can move away from the legacy system, replacing one or multiple features at a time until the system is no longer needed. Using a new, agile approach, known as the ‘strangler pattern’, you can incrementally migrate away from a monoliths or legacy systems over to a microservices-based and composable architecture.  

The strangler pattern approach is lower risk and unlocks value more quickly than full migrations. Named after the strangler fig, which slowly takes over a tree and eventually strangles it, this method allows you to start small—no need for large budget requests—and mitigate risks. Beginning with the simplest of features builds confidence and credibility to continue, leading to faster business value and ROI. This short film explains how the concept is applied to software.   

When should you migrate? 

Uncertain if your system needs migration? Consider these questions: 

1. How long does it take to make a content change on your website?  
2. How quickly can a new product go online?  
3. Are functionalities like search and payments performing optimally? 
4. How often do you introduce new functionalities to your website, ie a mystery box or trade-in functionality, and how long does it take to launch this?  
5. How complex is it to launch in new locations?  

If your answers reveal inefficiencies or performance gaps compared to competitors, adopting the strangler pattern approach may be warranted. These challenges present opportunities for enhancement rather than obstacles. 

Getting started with the new approach 

Once you identify the potential of the strangler pattern, follow these steps for a successful migration: 

1 Identify your components 

Review your system to identify which components you have. Mapping these will help you prioritize those that should be replaced first. Business needs usually determine priority, however, factors such as dependencies and critical infrastructure also influence this decision. 

2 Create microservices 

Build identified features in isolation with all required logic, then connect them as microservices to the rest of the system via APIs. This creates a modular setup as microservices live outside the rest of the system. 

3 Iterate and test  

Learn from each component replacement, crafting business cases and plans for subsequent transitions. 

4 Turn off legacy monolith  

Once all business logic has been moved into the composable architecture, the monolith becomes obsolete. This doesn’t have to be the final step; with the strangler pattern approach, specific elements of the old system can be retained. 
  
5 Validate and optimize  

Although not part of the strangler pattern, this phase is crucial. After replacing the monolith with individual components, review each separately to determine if they need replacement or can be turned off altogether. 

The new approach delivers real benefits 

Applying the strangler pattern approach to your technology stack breaks it into smaller pieces, enabling you to replace the old monolith in stages. This means teams can quickly experiment, and if something doesn’t work, they can turn it off again. This flexibility and agility are essential in responding to customer needs, made possible only with a composable architecture.   

The strangler pattern approach delivers business value faster and it accelerates ROI by allowing easy component swapping or deactivation when necessary, reducing planning and training efforts. 

While these advantages attract marketers, consider key factors such as running parallel systems and potential costs, and acknowledge that migration may take longer than with a big bang approach when aiming to completely move away from the monolith. It’s not always possible to decouple old systems and replace piece by piece. 

If your digital operations or user experiences are hindered by outdated monolithic technology, consider a modular migration using the strangler pattern approach. Contact a Luxid expert to explore accelerating ROI on your digital investments.