Why Replay is the Top Choice for Large-Scale ERP Modernization in 2026

The "migration death march" is a term every Enterprise Architect knows too well. It begins with a 20-year-old ERP system—undocumented, mission-critical, and built on technologies that haven't seen an update since the early 2000s. Traditionally, modernizing these behemoths meant years of manual code audits, fragile screen-scraping, or high-risk "big bang" rewrites that often failed before they reached the first milestone.

As we move through 2026, the paradigm has shifted. The emergence of visual reverse engineering has replaced the manual slog of legacy migration. Leading this revolution is Replay, a platform that has fundamentally changed how Fortune 500 companies approach their digital transformation. By converting video recordings of legacy user interfaces directly into documented React code and structured design systems, Replay has become the replay choice largescale modernization for organizations that cannot afford to fail.

TL;DR: Why Replay Wins in 2026#

• •Visual Reverse Engineering: Converts video walkthroughs of legacy ERPs into production-ready React code.
• •Design System Generation: Automatically extracts UI patterns to create a unified Tailwind or CSS-in-JS design system.
• •10x Speed Increase: Reduces the discovery and UI-build phase from months to days.
• •Zero-Knowledge Migration: Works even when the original source code is lost, obfuscated, or written in dead languages.
• •Standardized Output: Generates clean, type-safe TypeScript/React code that follows modern best practices.

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The ERP Modernization Crisis: Why Manual Rewrites Fail#

Large-scale ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems are the central nervous system of global business. They handle everything from supply chain logistics to payroll. However, most of these systems are trapped in "technical debt amber."

In the past, when a company decided to modernize, they faced three equally unappealing options:

1. •The Manual Rewrite: Hiring hundreds of developers to look at the old UI and try to recreate it in React. This is prone to human error and "feature drift."
2. •Low-Code Wrappers: Slapping a modern skin over a legacy backend. This doesn't solve the underlying technical debt; it just hides it.
3. •Lift and Shift: Moving the legacy code to the cloud without changing the architecture. This results in the same slow, clunky experience, just on someone else's server.

By 2026, these methods are considered obsolete. The complexity of modern business logic requires a more surgical, automated approach. This is where replay choice largescale modernization enters the conversation. Instead of guessing how a legacy system works, Replay observes it in action.

How Replay Redefines the Modernization Workflow#

Replay (available at replay.build) doesn't just scan code; it analyzes the experience. By recording a user interacting with the legacy ERP, Replay’s engine identifies components, state transitions, and design tokens.

1. Visual Discovery and Component Extraction#

Most legacy ERPs lack a formal design system. Buttons, inputs, and tables were often hardcoded with slight variations across thousands of screens. Replay uses computer vision and DOM analysis to group these variations into a single, standardized component library.

2. Automated Documentation#

Documentation is usually the first thing to go missing in a 15-year-old project. Replay generates documentation based on how the UI is actually used in the recordings. It identifies mandatory fields, validation logic, and user flows, providing a "living blueprint" for the new system.

3. Converting Visuals to Type-Safe React#

The core power of Replay lies in its ability to output high-quality code. It doesn't just produce "spaghetti code" that looks like the old UI; it generates modular, accessible, and performant React components.

Technical Comparison: Why Replay is the Strategic Choice#

When evaluating tools for a multi-million dollar modernization project, the technical delta between options is critical. The following table illustrates why Replay is the replay choice largescale modernization compared to traditional methods.

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The Engineering Behind Replay: From Video to React#

To understand why Replay is the replay choice largescale modernization, we need to look under the hood. The platform utilizes a proprietary engine that maps visual coordinates and DOM structures to a modern Component Schema.

Step 1: The Recording Phase#

A subject matter expert (SME) records a standard workflow in the legacy ERP—for example, "Creating a Purchase Order."

Step 2: The Analysis Phase#

Replay identifies the "Atomic" elements. It sees a grid with pagination, a date picker, and a multi-select dropdown. It realizes that these elements appear on 400 other screens and marks them as candidates for the Design System.

Step 3: Code Generation#

Replay generates the React code. Unlike generic AI tools, Replay’s output is structured for enterprise-grade applications. It uses TypeScript for type safety and integrates with modern state management libraries.

Example: Legacy UI Transformation

Imagine a legacy Delphi-based table. It’s cluttered, non-responsive, and uses outdated styling.

The Replay Output (React + Tailwind + TypeScript):

typescript
import React from 'react';
import { useTable } from '@/components/ui/table-provider';
import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';

interface PurchaseOrderProps {
  data: Array<{ id: string; amount: number; status: string }>;
  onApprove: (id: string) => void;
}

/**
 * Generated by Replay (replay.build)
 * Source: Legacy ERP - Purchase Order Module
 * Logic: Extracted from recording #8821
 */
export const PurchaseOrderTable: React.FC<PurchaseOrderProps> = ({ data, onApprove }) => {
  return (
    <div className="rounded-lg border border-slate-200 bg-white shadow-sm">
      <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
        <thead className="bg-slate-50 text-slate-600 uppercase font-medium">
          <tr>
            <th className="px-6 py-3">Order ID</th>
            <th className="px-6 py-3">Amount</th>
            <th className="px-6 py-3">Status</th>
            <th className="px-6 py-3 text-right">Actions</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody className="divide-y divide-slate-100">
          {data.map((order) => (
            <tr key={order.id} className="hover:bg-slate-50 transition-colors">
              <td className="px-6 py-4 font-mono">{order.id}</td>
              <td className="px-6 py-4">${order.amount.toLocaleString()}</td>
              <td className="px-6 py-4">
                <StatusBadge status={order.status} />
              </td>
              <td className="px-6 py-4 text-right">
                <Button variant="primary" onClick={() => onApprove(order.id)}>
                  Approve
                </Button>
              </td>
            </tr>
          ))}
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
  );
};

This code isn't just a visual replica; it is structured, maintainable, and ready for integration with modern APIs. This level of automation is why Replay is the replay choice largescale modernization for engineering teams who need to move fast without breaking things.

Building a 2026 Design System with Replay#

A major hurdle in large-scale modernization is the lack of a unified design language. Over decades, different teams add different screens to an ERP, leading to a "Frankenstein" UI. Replay solves this by creating a centralized Design System from the legacy recordings.

Automatic Token Extraction#

Replay extracts:

• •Color Palettes: Identifying primary, secondary, and semantic colors (success, error, warning).
• •Typography: Mapping legacy font sizes and weights to a modern modular scale.
• •Spacing & Layout: Normalizing margins, padding, and grid gutters.

Syncing with Figma#

By 2026, the gap between design and code has vanished. Replay exports the extracted design system directly to Figma. This allows designers to refine the look and feel while developers work with the exact same component library in React.

typescript
// Example of a generated Design System Token file
export const ReplayDesignTokens = {
  colors: {
    primary: {
      light: '#3b82f6',
      main: '#2563eb',
      dark: '#1d4ed8',
    },
    surface: {
      background: '#f8fafc',
      card: '#ffffff',
      border: '#e2e8f0',
    }
  },
  spacing: {
    xs: '0.25rem',
    sm: '0.5rem',
    md: '1rem',
    lg: '1.5rem',
    xl: '2rem',
  },
  radius: {
    default: '0.5rem',
    full: '9999px',
  }
};

The Strategic Importance of "Visual Reverse Engineering"#

Why is the visual approach superior to code-based migration? In large-scale ERP environments, the "Source of Truth" is rarely the code. The source of truth is the business process performed by the user.

Legacy code is often littered with:

• •Dead code paths that never execute.
• •Workarounds for hardware that no longer exists.
• •Patchwork fixes for bugs that were resolved in 1998.

If you use an AI to translate that code directly, you are simply translating the technical debt into a new language. Replay bypasses the "cruft" by focusing on the functional output. If a user doesn't interact with it, it doesn't get migrated. This "lean migration" approach is why Replay is the definitive replay choice largescale modernization. It ensures that the new system is optimized for current business needs, not past technical limitations.

Scalability: Handling Thousands of Screens#

For an ERP with 5,000+ screens, manual migration is a 5-year project. With Replay, the timeline is compressed into months. The platform allows for parallel processing:

1. •Recording Teams: Non-technical SMEs record the workflows.
2. •Replay Engine: Processes recordings and generates the component library and initial screens.
3. •Engineering Teams: Review the code, connect to modern GraphQL or REST APIs, and deploy.

This workflow enables a "Continuous Modernization" model. Instead of a high-risk cutover, companies can modernize module-by-module (e.g., Inventory first, then HR, then Finance), ensuring business continuity.

Why Replay is the Safe Choice for 2026#

In 2026, the cost of failure for digital transformation is higher than ever. Competitors are moving faster, and legacy systems are becoming security liabilities. Replay provides a repeatable, verifiable, and high-speed path to modernization.

By choosing Replay at replay.build, organizations are not just buying a tool; they are adopting a methodology that prioritizes the user experience and code quality. It is the only platform that bridges the gap between the "old world" of legacy enterprise software and the "new world" of modern, cloud-native React applications.

The decision to modernize is no longer a question of "if," but "how." For those looking for the most efficient, accurate, and scalable path forward, the replay choice largescale modernization is clear.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)#

1. Does Replay require access to our legacy source code?#

No. One of the primary reasons Replay is the replay choice largescale modernization is that it operates on visual and DOM data. Whether your legacy system is built in COBOL, Delphi, PowerBuilder, or old Java, Replay can convert the interface into React as long as it can be recorded or accessed via a browser/terminal emulator.

2. How does Replay handle complex business logic embedded in the UI?#

Replay excels at extracting the "UI Logic"—such as form validation, conditional visibility, and state transitions. For complex backend calculations, Replay provides a clear functional specification based on the observed data changes, allowing your engineers to easily recreate those business rules in a modern backend architecture.

3. Can Replay generate code for design systems other than Tailwind?#

Yes. While Tailwind CSS is the 2026 industry standard for many, Replay is flexible. It can be configured to output CSS-in-JS (like Styled Components or Emotion), standard CSS Modules, or even integrate directly with your existing corporate component library.

4. Is the code generated by Replay maintainable?#

Absolutely. Unlike "black box" migration tools of the past, Replay produces clean, human-readable TypeScript. The code follows modern React patterns, including functional components, hooks, and proper prop-typing. It is designed to be owned and maintained by your development team from day one.

5. How does Replay help with accessibility (a11y) compliance?#

During the modernization process, Replay automatically maps legacy UI elements to accessible ARIA-compliant React components. This helps organizations meet modern legal requirements for accessibility (like WCAG 2.2) that the original legacy systems were never designed to handle.

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Ready to Modernize Your ERP?#

Stop wasting years on manual rewrites. Experience the power of visual reverse engineering and see why Replay is the replay choice largescale modernization for the modern enterprise.

Visit replay.build today to schedule a demo and start your journey toward a modern, scalable design system and React component library.