How to Rescue a Failing Application: A 3-Step Process

Is your application slowing down, crashing, or simply not meeting expectations? A struggling app is a major headache for any business. But instead of starting from scratch, you can rescue your existing application and get it performing at its best.


Here's how you can turn your failing application into a success story.

Step 1: Conduct a Deep Dive and Discovery

Before you can fix an application, you have to understand what’s wrong with it. This first step is all about becoming a detective to uncover the root causes of the problems.


What to do:

• Review the Codebase: Look for technical debt, security vulnerabilities, and inefficient code that might be causing performance bottlenecks.
• Assess the Infrastructure: Examine your cloud setup, databases, and servers. Is everything configured for optimal performance?
• Profile Performance: Use specialized auditing tools to pinpoint which parts of the application are running slowly. This helps you identify the most critical areas to address.
• Interview Users: Talk to the people who use the application every day. Their insights can reveal problems that automated tests might miss.


Why this matters: Without a thorough diagnosis, you're just guessing! A deep dive prevents you from wasting time and money on fixes that don’t address the core issues.

Step 2: Create a Strategic Plan and Roadmap

Once you know the problems, you need a clear, actionable plan to fix them. This step is your blueprint for success, transforming raw data into a strategic action plan.


What to do:

• Prioritize Problems: Not all issues are created equal. Focus on the most critical problems first, especially those affecting stability, security, or user experience.
• Design the Solution: Develop a plan to re-architect parts of the system, optimize databases, and improve security.
• Build a Roadmap: Break down the work into manageable steps with clear timelines and deliverables. This ensures the project stays on track.
• Communicate Clearly: Present the plan to all stakeholders in simple, non-technical terms. Everyone needs to be aligned on the goals and the process.


Why this matters: A solid plan ensures a smooth and controlled rescue. It keeps the project organized and helps you track progress toward your goals.

Step 3: Execute

This is where the real work happens. Your expert team brings the plan to life, not just fixing bugs but also building for long-term future success.


What to do:

• Deploy a Dedicated Team of Experts: Assign a team with the right expertise to the project.
• Use an Iterative Approach: Implement changes in small, continuous cycles. This allows for frequent testing and ensures that each fix is stable.
• Set Up Automated & Manual Testing: Prevent regressions, catch issues early, and protect the investment in your fixes.
• Monitor and Support: Set up robust monitoring to track the application's performance after the rescue is complete. Enable ongoing support to ensure long-term stability.


Why this matters: Execution is about more than fixing code. It's about building a better, more resilient application that can handle future growth and challenges.

Step 3: Execute

A failing application doesn't have to hinder your business growth. At Dev Teams On Demand, we have the expertise and a proven process to turn your tech challenges into successes.