THE CHALLENGE
Legacy System Holding Back Growth
Velocity Motoring, a pioneer in the automotive industry, relied on a legacy warehouse management system to handle order fulfillment, inventory tracking, and shipping logistics.
However, their outdated Symfony 1.0.9 system, running on an early version of PHP 5, became a major roadblock to business growth. Due to its deep legacy debt and critical role in daily operations, an entire system overhaul was not something that could happen overnight.
Over the next five years, Polcode executed a multi-stage modernization strategy, balancing ongoing maintenance with step-by-step upgrades to avoid business disruptions.
Key Challenges
Lack of modern functionality
The old system lacked essential features such as an autoloader, dependency injection, and a templating engine.
Slow and manual processes
Some pages took over a minute to load due to inefficient data processing.
Poor code quality & no version control
The system had massive code duplication, direct database queries scattered throughout the codebase, and no version control system.
Difficult integrations
External platforms like eBay, Amazon, and Skubana required complex workarounds.
Scalability issues
The system struggled to handle increasing order volumes, limiting business expansion.
Velocity Motoring needed a gradual, low-risk modernization plan that would allow them to maintain business continuity while transitioning to a more scalable and efficient system.
The Solution: A Multi-Stage Legacy Modernization Strategy
This five-year transformation demonstrates that legacy modernization is not just about replacing old code but about managing change strategically, ensuring business continuity while gradually improving technology, processes, and scalability.
2023–2024: Completing the Migration and Scaling for the Future
Finalizing the legacy sunset – Symfony 1.0 was completely phased out, and the new system was upgraded to Symfony 5.4.
Cloud integration & API enhancements – Implemented robust API connections, including seamless integration with Extensiv Warehouse Manager.
Security & access control – Introduced user role management and modern authentication mechanisms for improved security.
2021–2022: Transitioning from Legacy to Modern Infrastructure
System migration – Gradually ported core functionalities from Symfony 1.0 to Symfony 4.4.
Expanded integrations – Upgraded connections with external sales and inventory platforms like Skubana, EasyPost, and ChannelAdvisor for better inventory and order management.
Boosted warehouse efficiency – Developed advanced filtering, order tracking, and reporting features to streamline operations.
2019–2020: Laying the Groundwork for Migration
Analysis & initial improvements – Introduced modern tools into the legacy Symfony 1.0.9 system, including Composer, PHPUnit, and Pimple, to aid maintainability.
Parallel development – While developing the new Symfony 4-based system (v2.0), we continued maintaining and stabilizing the legacy Symfony 1.0.9 platform, introducing gradational improvements to extend its lifespan until full migration was possible.
Optimized warehouse process – Improved order tracking, packing, and shipping workflows to improve efficiency.
The Results
A Future-Proof, Scalable System
Faster order processing - Optimized search and automation significantly reduced fulfillment times.
Lower maintenance costs - No more expensive workarounds caused by outdated technology.
Seamless integrations - Strong API connections streamline inventory and logistics management.
Advanced business insights - Automated reports and analytics provide better decision-making tools.
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Need to Modernize without Risking your Operations?
Discover the Full Journey
Learn how we helped Velocity Motoring overcome deep legacy debt over five years - without disrupting their business. Our phased approach made all the difference.
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