CASE STUDY · HEALTHCARE
Modernizing core technology without stopping feature delivery.
Anthem needed to renew core technology approaching obsolescence while its engineering team continued developing new features. The migration also needed continuous validation to protect the integrity of the system throughout the process.
The challenge
Modernization could not put ongoing development on hold.
Anthem’s core technology needed to be renewed before obsolescence became a larger constraint. At the same time, the engineering team still had product work to deliver.
The challenge was to complete the technology migration efficiently while allowing feature development to continue and validating that the system remained functional throughout the transition.
The operating need
Keep two priorities moving at the same time.
Modernizing the core technology was only one part of the work. Anthem also needed to maintain progress on additional features rather than treating modernization as a separate initiative that stopped product development.
That made continuous validation an important part of the migration. Changes to the underlying technology needed to be tested throughout the process rather than waiting until the migration was complete.
The goal was straightforward: renew the foundation while keeping development moving and validating the system along the way.
The approach
Move the migration forward while validating each stage.
Over the course of a year-long collaboration, Scio worked with Anthem on the migration of its core technology while automation tests ran throughout the process.
The approach combined the technology migration with continuous automated validation, allowing the team to check system functionality as the work progressed rather than treating testing as a final step. The existing case study also identifies cost efficiency and collaborative execution as important parts of the approach.
Meanwhile, Anthem’s engineering team continued developing additional features, allowing modernization and ongoing product work to progress in parallel.
What changed in the workflow
Modernization and ongoing delivery moved together.
Instead of treating the migration, feature development, and validation as isolated activities, the work progressed in parallel throughout the modernization effort.
Core technology migration
The underlying technology was renewed through a planned migration designed to address a core platform that was approaching obsolescence.
Ongoing feature development
Anthem’s engineering team continued developing additional features while the migration was underway, avoiding the need to stop ongoing product development for the modernization effort.
Continuous automated validation
Automation tests ran throughout the migration to validate system functionality at each stage of the transition.
The outcome
A renewed technology foundation without putting product work on pause.
Anthem completed the renewal of its core technology while ongoing feature development continued. Automated testing provided continuous validation throughout the migration, helping confirm that the system continued to meet the required standards as the work progressed.
The existing case study also reports that the cost-efficient approach resulted in cost savings for Anthem, although no quantitative amount or percentage is provided.
Core technology renewed
Anthem completed the migration of its core technology without disrupting ongoing feature development.
Continuous validation
Automation testing was integrated throughout the migration, validating system functionality at each stage rather than only after completion.
A cost-efficient approach
The case study reports that the approach contributed to cost savings while supporting the successful completion of the migration.
Modernization does not always have to compete with the roadmap.
For Anthem, renewing core technology, continuing feature development, and validating the system were handled as parallel priorities rather than sequential ones.
That is the idea I would emphasize visually here: the platform can change while product work continues around it.
Have a similar challenge?
Modernization should make future change easier, not put current priorities on hold.
Tell us what needs to change, what needs to keep moving, and where your team needs additional engineering support.