Mazda faced a 2025 digital cliff because the Java framework it had used for the past 10-years was reaching "end-of-life." With 500 legacy systems to migrate—and an anticipated multi-million redevelopment cost —Mazda went in search of a modern application platform to transform its app dev approach.
In 2018 Mazda adopted OutSystems and has since redeveloped multiple applications. 与OutSystems, Mazda has seen a fourfold increase in developer productivity and now expects to save 数百万 of dollars while completing its IT migration ahead of schedule.
“OutSystems, we're replacing an enormous number of legacy systems while reducing the cost of development across the board. We're also making business operations more 非常高效。 by providing mobile support for a wide range of applications."
Mazda Motor Corporation recently celebrated its 100-years anniversary, selling nearly 1.5 million vehicles in the year ended March 2020. Mazda is justly proud of its engineering strength and design-focused products, 但是回到2016年, its IT department needed to escape from a burning platform.
"We called this as our "2025 Digital Cliff,品川诚一说, Technical Leader IT Department at Mazda Motor Corporation. “在过去的十年里, we'd relied heavily on the Java 平台 SE version 8, for most in-house application development. 对该法案的支持将于2025年到期. We had around 500 legacy systems to migrate to a new technology stack, and that looked impossible."
Mazda knew that it would take an army of developers and cost many (数百万 of dollars) to migrate all the applications in time unless they could dramatically improve their app dev efficiency.
此外, their software engineers found it difficult to keep up with the demand for new features with their current development tools. Plus, it was hard to provide users with modern, mobile-friendly experiences that would raise productivity.
Mazda started looking for a new IT framework. 在考虑了各种选择之后, including general development frameworks, 代码生成器, 和low-code工具, Mazda settled on OutSystems as its modern application platform.
Full-stack visual development with no limits
Speed-up development and improve agility
交付web和移动应用程序Given the mammoth development backlog and Mazda's engineering excellence culture, IT团队决定仔细计划, rather than rushing headlong into development. They wanted to ensure they had strong foundations to ensure consistent, 非常高效。, and high-quality software engineering in the future.
"We aimed to use OutSystems for core systems across Mazda, so before starting a wide-scale roll-out, we needed to prepare an environment for repeatable success,品川说:“. “这包括 接口 与现有的系统，一个框架 授权和安全, and modular software architecture standards."
Most of 2018 was spent setting up this environment, but the investment has paid back ever since. "Our standards enable a consistent level of productivity and quality across projects,品川说:“.
Simultaneously, Mazda set up an in-house OutSystems卓越中心 (CoE), a central team of OutSystems experts that provides governed standards and best 实践 to developers.
"The CoE regularly provides one-week lean startup workshops, 构建UI屏幕, and processes directly with business representatives. The goal is to clearly understand requirements by prototyping on OutSystems. The users greatly appreciate this approach."
While Mazda established its development standards and COE, they intentionally kept development projects to a minimum. But during 2019, adoption started to accelerate. Functions were now being implemented on the same level as they had been on the Java framework, and the development team started using OutSystems to replace its legacy Java applications.
Users liked the speed and agility of development and the much-improved 用户体验 关于这些新应用程序. In the second half of 2019, the number of OutSystems projects grew rapidly. The team delivered various applications, including core systems used for car manufacturing and distribution, back-office systems used by employees for internal processes, and systems for managers' daily work logs.
“We've seen a significant increase in development efficiency. We deliver simple applications up to five times faster and more complex apps around two-times faster. The quality of software delivery has improved as well. We've had no bugs attributable to problems with the platform itself.”
"We are increasingly using OutSystems to 替换遗留系统包括那些与旧建筑 .NET Framework and others built using COBOL,品川说:“. "The new apps have increased operational efficiency, thanks to the improved user experience and mobile device support, and we're getting high-praise from users on the front line."
OutSystems Development ramped up rapidly in late 2019. By 2020, Mazda had taken the strategic decision to drive broad adoption of OutSystems as the standard modern application platform for future development.
As part of its strategy to avoid the "2025 digital cliff," Mazda is increasing the proportion of software developed in-house by widening its developer pool. "The goal is to regain skills that we lost due to widespread IT outsourcing, and the OutSystems visual approach to development makes this easier as well,”品川解释说.
"OutSystems is now our standard application development approach,品川说:“. ”,最终, we want every member of the IT department to learn at least some development techniques with OutSystems."
The team has been pleasantly surprised at the rapid learning curve for new OutSystems 开发人员. “博鱼体育官网免费使用两周 自学的学习路径 由OutSystems, followed by several days of Mazda specific training to embed our in-house rules and methods. We've found that even IT staff that have never programmed before can easily learn to develop a basic application in a week. So, the cost of training is low,品川说:“.
Mazda has been impressed by the versatility of the OutSystems platform. “与传统的编程方式相比, we've found we can build almost everything we need using OutSystems,品川说:“.
Mazda is now rapidly working to end its reliance on legacy systems, retiring those that are no longer needed and extending the lives of others with the help of OutSystems. The company is using OutSystems both to 替换遗留系统 and create new, 创新应用. The company expects to reduce its legacy migration cost by two-thirds to three-quarters—a multi-million dollar saving.
Shinagawa says that the company wants "to continue rolling-out OutSystems, using it to replace the enormous number of legacy systems and reduce development costs across the board. We also want to use it to improve the efficiency of business operations, especially by providing mobile support for a wide range of applications."
他继续说, “在马自达, we see visual development as an important pillar of system development, 与传统的编程. We look forward to seeing OutSystems continue to evolve as a platform that dramatically improves the productivity and speed of software development."
