Journal
Journal: modernization
On this topic, 15 articles from the journal, from practical guides to behind the scenes of the product.
Documenting software's business rules: extract them before it is too late
The value in your software is the years spent deciding how things work in your business. Those decisions live in two heads and code nobody rereads. Put them in French, and understand why the document outlives the code.
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Software migration without interruption: rebuilding in parallel, week by week
An uninterrupted software migration is not decided at six on a Monday morning. It unfolds over weeks, keeping the old tool alive while the new one is built alongside it, with a period maintaining both. Here is the week-by-week plan.
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Recovering your online-built application's code: the shop blocked for 48 hours
A founder describes their online shop shut off for more than 48 hours over one product listing among hundreds, without explanation or recourse. The problem began when they chose a tool they could not leave, long before the block.
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Affordable management software for very small businesses: the gap they fall into
Software tailored to three people is not in the catalogue. On one side, a shared file that eventually becomes expensive; on the other, ERP quotes in five figures annually. What business owners report, and what has shifted between the two.
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Changing your website without an agency: three months for a layout fix
A business owner says every agency in town wants a monthly retainer and three months to fix their layouts. The alternative they are considering, a stranger hired through a marketplace, says a lot about the gap in the market for small changes.
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Rolling back your application without a developer: your product's versions
A change goes wrong and the application starts limping. Without a developer behind you, two guarantees are enough for peace of mind: see what changed, and restore yesterday's product with one action. How it works, and where it breaks.
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Rebuild your application or improve it: $30,000 for an unnecessary rebuild
A provider who has delivered more than sixty applications says they have seen founders spend $30,000 rebuilding a tool they should have shut down. Three questions, asked before the first quote, determine whether to rebuild your application or improve it.
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The 2009 Access file is still running: replacing an Access database gradually
The Access database an intern wrote in 2009 has run your orders for fifteen years, and nobody dares open it anymore. Replacing it all at once is the best way to lose what it knows. Here is an exit plan that keeps it alive during the transition.
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How much does app maintenance cost?
Separate maintenance, hosting and new features. A fictional example and practical questions help you plan an annual budget.
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TMS transport software for small businesses: built your way
In May 2026, a French transport professional described building his own TMS: he knows the field but lacks development skills. What routing software charges, what it leaves out and what your own tool can take over without crossing red lines.
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Your developer has stopped replying: where should you start?
The site still works, but you do not know who can change it. An access list, a copy of your information and a review of its condition help you prepare the next steps.
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Moving Excel data into an app, step by step
Your app is ready to try. How do you move customers, orders and histories without losing track? A method built around a backup, a small trial and checking the results.
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Accounting practice: find documents and track client work
A document is missing, two people have chased the same client, and nobody knows whether the file is moving forward. A small tracking tool may help without replacing your accounting software.
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Business software rebuild: planning data migration and the switch
When should you rebuild a business application? Understand the options, check the warning signs, preserve your data and test the change before switching.
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Replacing Excel with an app: when is it worth it?
Duplicate orders, conflicting files and errors to fix: start with what is getting in your way to choose between improving Excel, buying software or building a tool.
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