Modernization of COBOL Application Automates and Future-proofs Digital Operations
About The Client
is a 110-year-old, independent department store chain in the United States that meets customers' end-to-end daily requirements. Headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, they have over 50 department stores nationwide. From fashion to home furnishing, they offer a wide range of brand-name merchandise and services that have earned them unmatched customer loyalty in the retail industry.
- Industry: Retail and Consumer Goods
- Headquartered: Pennsylvania, United States
- Platforms: Visual COBOL, Mainframe COBOL, and DB2
- Team Size: 2 to 3 Experts
The Challenge
The client’s logistics forecasting application was developed using Microfocus COBOL (Net Express), Mainframe COBOL, and VB6 by a professional who retired 25 years ago. Today, only one individual knows how to operate the application, creating a significant dependency risk.
Running the application involved numerous manual steps and required over an hour each month to generate forecasting data. With the sole operator nearing retirement, the client recognized the need to rewrite the application in Python but found the process complex and costly.
The client had resources to maintain the VB6 frontend but relied on uncertain production versions of over 300 programs and copybooks for the Microfocus COBOL components. The lack of application documentation and unclear processing added to the complexity.
Our Solution
The Programmers.io provided a strategic solution to deliver the required results.
Codebase Analysis
The Programmers.io COBOL team analyzed the 300 programs and copybooks to identify sub-programs, main programs, dependencies, input/output files, and the monthly data required for forecasting. They organized this information to represent the data flow within the application.
Extensive Documentation
The team mapped the Microfocus COBOL programs to the VB6 BAT files used on the frontend to understand and document the forecasting operation. The documentation, comprising detailed accounts of program structures, input/output files, and processes, was presented to the client.
Migration Strategy Creation
Since Net Express was outdated, the team proposed migrating these components to Visual COBOL using the client’s Visual Studio licenses to modernize the application without major code rewrite and minimize costs. After gaining the client's approval, they began the migration process.
Application Migration
The team identified required components and their run sequences from 300+ programs and copybooks before migrating them to Visual COBOL without prior documentation. They made minor changes to ensure compatibility with the new tool, but after testing it, the results did not match production.
Testing and QA
The team devised a testing plan to locate the problematic program and its sub-components. By meticulously examining the legacy code, they identified the modified lines and resolved the issue. They also performed compatibility testing to ensure support on Windows 10 and 11.
Process Automation
The Programmers.io team assisted in automating several of the manual processes that took the client almost an hour to run. They automated most of these processes including file naming, file deletion from the computer, and the transfer of files to and from the application.
Technologies Used
Our software architects and engineers are experts in using the latest technologies.
- Visual COBOL
- Mainframe COBOL
- DB2
- Visual Studio 2022
- Visual Basic 6 (VB6)
- BAT Files
Business Impact
Our solution added value with surprising results because we were able to deliver a high-quality product on time.
Achieved Identical Forecasting in 3 Months
75% Reduction of Application Runtime
Here’s how we did it
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Reduced significant costs
by migrating the application to Visual COBOL using existing licenses.
-
Minimized manual effort
by automating file management and batch processes.
-
Future-proofed digital operations
by modernizing the application infrastructure and providing extensive documentation to support it.
-
Ensured platform compatibility
by making the migrated application work on Windows 10 and 11.
Reduced significant costs
by migrating the application to Visual COBOL using existing licenses.
Minimized manual effort
by automating file management and batch processes.
Future-proofed digital operations
by modernizing the application infrastructure and providing extensive documentation to support it.
Ensured platform compatibility
by making the migrated application work on Windows 10 and 11.
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I wanted to take a moment to highlight and commemorate the efforts from our dedicated PIO team. To preface, the projects we work on here are complex, with rigid objectives, budgets, and timelines. Expectations are always high and are ever-changing. From the start of our relationship, the IO team was able to exceed expectations and make our business wishes a reality.
Over the past year I have worked with them, they have worked very hard to understand our highly customized system and troubleshoot things with little or no documentation while managing to keep the business up and running normally. Without the hard work and dedication they have shown, I know we would have had some issues causing downtime or lost production. I am looking forward to continuing working them in the next year as well.
I have been working with Programmers IO for more than 5 years now and I have been pleased with all projects and developers that I have worked with. We have had a few issues here and there but they have always fixed and made it right. They have been an excellent addition to our business.
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