Behind the rising popularity of Low-Code development platforms lies the agility that custom solutions offer as opposed to the one-size-fits–all legacy applications. Moreover, customized apps also come with domain–specific problem-solving abilities as Low-Code platforms have empowered citizen developers. Thus, using the drag-and-drop interface of the platform, industry specialists can actively participate in application development.
Another reason for embracing Low-Code is that it ensures scalability, thus futureproofing the operations. Experts believe that 70% of applications developed in 2025 will be done using Low-Code technology as opposed to 2020 when only 20% of solutions were custom apps.
Given the edge the Low-Code technology offers, it has become a top priority for businesses to migrate to Low-Code applications. In this endeavor, transferring data from one system to another has become a prime concern as the process presents a critical concern due to its complexity and potential for disruption. It is worth noting that 90% of IT leaders find it difficult to approach and navigate through application modernization. Additionally, 30% of ventures struggle with identifying the right tool for the process.
In this blog, we will explore:
- The challenges the transition from a legacy system to a Low-Code solution poses
- Key things to avoid during the process of migrating data from traditional solutions
- How Low-Code platforms such as iLeap can help businesses carry application modernization
Challenges Surrounding Data Migration
The following are the primary roadblocks in the migrating data:
- Lack of compatible data formats: Often Low-Code platforms have their proprietary data format which can differ from the conventional data structure in any of these four ways: syntactic, structural, semantic, and quality. This poses a challenge in migrating the data from one’s legacy system, risking data loss and corruption.
- Data mapping challenges: For successful data mapping, the data from the source system, i.e., the legacy application needs to be matched with the corresponding field of the new app. However, the developer may not be able to synthesize the complexity, diversity, and volume of the data sources, thus choosing the wrong integration method. In such a case, the mapping may lead to disarray in the data and unfinished migration which compromise the functionality of the Low-Code application.
- Problem in data validation: Many platforms for building custom solutions may not have robust standards for data validation. Consequently, when entering data during the migration process, the developer’s input may turn out to be incomplete or incompatible. These errors can negatively impact the integrity and performance of the agile solution.
Once a development team can overcome these challenges, the new application will function as envisioned and become secure enough to handle sensitive business data. With the basic functionality of the application in place, a successful migration process can be the first step in building a solid backend system with the help of third-party APIs.
Risks Involved in Data Migration
Here are the risks associated with migrating data from legacy applications:
- Data Security and Loss: Data is central to the success of an operation as it decides the functionality of an app. On the other hand, business data is necessary as an input which the app crunches to perform smoothly. Thus, data security is a matter of utmost concern. Developers should note that if the data goes through an unplanned migration process, it can be lost, causing havoc in the way the app works as well as the operation at large.
- Downtime: Poorly managed migration processes can lead to extended system downtime due to technical glitches, disrupting daily operations. Owing to the outages, the company may suffer financial loss caused by decreased productivity.
- Expensive data fixes: As data is invaluable to any business today, any potential loss of data or any damage done by the migration can incur further expenses. These additional expenses may include the cost for data retrieval and the modification of the malfunctions in the custom app.
6 Data Migration Mistakes to Avoid
- Lack of migration planning: Much like most projects, creating a clear roadmap of the processes, interface, and features of the new application is important. While the importance of planning cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to migrating data from legacy apps, many development teams tend to ignore it. Diving nose first into the migration process may cause compatibility issues, downtime, etc., causing data loss or data corruption. An important step in this process is documenting the exact features of the legacy app so that the basic functionality can be retained and improved upon.
- Inadequate data cleanup: While transitioning to a Low-Code application, developers should avoid inconsistent data, leading to data quality issues in the targeting system. To avoid any such issues, it is important to conduct comprehensive data profiling and analysis prior to migration. Profiling and analysis can help stakeholders rectify any irregularities in the data, making data cleansing and validation a vital step towards migrating from a legacy app.
- Poor security measures: Failing to prioritize data security throughout the migration process can expose valuable data to potential threats such as data breaches and loss. Apart from compromising the confidentiality and integrity of data, such incidents also cause severe reputational damage, legal repercussions, and disrupt business operations.
- Lack of pre-migration testing: Failing to rigorously test the migration process can pave the way for unexpected errors and failures during the actual transition. Such oversights may trigger data loss or corruption, jeopardizing critical information integral to the company’s operations. This is why it is imperative to test the migration process with a small set of data before doing so with a large volume of data.
- Lack of familiarity: While most developers who have previously performed data migration processes can successfully complete a project, there can still be challenges with onboarding new team members. This is because they might not be fully familiar with the legacy app and thus will be prone to committing errors such as entering incompatible or incomplete data at the mapping stage.
A business seeking to migrate to a Low-Code system should note that among the host of platforms in the market, iLeap is a noteworthy name. In the next section of the blog, we will see how iLeap can help enterprises overcome the limitations of their legacy systems.
Legacy Modernization with iLeap
Application modernization has never been easier than with iLeap. Our Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool helps businesses do away with data migration challenges by breaking a migration project into manageable data sets. As a result, while migrating data to a Low-Code solution built on our iLeap, developers can avoid data loss and corruption to a large extent.
The tools support quick prototyping, ensuring an early feedback cycle and reducing overall project costs. The flexibility in app development that our RAD tools offer helps users customize the new application to their evolving requirements.
We understand that collaboration with stakeholders from different departments is an essential part of legacy modernization. In this regard, iLeap strives to offer a much-needed collaborative environment.