Discovery and Analysis
This section covers the foundational stages of legacy system modernisation that occur before implementation begins. These stages focus on understanding the existing system and defining requirements for the modernised solution.
Overview
Based on the modernisation workflow, this phase encompasses two phases:
- Documentation Gathering - Understanding what currently exists
- Requirements Building - Defining what needs to be built
Both phases are essential for effective AI assistance throughout the modernisation process. The better your documentation and requirements, the more effectively AI tools can assist you in implementation.
Key Principles
This phase builds on the core principles outlined in the modernisation workflow, focusing on:
- SME Collaboration: Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are critical throughout the modernisation playbook, but their impact is largest at this stage. Their domain knowledge and understanding of business processes are essential for creating accurate documentation and meaningful requirements.
- AI Understanding Validation: A critical aspect unique to AI-assisted modernisation is ensuring AI tools correctly interpret your documentation before proceeding.
Outcomes
By the end of this section, you should have:
- Comprehensive documentation of the existing system’s functionality, architecture, and business processes
- Validated AI understanding of your system through testing prompts
- Clear requirements broken down into epics and user stories
- Stakeholder alignment on the scope and priorities for modernisation
- Foundation for implementation that enables effective AI assistance in the next phase
| ← Previous: Workflow | Next: Documentation Gathering → |
This section is part of the DEFRA AI Legacy Modernisation Playbook. For questions or contributions, please refer to the main documentation.
