Description

A focused course, tailored for you

Building a Legacy Mainframe Modernisation Programme (Assessment + Refactor + Replatform + Replace + Strangler)

Build the mainframe modernisation programme in 12 weeks. Assessment + AI-assisted code analysis + replatform vs refactor decision + strangler pattern + executive engagement.

Major banks, insurers, and federal agencies still run business-critical workloads on mainframes. AI-assisted code analysis (GitHub Copilot mainframe support, AWS Q for COBOL, IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z) finally made modernisation tractable. Consulting managers who can ship the modernisation programme take the senior work. Here is the 12-week build.

$199 one-time

Tailored to your situation. Access within 24 hours. 30-day money-back.

Includes a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access, generated for your specific situation.

Why this course

Mainframe modernisation became feasible at scale in 2024-2026 because AI-assisted code analysis can now read COBOL, PL/I, JCL, REXX, and Natural at production-grade accuracy. Major banks (the firm, Wells Fargo, BofA, Citi all running active programmes), insurers, and federal agencies (Treasury, IRS, VA) are all in active modernisation. They need consulting partners who can ship the integrated programme.

Consulting managers that can ship the mainframe modernisation programme take the senior work and the recurring revenue (5-10 year programmes are common). Managers who only ship pieces of modernisation lose to firms that ship the full programme.

This course teaches the 12-week build of a shippable mainframe modernisation programme: portfolio assessment with AI-assisted code analysis, modernisation-strategy decision framework (refactor vs replatform vs replace vs strangler), AI-augmented migration patterns, regulatory engagement, talent and operating model, and the executive engagement. Twelve modules with deliverables. Plus a hand-built implementation playbook for your specific client engagement profile.

What you walk away with

A documented mainframe portfolio assessment methodology.
An AI-assisted code analysis framework.
A modernisation strategy decision framework.
A refactor + replatform + replace + strangler pattern library.
A regulatory engagement framework.
A talent and operating model for multi-year programmes.
An executive engagement model.
A 12-week build plan.

The 12 modules

Module 1. Mainframe modernisation landscape 2026

Detailed walkthrough of mainframe modernisation drivers: cost (mainframe TCO, licence costs), talent (COBOL programmer retirement), agility (cloud-native delivery cadence), regulatory (CCAR, BCBS 239, FedRAMP for federal). AI-assisted code analysis state-of-art (GitHub Copilot, AWS Q for COBOL, IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z, EnterpriseDB Postgres for legacy data, Micro Focus). Peer-firm modernisation programme status.

Module 2. Mainframe portfolio assessment

Build the portfolio assessment methodology: application-by-application criticality scoring, technical-debt assessment, business-value assessment, modernisation-feasibility scoring, dependency mapping (data, batch jobs, downstream systems), and the prioritisation matrix. Three assessment patterns from peer engagements.

Module 3. AI-assisted code analysis framework

Build the AI-assisted code analysis framework: COBOL parsing and modernisation (IBM watsonx, AWS Q, GitHub Copilot, Micro Focus AMC), PL/I + JCL + REXX analysis, business-rule extraction, data-flow analysis, dead-code identification, and the human-in-loop validation. The framework that makes COBOL modernisation tractable.

Module 4. Modernisation strategy decision framework

Build the decision framework: rehost (lift-and-shift to cloud mainframe-emulation), refactor (translate COBOL to Java/C# while preserving function), replatform (rebuild on modern stack), replace (commercial-package adoption), strangler (incremental decommission), retire (functionality elimination). When each fits. Three decision patterns from peer engagements.

Module 5. Refactor patterns

Build the refactor patterns: COBOL-to-Java refactoring (Micro Focus Enterprise Server, AWS Mainframe Modernization, BMC AMI Cloud), COBOL-to-C# refactoring, AI-assisted translation quality control, business-logic preservation, regression-testing approach, and the cutover strategy. Three refactor patterns from peer engagements.

Module 6. Replatform and replace patterns

Build the replatform and replace patterns: cloud-native rebuild patterns, commercial-package adoption (FIS, Jack Henry, Fiserv for banking; Guidewire, Duck Creek for insurance; commercial federal systems), partner-vendor evaluation, and the integration with existing platforms. Three patterns from peer engagements.

Module 7. Strangler pattern implementation

Build the strangler pattern implementation: facade layer architecture, incremental decommission, dual-write patterns, traffic-cutover model, rollback patterns, and the multi-year roadmap. The pattern that lets you modernise without big-bang risk.

Module 8. Data migration architecture

Build the data migration architecture: VSAM to relational migration patterns, DB2 to PostgreSQL or cloud-data-warehouse, IMS migration, batch-job conversion to event-driven, and the integration with downstream consumers. Data migration is where modernisation programmes succeed or fail.

Module 9. Regulatory engagement framework

Build the regulatory engagement framework: BCBS 239 lineage preservation during modernisation, CCAR data continuity, OCC Heightened Standards model risk under modernisation, FedRAMP and ATO for federal modernisation, and the supervisor pre-engagement protocol. The framework that protects regulatory posture during multi-year programmes.

Module 10. Talent and operating model

Build the talent and operating model: roles (mainframe SMEs, modernisation engineers, AI-assisted-tooling specialists, modern-stack engineers, regulatory SMEs), staffing model, capability uplift programme, COBOL-programmer-retention model, multi-year-programme operating cadence, and the change-management model.

Module 11. Executive engagement and board reporting

Build the executive engagement: CIO partnership, CTO partnership, CRO partnership (model-risk during modernisation), CFO partnership (cost-benefit case), COO partnership, and the board-of-directors reporting cadence. Modernisation metrics the board reads: TCO reduction, business-functionality preservation, regulatory posture, talent-readiness.

Module 12. Your 12-week build plan

Week-by-week plan with weekly deliverables. Weeks 1-2: modernisation landscape + portfolio assessment methodology. Weeks 3-4: AI-assisted code analysis framework + modernisation strategy decision framework. Weeks 5-6: refactor patterns + replatform patterns. Weeks 7-8: strangler pattern + data migration architecture. Weeks 9-10: regulatory engagement + talent and operating model. Weeks 11-12: executive engagement + programme kickoff readiness. Deliverable: shippable mainframe modernisation programme.

How this addresses your situation

Specific modules that map to what you said you are dealing with.

Module 1 covers the landscape.

Modules 2 to 7 produce portfolio assessment, AI-assisted code analysis, decision framework, and refactor/replatform/strangler patterns.

Modules 8 to 9 cover data migration and regulatory engagement.

Module 10 covers talent and operating model.

Module 11 covers executive engagement.

Module 12 covers the 12-week build plan.

What you get with this course

The 12-module course delivered as text plus downloadable templates.
Templates for portfolio assessment methodology, AI-assisted code analysis framework, modernisation strategy decision framework, refactor pattern library, replatform pattern library, strangler pattern implementation, data migration architecture, regulatory engagement framework, talent and operating model, executive engagement.
A hand-built implementation playbook generated for your specific client engagement profile.
Three worked examples of mainframe modernisation programmes at peer client engagements.
Scripted talking points for the CIO and CRO engagement.

What you will have in hand by Day 1, Week 1, Month 1

Day 1: Portfolio assessment methodology scaffold drafted.

Week 4: AI-assisted code analysis framework operational.

Week 8: Refactor + replatform + strangler patterns built.

Week 12: Shippable programme delivered to first client.

Before and after

Before

Your firm ships pieces of modernisation work. Major banks, insurers, and federal agencies are in active multi-year modernisation. The integrated programme pack does not exist. Engagements lose to firms that have it.

After

A shippable mainframe modernisation programme is in place. Portfolio assessment, AI-assisted code analysis, modernisation strategy decision framework, refactor and replatform and strangler patterns, data migration architecture, regulatory engagement, talent and operating model are all designed. Multi-year engagements close.

What happens if you do not address this

Mainframe modernisation is now feasible at scale because of AI-assisted code analysis. Consulting firms without a shippable programme lose engagements.

Who it is for

For consulting managers, modernisation programme leads, technology directors, and consulting practice leaders shipping mainframe modernisation engagements.

Who this is NOT for. Pure research roles. Firms not shipping modernisation engagements. Pure technology firms.

How it arrives

Text-based course via LMS, plus downloadable templates and the hand-built implementation playbook.

Time investment. Roughly 22 hours of reading and 200 to 400 hours of team effort across the 12-week build.

Why $199 is the right number

External mainframe modernisation consultants charge $500K-$3M for programme builds. Big4 advisory engagement runs $1M-$5M. Specialist modernisation firms (Micro Focus partners, AWS Mainframe Modernization partners) charge $300K-$1.5M. $199 buys the focused playbook plus the implementation document for your specific client engagement profile.

FAQ

Will this replace hiring a mainframe modernisation specialist?

Partially. It teaches the programme build. You may still want specialist input for COBOL-Java translation deep-dives.

What if my engagements are primarily AWS-anchored?

Modules 4-6 cover AWS Mainframe Modernization patterns.

Does this cover IBM Z modernization without leaving Z?

Module 4 covers modernise-on-Z patterns including IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z.

What about mainframe-as-a-service (Kyndryl, Ensono, DXC)?

Module 4 covers MFaaS as adjacent strategy.

What is in the implementation playbook for me specifically?

Portfolio assessment methodology tailored to your typical client; modernisation strategy decision framework matched to your engagement profile; a 12-week build plan.

30-day money-back guarantee. If after a week of working through the materials this is not what you needed, reply to the receipt email and a full refund is processed. No questions, no forms.

Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.