The Background
A U.S.-based, healthcare-focused business supports customers through a mobile ordering system.
The Need
Cost and time associated with the maintenance of their current platform was getting out of hand. The client was also concerned that a lack of consistent maintenance might be leading to security vulnerabilities.
To better understand the source of the issue and what course of actions were available to them, the client approached Softjourn for a code audit/technical assessment. The assessment would review the current codebase to understand where it stood, and what it would take to resolve the client's maintenance issues.
The Solution
The code audit included the following criteria:
- Has the core code been modified? Would those modifications cause problems with upgrades? Is the core code's version out of date?
- What modules are included, and of what type: off the shelf, homemade, etc.? Will they cause issues with upgrades?
- What does the frontend consist of? Is it custom?
- Is the database heavily customized? If so, will that cause core code upgrade issues?
- Is the system configured correctly? Are there other foundational setup conflicts?
The Benefits
In the end, we recommended that the client rewrite their application from scratch. It was based off of an aging version of Magento that was no longer being supported and did not include the most recent security patches.
Updating this core code would render existing modules, whether off the shelf or custom, obsolete and requiring either an update or replacement.
This rewrite wouldn't just resolve their maintenance issues, but also support future build out of the system. It would also resolve the client’s security concerns.
Our assessment of the system provided our client with the following benefits:
- Deeper understanding of what they had on hand, and solid reasoning for a recommended path forward.
- Recommended key changes that would be further beneficial for their app, including UX enhancements, streamlining checkout, and more.
- Detailed reports of the code audit, including a step-by-step review of the process and a thorough opinion on the existing state of the application plus recommended next steps.
- Estimate of what the rewrite would require, including our recommended technologies that would offer long-term benefits.
Conclusion
As a result of Softjourn's technical assessment, our client was able to understand what was realistic from a business perspective. They had the information they needed to make go/no-go decisions regarding a rewrite, as well as an understanding of what technologies would benefit their application and their business in the long run.