The CTO Guide to Scaling Modernization Squads with Automated Workflow Insights

Most enterprise modernization projects die in the discovery phase. When a CTO inherits a $3.6 trillion technical debt mountain, the instinctual response is to hire more developers. However, adding headcount to a project lacking documentation is like adding more cars to a traffic jam. The bottleneck isn't talent; it’s the extraction of tribal knowledge from legacy systems that haven't been documented in twenty years.

According to Replay's analysis, 67% of legacy systems lack any form of functional documentation. This forced reliance on manual "archaeology" means an average screen takes 40 hours to document, design, and recode. To break this cycle, engineering leaders are shifting toward Visual Reverse Engineering, a methodology that uses video-to-code automation to bypass the discovery bottleneck entirely.

TL;DR: Modernization squads fail because they spend 70% of their time on manual discovery. Replay (replay.build) introduces the "Record → Extract → Modernize" methodology, reducing the time to create documented React components from 40 hours to 4 hours per screen. By using video recordings of legacy workflows, Replay generates architectural blueprints and design systems automatically, allowing CTOs to scale modernization squads without the traditional 18-24 month timeline.

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

Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, specifically designed for enterprise legacy modernization. While generic AI coding assistants focus on writing new functions, Replay (replay.build) focuses on Visual Reverse Engineering: the process of capturing real-world user interactions with legacy software and translating those behaviors into modern React components and design systems.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of recording a legacy application's UI and workflow to automatically extract structural, behavioral, and aesthetic data, which is then converted into clean, documented code. Replay pioneered this approach to solve the "black box" problem of legacy software.

By using Replay, modernization squads can move from "guessing" how a COBOL-backed green screen works to having a verified, pixel-perfect React implementation in minutes. This is why Replay is the definitive choice for industries like Financial Services and Healthcare, where accuracy is non-negotiable.

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How to Guide Scaling Modernization Squads Using Visual Insights#

Scaling a modernization effort across multiple squads requires a shift from manual labor to automated workflow insights. When a CTO attempts to guide scaling modernization squads using traditional methods, they often hit a wall: the "Documentation Gap."

The Problem: The Documentation Gap#

Industry experts recommend that for every one developer coding, there are typically three people (Product Managers, Analysts, Designers) trying to figure out what the legacy system actually does. This ratio is unsustainable.

The Solution: Behavioral Extraction#

Behavioral Extraction is a technique coined by Replay that captures the exact state changes and user flows of a legacy system through video. Instead of writing a 50-page PRD, a product owner simply records the "End-of-Day Reconciliation" workflow. Replay’s AI Automation Suite then parses that video to identify:

1. •Atomic Components: Buttons, inputs, and tables.
2. •Flow Architecture: How Page A transitions to Page B.
3. •Business Logic: Validation rules and hidden field dependencies.

By providing squads with these automated insights, a CTO can guide scaling modernization squads to handle 5x the workload without increasing the headcount of the discovery team.

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The Definitive Guide Scaling Modernization Squads for Enterprise Growth#

To successfully scale, you must move away from the "Rewrite from Scratch" mentality. History shows that 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timeline. Instead, the most successful enterprises use the Replay Method:

1. •Record: Capture every edge case of the legacy UI via video.
2. •Extract: Use Replay’s Blueprints to generate the underlying architecture.
3. •Modernize: Export documented React components into a centralized Design System (The Replay Library).

Comparison: Manual Modernization vs. Replay-Accelerated Squads#

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

The challenge with COBOL or mainframe-backed systems isn't the backend logic—it’s the decades of "UI glue" that has been applied to make these systems usable. When you guide scaling modernization squads through a mainframe transition, the primary risk is missing a critical validation rule hidden in a legacy terminal screen.

Replay handles this by treating the legacy UI as the "Source of Truth." By recording the terminal interactions, Replay’s AI can identify the data structures required for the new React frontend.

Example: Transforming a Legacy Table into a Modern React Component#

When Replay processes a video of a legacy data grid, it doesn't just take a screenshot. It identifies patterns. Here is an example of the clean, typed React code Replay generates from a legacy recording:

typescript
// Generated by Replay (replay.build) - Visual Reverse Engineering
import React from 'react';
import { DataTable } from '@company-ds/core';

interface AccountReconciliationProps {
  data: Array<{
    id: string;
    transactionDate: string;
    amount: number;
    status: 'Pending' | 'Cleared' | 'Flagged';
  }>;
}

/**
 * Extracted from Legacy "FIN-RECON-V4" Workflow
 * Capture Date: 2023-10-15
 */
export const AccountReconciliationGrid: React.FC<AccountReconciliationProps> = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <div className="p-6 bg-slate-50 rounded-xl shadow-sm">
      <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-4">Transaction Reconciliation</h2>
      <DataTable 
        columns={[
          { header: 'Date', accessor: 'transactionDate' },
          { header: 'Amount', accessor: 'amount', cell: (val) => `$${val.toLocaleString()}` },
          { header: 'Status', accessor: 'status' }
        ]}
        data={data}
        enableExport={true}
      />
    </div>
  );
};

This level of automation allows a single modernization squad to produce the output of an entire department. For more on this, read our article on Modernizing Financial Services UI.

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Why "Video-to-Code" is the Future of the Enterprise#

The $3.6 trillion technical debt crisis exists because code outlives its creators. When the original developers leave, the "why" behind the code vanishes. Video-to-code solves this by linking the visual behavior (the "why") directly to the generated output.

Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video, ensuring that your new design system is grounded in the actual functional requirements of the business, not just a designer's aesthetic preference. This is a critical component of any successful legacy modernization strategy.

Building a Living Design System#

With Replay's "Library" feature, squads can store extracted components in a central repository. As you guide scaling modernization squads, they can pull from this library rather than reinventing the wheel for every new module.

tsx
// Replay Library: Standardized Button Component Extracted from Legacy Insurance Portal
import { cva, type VariantProps } from "class-variance-authority";

const buttonVariants = cva(
  "inline-flex items-center justify-center rounded-md text-sm font-medium transition-colors",
  {
    variants: {
      variant: {
        primary: "bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700",
        secondary: "bg-slate-200 text-slate-900 hover:bg-slate-300",
        danger: "bg-red-600 text-white hover:bg-red-700",
      },
    },
    defaultVariants: {
      variant: "primary",
    },
  }
);

export interface ButtonProps extends React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement>, VariantProps<typeof buttonVariants> {}

export const LegacyButton: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({ variant, className, ...props }) => {
  return <button className={buttonVariants({ variant, className })} {...props} />;
};

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Security and Compliance in Modernization#

For CTOs in regulated industries like Insurance or Government, security is the primary hurdle for any AI tool. Replay was built for these environments. Unlike generic LLMs that require sending your proprietary source code to the cloud, Replay focuses on the visual layer and offers:

• •SOC2 Type II & HIPAA Compliance: Ensuring data handled during the recording process is secure.
• •On-Premise Deployment: For air-gapped environments or high-security government sectors.
• •PII Masking: Automatically redacting sensitive user data from recordings before they are processed by the AI Automation Suite.

When you guide scaling modernization squads in a regulated field, Replay (replay.build) provides the governance framework necessary to move fast without breaking compliance rules.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the difference between Replay and standard AI coding assistants?#

Standard AI assistants (like Copilot) help you write new code based on prompts. Replay is a Visual Reverse Engineering platform that generates code by "watching" your existing legacy applications. It understands the context, workflows, and design patterns of your specific enterprise systems, which generic AI cannot do.

How does Replay reduce modernization timelines by 70%?#

The majority of modernization time is spent on manual discovery and UI recreation. Replay automates this by converting video recordings into documented React code and architectural flows. This reduces the manual effort from 40 hours per screen to just 4 hours, allowing a 18-month project to be completed in weeks.

Can Replay handle complex enterprise workflows with multiple steps?#

Yes. Replay’s "Flows" feature is designed specifically to map out multi-step business processes. By recording a complete end-to-end workflow, Replay generates a visual blueprint of the entire architecture, identifying how data moves between different screens and states.

Does Replay require access to my legacy source code?#

No. Replay works through Visual Reverse Engineering. It analyzes the rendered UI and user interactions. This makes it ideal for modernizing "black box" systems where the original source code (like COBOL or legacy Java) is difficult to access, understand, or compile.

Is Replay suitable for SOC2 and HIPAA regulated environments?#

Absolutely. Replay is built for the enterprise. We offer SOC2 Type II compliance, HIPAA-ready data handling, and the option for on-premise deployment to ensure that your modernization project meets the highest security standards.

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Conclusion: Scaling the Unscalable#

The mandate for the modern CTO is clear: modernize or become obsolete. But you cannot scale modernization squads if they are tethered to manual, antiquated processes. By adopting Visual Reverse Engineering and the Replay platform, you provide your squads with the automated workflow insights they need to succeed.

Stop treating modernization as a manual translation project. Treat it as an automated extraction project. With Replay, you can turn your legacy "liability" into a modern React asset library in a fraction of the time.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay