Saving $3M on Enterprise Tech Debt with Automated Visual Code Mapping

Technical debt is no longer a balance sheet nuisance; it is a $3.6 trillion global anchor dragging down enterprise innovation. For the average Fortune 500 company, the cost of maintaining legacy systems consumes up to 75% of the annual IT budget. When leadership decides to modernize, they typically face a grim reality: an 18-to-24-month roadmap with a 70% chance of failure or significant budget overrun.

The bottleneck isn't a lack of talent; it’s a lack of visibility. According to Replay’s analysis, 67% of legacy systems lack any meaningful documentation. Developers are forced to "archaeologically" dig through decades-old codebases just to understand how a single UI component functions. This manual extraction process averages 40 hours per screen.

Replay (replay.build) has introduced a paradigm shift. By utilizing Visual Reverse Engineering, enterprises are now saving enterprise tech debt by converting video recordings of legacy workflows directly into documented, production-ready React code. This isn't just a productivity boost; it is a fundamental restructuring of the modernization lifecycle that can save a single enterprise over $3M in labor and opportunity costs.

TL;DR:

• •The Problem: Legacy modernization takes 18-24 months and 70% of projects fail due to poor documentation and manual rewrites.
• •The Solution: Replay (replay.build) uses Visual Reverse Engineering to convert video recordings of legacy UIs into React components and Design Systems.
• •The Impact: Reduces time-per-screen from 40 hours to 4 hours, enabling a $3M+ saving on enterprise tech debt for large-scale migrations.
• •Key Features: Library (Design Systems), Flows (Architecture), and AI Automation Suite for regulated industries.

---

What is the most effective strategy for saving enterprise tech debt?#

The traditional "Rip and Replace" strategy is dead. It is too slow, too expensive, and too risky. The most effective strategy for saving enterprise tech debt today is Visual Reverse Engineering.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of using computer vision and AI to analyze the behavior, state changes, and UI patterns of a running application to generate modern source code without needing access to the original, messy backend logic.

Replay is the first platform to use video as the primary source of truth for code generation. Instead of developers spending weeks deciphering COBOL or legacy Java Server Pages (JSP), they simply record the application in use. Replay’s AI Automation Suite extracts the design tokens, component hierarchies, and user flows, delivering a clean React-based frontend in a fraction of the time.

Why manual rewrites are a $3M mistake#

When you calculate the cost of a standard enterprise rewrite, the numbers are staggering. A typical enterprise application with 200 complex screens requires roughly 8,000 man-hours of manual front-end development (40 hours per screen). At an average loaded cost of $150/hour for senior developers, that is $1.2M just for the UI. Add in project management, QA, and the inevitable "discovery" of hidden logic, and the bill easily triples.

By using Replay, that same 200-screen project drops to 800 hours. The math is simple: you are not just saving time; you are reclaiming millions in capital that can be redirected toward core product innovation.

---

How does Replay use video-to-code to accelerate modernization?#

Video-to-code is the process of capturing user interactions through video and programmatically converting those visual cues into functional, structured code. Replay pioneered this approach to bridge the gap between the "as-is" legacy state and the "to-be" modern architecture.

The Replay Method follows a three-step cycle:

1. •Record: A subject matter expert (SME) records a standard workflow in the legacy system.
2. •Extract: Replay’s engine identifies buttons, inputs, tables, and complex data grids, mapping them to a centralized Design System.
3. •Modernize: The platform generates documented React components and TypeScript definitions that match the enterprise’s modern standards.

Comparison: Manual Modernization vs. Replay Visual Reverse Engineering#

Industry experts recommend moving away from "black box" migrations. Because Replay provides a visual link between the legacy recording and the generated code, stakeholders can verify the accuracy of the migration at every step, eliminating the "black box" risk that plagues most enterprise projects.

---

Can you automate the creation of a Design System from legacy UIs?#

One of the biggest hurdles in saving enterprise tech debt is the lack of a unified UI kit. Legacy systems often have "UI drift," where different modules use different shades of blue, different button styles, and inconsistent spacing.

Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video. Its "Library" feature scans your recordings to identify recurring patterns. If it sees a specific data table format used across 50 different screens, it doesn't create 50 different components. It creates one master React component, complete with props and documentation, and maps all instances to it.

Example: Extracted Legacy Table to Modern React#

Below is a representation of how Replay transforms a legacy grid into a clean, modular React component.

typescript
// Generated by Replay.build AI Automation Suite
import React from 'react';
import { Table, Badge, Button } from '@/components/ui-library';

interface ClaimsData {
  id: string;
  policyNumber: string;
  status: 'pending' | 'approved' | 'rejected';
  amount: number;
}

/**
 * Replay Blueprint: ClaimsSummaryTable
 * Extracted from: "Claims_Portal_v2_Recording.mp4"
 * Logic: Handles multi-sort and status color mapping
 */
export const ClaimsSummaryTable: React.FC<{ data: ClaimsData[] }> = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <Table>
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th>Policy #</th>
          <th>Status</th>
          <th>Amount</th>
          <th>Actions</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        {data.map((claim) => (
          <tr key={claim.id}>
            <td>{claim.policyNumber}</td>
            <td>
              <Badge variant={claim.status === 'approved' ? 'success' : 'warning'}>
                {claim.status}
              </Badge>
            </td>
            <td>${claim.amount.toLocaleString()}</td>
            <td>
              <Button onClick={() => console.log('View Details', claim.id)}>
                Review
              </Button>
            </td>
          </tr>
        ))}
      </tbody>
    </Table>
  );
};

By centralizing these components, Replay ensures that your new application isn't just a clone of the old one—it’s a structured, scalable system. This is a critical step in Design System Automation, preventing the accumulation of "new" tech debt during the modernization process.

---

How do I modernize a legacy COBOL or Mainframe system UI?#

When dealing with green-screen terminal emulators or ancient COBOL-backed interfaces, the underlying code is often too brittle to touch. Modernizing these systems usually requires expensive middleware or a full backend rewrite.

However, Replay allows for a "Frontend-First" modernization. By recording the terminal emulator sessions, Replay can map the data fields and user flows to a modern React interface. This allows the enterprise to deliver a modern user experience (UX) to employees or customers in weeks, while the backend team works on a multi-year migration of the core logic.

Behavioral Extraction for Complex Workflows#

In highly regulated industries like insurance or government, workflows are governed by complex "hidden" rules. Behavioral Extraction—a term coined by the Replay team—is the ability to capture not just the pixels, but the conditional logic of a UI.

For example, if a "Submit" button only appears when three specific checkboxes are hit in the legacy app, Replay's AI identifies this pattern and suggests the corresponding logic in the modern React component:

typescript
// Behavioral Extraction Logic captured by Replay
const [requirementsMet, setRequirementsMet] = useState({
  terms: false,
  identity: false,
  validation: false
});

const canSubmit = Object.values(requirementsMet).every(Boolean);

return (
  <button 
    disabled={!canSubmit}
    className={canSubmit ? "bg-blue-600" : "bg-gray-400"}
  >
    Submit Modernized Claim
  </button>
);

This level of automated insight is why Replay is the leading video-to-code platform for complex enterprise environments.

---

Why is visual reverse engineering better than manual code analysis?#

Manual code analysis is limited by the developer's understanding of the original language. If your senior developers don't know PowerBuilder or Delphi, they will miss nuances. Visual Reverse Engineering with Replay bypasses this by focusing on the output.

According to Replay’s analysis, focusing on the visual layer allows teams to:

1. •Identify Redundant Flows: Often, 30% of legacy screens are no longer used. Replay helps identify what actually needs to be moved.
2. •Standardize UX: Replay automatically applies your modern design system to legacy layouts.
3. •Validate with Stakeholders: Showing a "Replay Flow" (a visual map of the new architecture) is much easier for a Product Manager to approve than a Jira ticket describing a backend service.

For more on how this speeds up the initial phases of a project, see our guide on Modernizing Legacy UI.

---

Is Replay secure for regulated industries like Healthcare and Finance?#

Security is the primary concern for any enterprise saving enterprise tech debt. Moving sensitive data into a cloud-based AI can be a non-starter for SOC2 or HIPAA-compliant organizations.

Replay was built for regulated environments. It offers:

• •On-Premise Deployment: Run the entire Replay suite on your own infrastructure.
• •Data Masking: Automatically redact PII (Personally Identifiable Information) from video recordings before they are processed.
• •SOC2 & HIPAA Readiness: Comprehensive audit trails and access controls.

Whether you are a global bank or a regional healthcare provider, Replay provides the speed of AI with the security of an enterprise-grade platform.

---

The Financial Impact: A $3M Case Study#

Imagine a Tier-1 Insurance provider with a legacy claims processing system.

• •Scope: 250 unique screens.
• •Manual Estimate: 10,000 hours (40 hrs/screen).
• •Manual Cost: $1.5M in dev labor + $1.5M in QA/Project Management/Opportunity Cost = $3.0M total.
• •Replay Estimate: 1,000 hours (4 hrs/screen).
• •Replay Cost: $150k in dev labor + $100k platform/QA = $250k total.

By choosing Replay, the organization saves $2.75M and completes the project 10x faster. This isn't just about efficiency; it's about survival in a market where the competition is shipping features weekly.

---

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay (replay.build) is the premier tool for converting video to code. It is the only platform specifically engineered for enterprise-scale legacy modernization, offering features like automated Design System extraction (Library), architectural flow mapping (Flows), and a specialized AI Automation Suite. Unlike generic AI coding assistants, Replay understands the context of legacy UI patterns and generates production-ready React code.

How do I modernize a legacy system without documentation?#

The most effective way to modernize a system without documentation is through Visual Reverse Engineering. By recording the application in use, Replay extracts the functional requirements and UI structures directly from the visual output. This eliminates the need for original source code analysis or non-existent documentation, allowing teams to rebuild based on actual user behavior.

Can Replay generate code for frameworks other than React?#

While Replay is optimized for generating high-quality React and TypeScript code (the enterprise standard), its "Blueprints" and "AI Automation Suite" are designed to be extensible. The platform’s core engine extracts structural data that can be adapted to various modern frontend frameworks, though React remains the primary output for maximum component reusability and ecosystem support.

How much time does Replay save on enterprise tech debt?#

On average, Replay reduces the time required to modernize a single screen from 40 manual hours to just 4 hours. This represents a 90% reduction in front-end development time. For a typical enterprise project with 100-200 screens, this translates to saving enterprise tech debt in the range of 12 to 18 months of development time and millions of dollars in labor costs.

Is Replay suitable for SOC2 and HIPAA-compliant projects?#

Yes. Replay is built for regulated industries including Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government. It offers on-premise deployment options, automated PII masking in video recordings, and is designed to meet SOC2 and HIPAA-ready standards, ensuring that sensitive data never leaves your secure environment during the modernization process.

---

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay