Modernizing a Legacy ERP System to Boost Operational Efficiency at an Oil & Gas Company
- Software modernization
- Backend
- Frontend
- Legacy System Modernization
We modernized a legacy oil and gas enterprise resource planning (ERP) software platform by improving the interface and completely overhauling the technical infrastructure to improve platform uptime. We successfully introduced Agile methodologies to a client more familiar with Waterfall project management. We also updated the tech stack to increase system reliability. The client’s employees can now work more efficiently and no longer have to deal with the legacy ERP system’s complicated interface, leading to higher job satisfaction.
client
Oilfield service company (NDA-protected)
USA
51-100 employees
A US-based oilfield service company.
request background
A legacy ERP system for the oil and gas industry needed an upgrade to better meet business needs and spur growth
The client was struggling with a legacy ERP system that was handicapped by outdated technology, bugs, and complex user workflows. They wanted to upgrade their oil and gas ERP software to create an easy-to-use platform that would streamline tasks, improve productivity, and better support their business operations and growth. As a result, they were looking for an ERP software development company with expertise in ERP in the oil and gas industry.
After considering several options, the client chose Acropolium for its experience creating solutions for ERP for oil and gas companies. It was clear that we had the technology stack and talent pool to get the job done.
challenge
A smorgasbord of issues common to legacy ERP systems and their outdated code practices, technology stack, and user interfaces
The key challenges were problems common to old ERP systems.
- Legacy code practices and a heterogeneous technology stack were creating critical bugs, system outages, and inefficiencies in workflow and performance.
- The company was also stuck with old frameworks and databases such as AngularJS, .NET Framework 4.5, and MySQL 5.6. This meant that they struggled to find IT specialists who were able and willing to work with their oil and gas ERP system.
- Outdated user interfaces were also complicating user workflows, slowing down work, and contributing to negative employee experience.
goals
- Create a user-friendly interface
- Improve system reliability and security
- Increase yearly platform uptime from 70% to at least 90%
- Update the ERP legacy system’s infrastructure to more current technologies
- Optimize cloud costs
solution
An upgraded tech stack and UX and optimized cloud infrastructure for successful ERP modernization
.NET 6, Azure, Angular
18 months- 5 specialists
Before signing the contract, we kicked off the legacy ERP system modernization process by sharing and aligning project management methodologies.
The client was accustomed to Waterfall management: assigning tasks and documenting requirements in a linear, sequential manner. We introduced them to the Agile approach and showed how we had used Scrum to complete past ERP software development projects. We also showed how the client could make the shift from Waterfall to Agile with minimum disruption to their work processes.
After signing the custom ERP software development contract, we began setting up Scrum practices. To respect the client’s organizational culture, we chose to adopt Scrumban methodology. A hybrid of Scrum and Kanban, Scrumban combines the structure of Scrum with the flexibility and flow-based method of Kanban to make teams more efficient and productive. We also adjusted some of our artifacts, such as user stories and the project knowledge base, to fit the style and setup at the client’s company.
Technically, the project involved a rigorous reengineering process. Platform documentation was incomplete, and we had to conduct several knowledge-sharing sessions with internal employees to assess the architecture and business logic behind the client’s legacy enterprise resource planning system.
After modifying the client’s existing software development workflow and gaining a better understanding of the technical issues, we focused on the project deliverables.
- Completely new UI/UX designs to create a more employee-friendly oil and gas ERP interface and more logical task workflows. We added modern elements to make the interface more intuitive and responsive.
- An upgraded tech stack to boost the oil and gas ERP system’s reliability and security. This greatly reduced the number of bugs reported by internal users, ensured higher system performance, and eased the daily work of employees throughout the company.
- A modernized software infrastructure to meet the oil and gas software’s uptime requirements. We lightened the processing load by adding new Azure cloud services and redistributed maintenance responsibility between these services.
- Cloud resource use optimization and cloud service autoscaling. These allowed us to optimize cloud costs while ensuring that the platform could still meet surges in demand.
outcome
25% higher uptime and more efficient operations for an ERP for the oil and gas industry
- Uptime increased to 95%, thanks to a cloud infrastructure overhaul and additional cloud services.
- 70% fewer bugs reported.
- A 45% increase in the duration of ERP-related business operations.
