The initial solution was to migrate the existing systems from the old mainframe to a server platform - a long, complex, and resource-intensive process with multiple challenges along the way. However, this was just the first step on the modernization journey aimed at transforming TAKS into a contemporary public institution. Despite the migration, the systems remained built on outdated code and 1980s-era programming, which was unable to support future digital needs and requirements.
Therefore, TAKS began exploring modernization possibilities, and during this investigative phase, the authority, through its sister organization Gjaldstovan, became aware of the low-code tool OutSystems:
- There had been a larger session at Gjaldstovan, equivalent to the Danish Agency for Public Finance and Management, where they had been looking at similar development tools, and they had chosen OutSystems. So when we later asked a consultant to look into which development tools might be relevant for us, it was therefore a requirement that OutSystems be included in the selection, explains Ann Damgaard.
Based on the prior modernization process and the subsequent research phase, NNIT and TAKS initiated a collaboration in 2021 together with two local Faroese companies, Formula and Elektron, with the aim not only to modernize the existing systems but also to modernize workflows and give TAKS a digital makeover.
After four decades with the same tax system, it was a major task that the new partnership faced - and still faces. But with new external forces on the team and with OutSystems as a tool, the development and modernization of TAKS' aging legacy systems have been set in motion.
Where in the 1980s all citizen-directed information and data had to be sent on paper, the vast majority of TAKS’ work today is digital. Therefore, it is also important that the systems support employees’ digital behavior and facilitate the daily workflows that are the norm today:
- In this process, we are 100 percent focused on the employees - it is them this is all about. And in the end, one can also say that the easier it becomes for the employees, the easier it becomes to serve citizens and businesses. With our modernized core system, we can to a much greater extent support daily workflows and make case processing easier, says Ann Damgaard.
An agile low-code tool
TAKS is far from the only one currently facing the challenge of modernizing old, heavy systems. Digital transformation is on everyone’s lips, and it is important to continuously maintain systems to avoid being left with a burdensome legacy inheritance.
With OutSystems’ low-code technology, it is possible to both build entirely new architecture and renovate the existing one. The system, which consists of a series of standardized digital building blocks in the form of templates and modules, can be used both for modernization, as at TAKS, or for building entirely new systems, as at Gjaldstovan, which corresponds to the Danish Agency for Public Finance and Management.
The platform is agile and user-friendly and does not require specialized IT skills but can be used by all IT-competent employees. All in all, a tool where there is a short path from idea to results.
Three tips from TAKS for companies considering OutSystems
1. Consider how your project should be structured and what it should be able to do. OutSystems, with its accessible user interface and setup, is ideal for full-stack development, while it requires a bit more effort if development on other development platforms is also needed.
2. Have a reliable partner who understands OutSystems and can ensure that you make full use of the tool and build a meaningful architecture.
3. Do not be afraid to involve people without a development background. OutSystems is an intuitive tool that anyone with an interest in the field can learn and build competencies in - and that is an advantage in a market where it can be difficult to find system developers.
Get started on your own modernization
Do you also have an old legacy system that needs a digital upgrade? Contact us today so that together we can identify your challenges and find a solution that gives your existing systems a boost and makes them fit for the present.
