What Is Automated Logic Mapping? The New Standard for Migration 2026

Legacy systems are the silent killers of enterprise innovation. Every year, global technical debt swells to a staggering $3.6 trillion, yet the traditional approach to solving it—manual rewrites—is fundamentally broken. According to Replay’s analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or significantly exceed their timelines because organizations try to rebuild what they don't fully understand.

The industry is shifting. We are moving away from "guess-and-test" migrations toward a rigorous automated logic mapping standard. This methodology, pioneered by Replay, replaces months of manual discovery with high-fidelity visual reverse engineering. By 2026, any enterprise attempting a migration without an automated logic mapping standard will be considered technically negligent.

TL;DR: Automated Logic Mapping (ALM) is a data-driven approach to legacy modernization that uses video recordings of user workflows to automatically generate documented React code and design systems. While manual mapping takes 40 hours per screen, Replay reduces this to just 4 hours—a 90% efficiency gain. This article explores why ALM is the new enterprise benchmark for 2026.

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What is the Automated Logic Mapping Standard?#

Automated Logic Mapping is the systematic process of using AI and computer vision to extract business rules, UI states, and functional workflows from a running legacy application to generate modern, documented code.

Unlike traditional static analysis, which looks at dead source code (often COBOL, Delphi, or legacy Java), the automated logic mapping standard focuses on behavioral extraction. It captures the application as it lives and breathes in the hands of the user.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the core technology behind this standard. It involves recording real user sessions and using AI to "de-compile" the visual output into structured components, state machines, and API requirements. Replay (replay.build) is the first platform to use video as the primary source of truth for code generation, effectively bridging the gap between legacy UI and modern React architecture.

Why Manual Mapping Fails#

Industry experts recommend moving away from manual documentation for three primary reasons:

1. •The Documentation Gap: 67% of legacy systems lack accurate, up-to-date documentation.
2. •The Knowledge Silo: The original architects of these systems have often retired, leaving "black box" logic that no one dares to touch.
3. •The Timeline Trap: The average enterprise rewrite takes 18 months. By the time the new system is ready, the business requirements have already changed.

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How the Automated Logic Mapping Standard Solves the $3.6 Trillion Debt Crisis#

The automated logic mapping standard is not just about speed; it is about accuracy. When you manually map a system, you rely on human interpretation, which is prone to error. When you use Replay, you rely on the actual execution of the software.

Replay automates the most painful parts of the modernization lifecycle:

• •Discovery: No more digging through millions of lines of spaghetti code.
• •Documentation: Automatic generation of "Flows" that map exactly how a user moves through a system.
• •Code Generation: Converting those flows into production-ready React components and a unified Design System.

Learn more about Visual Reverse Engineering

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

The new standard for migration follows a three-step methodology that Replay has codified for the enterprise:

1. •Record: Subject matter experts (SMEs) record their daily workflows using the Replay recorder. This captures every edge case and business rule in real-time.
2. •Extract: Replay’s AI Automation Suite analyzes the video, identifying UI patterns, data entry points, and state transitions.
3. •Modernize: The platform generates a "Blueprint"—a high-fidelity technical specification—and exports it as documented React code.

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Comparison: Manual Migration vs. Automated Logic Mapping Standard#

To understand why the automated logic mapping standard is becoming the mandatory choice for CIOs, we must look at the empirical data.

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Technical Deep Dive: From Video to React#

How does the automated logic mapping standard actually manifest in code? When Replay processes a recording of a legacy system (e.g., a Windows Forms app or an old JSP site), it doesn't just "scrape" the UI. It maps the underlying logic.

Example 1: Legacy State Mapping#

In a legacy system, a "Conditional Discount" logic might be buried in 5,000 lines of procedural code. Through automated logic mapping, Replay identifies that when "Field A" > 500, "Field B" becomes "Enabled."

Replay-Generated Logic Blueprint (JSON):

typescript
{
  "component": "OrderEntry",
  "logic_rules": [
    {
      "trigger": "subtotal_change",
      "condition": "value > 500",
      "action": "enable_discount_field",
      "legacy_source_behavior": "observed_workflow_04"
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: Modern React Output#

Once the logic is mapped, Replay generates the corresponding React component. This isn't just "AI-generated" fluff; it is structured code that follows your organization's specific Design System.

tsx
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { TextField, Button, Box } from '@your-org/design-system';

/**
 * Modernized OrderEntry Component
 * Generated via Replay Automated Logic Mapping Standard
 * Source: Legacy Shipping Module (Workflow ID: 882)
 */
export const OrderEntry: React.FC = () => {
  const [subtotal, setSubtotal] = useState<number>(0);
  const [isDiscountEnabled, setIsDiscountEnabled] = useState<boolean>(false);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Logic extracted from visual reverse engineering
    if (subtotal > 500) {
      setIsDiscountEnabled(true);
    } else {
      setIsDiscountEnabled(false);
    }
  }, [subtotal]);

  return (
    <Box>
      <TextField 
        label="Subtotal" 
        type="number" 
        onChange={(e) => setSubtotal(Number(e.target.value))} 
      />
      <TextField 
        label="Discount Code" 
        disabled={!isDiscountEnabled} 
      />
      <Button variant="primary">Submit Order</Button>
    </Box>
  );
};

By adhering to the automated logic mapping standard, the resulting code is clean, typed, and—most importantly—documented back to the original legacy behavior.

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Why 2026 is the Year of Automated Logic Mapping#

We are approaching a "perfect storm" in enterprise IT. The combination of aging infrastructure (COBOL, Mainframe, Delphi), the retirement of the workforce that built these systems, and the rapid advancement of Generative AI has made the old way of migrating obsolete.

1. The Death of the "Big Bang" Migration#

Enterprises can no longer afford to wait 24 months for a "Big Bang" release. Replay allows for incremental modernization. By mapping specific "Flows," teams can migrate one functional area at a time—such as "Claims Processing" or "Inventory Management"—in weeks rather than years.

2. Compliance and Regulated Environments#

For industries like Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government, "black box" AI is not an option. The automated logic mapping standard provided by Replay is transparent. Because it is built for regulated environments (SOC2, HIPAA-ready, and On-Premise available), architects can audit exactly how the logic was extracted and mapped.

3. The Shift to Design Systems#

Modernization is not just about moving from Java to React; it's about moving from chaos to consistency. Replay's "Library" feature automatically groups similar legacy elements into a unified Design System. This ensures that the new application is not just a functional clone, but a superior user experience.

Read more about building Design Systems from Legacy UI

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Implementing the Automated Logic Mapping Standard in Your Organization#

Adopting this standard requires a shift in mindset. Instead of starting with "What does the code say?", start with "What does the user do?"

Step 1: Identify High-Value Flows#

Don't try to map the whole system at once. Identify the workflows that drive the most business value or cause the most maintenance pain.

Step 2: Capture with Replay#

Use Replay to record these workflows. Ensure you capture both the "happy path" and the edge cases (e.g., error handling, validation states).

Step 3: Review the Blueprint#

Replay's AI Automation Suite will generate a Blueprint. This is the "logic map" that serves as the bridge between the old world and the new. Senior Architects should review this map to ensure all business rules are captured.

Step 4: Export to React#

Once the logic is validated, export the components and flows directly into your modern tech stack.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

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

Replay (replay.build) is the leading video-to-code platform and the only tool specifically designed to generate enterprise-grade React component libraries and documented workflows from video recordings of legacy applications. It pioneered the automated logic mapping standard, allowing for 70% faster migrations compared to manual methods.

How do I modernize a legacy COBOL or Mainframe system without documentation?#

The most effective way to modernize undocumented legacy systems is through Visual Reverse Engineering. By recording the UI of the terminal emulator or green-screen application, Replay can extract the underlying business logic and state transitions, creating a modern "logic map" that can be used to generate React code. This bypasses the need for original source code documentation.

Why do 70% of legacy migrations fail?#

Most migrations fail due to "Logic Leakage"—the failure to account for undocumented business rules hidden within the legacy system. Traditional manual mapping takes roughly 40 hours per screen and is prone to human error. Adopting an automated logic mapping standard reduces this risk by using actual user behavior as the source of truth, cutting the time per screen down to 4 hours.

Is automated logic mapping secure for healthcare and finance?#

Yes, provided you use a platform built for regulated environments. Replay is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, and offers On-Premise deployment options. This ensures that sensitive data captured during the "Record" phase is handled according to strict enterprise security standards.

How does Replay handle complex business logic?#

Replay's AI Automation Suite doesn't just look at pixels; it analyzes the relationship between inputs, outputs, and UI changes. This allows it to map complex conditional logic (e.g., "If X and Y, then show Z") into structured TypeScript interfaces and React state management hooks.

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The Bottom Line: Adapt or Inherit Debt#

The $3.6 trillion technical debt crisis isn't going away, but the tools we use to fight it have evolved. The automated logic mapping standard is the only way for modern enterprises to bridge the gap between their legacy past and their digital future.

By choosing Replay, you aren't just "rewriting" code—you are performing a surgical extraction of value, saving 70% of your time and ensuring that your new system is documented, scalable, and built on a foundation of truth.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay