Taken over an existing app from another team? Here is how to keep a grip on maintenance and further development

You had an application developed. Everything was going well… until the original development team left, the collaboration ended or you decided to move to a new supplier. But how do you make sure you do not lose control of maintenance, quality and the future of your app?

In this blog we take you through the most important steps for keeping a grip on an application you have taken over.

1. Start with a technical baseline assessment

In a takeover project your first goal is to know exactly what you have in your hands.

• Code review: Have the new team assess the code and architecture. That way you quickly find out whether there is technical debt and where the vulnerabilities are.
• Documentation check: Is there up-to-date documentation?
• Licences and dependencies: Check whether the libraries and frameworks in use are still supported and secure.

By starting with a baseline assessment, you avoid carrying on blindly and running into surprises later.

2. Make sure knowledge is transferred in full

A smooth transition depends on how well the knowledge is transferred.

• Ask for all source code, configurations and login details.
• Set up a joint handover session with the previous supplier (if possible).
• Record straight away how the app is set up, which integrations there are, and which processes depend on the application.

Tip: also read our blog "The power of observability", because without insight into logs, metrics and traces you miss important information at the start.

3. Approach maintenance in a structured way

Taking an app into maintenance means more than just fixing bugs. Set up a maintenance plan with:

• Regular updates of frameworks and libraries.
• Monitoring to detect problems before users are affected by them.
• Security checks to close vulnerabilities in good time.

With structured maintenance you build reliability and user confidence from the outset.

Read more about how JAM-IT helps with maintenance and support of applications.

4. Draw up a further development plan

An app you have taken over was often built with a specific vision in mind. But technology and your business needs do not stand still. So draw up a roadmap in which you:

• Plan future functionality.
• Choose which parts you are going to optimise or redesign.

We have written about this before in "5 integrations that lift your app to a higher level", handy to check if you are considering new features.

5. Consider hybrid development models

Sometimes during the takeover you discover that it is faster or smarter to build parts of the application in a different technology. Think of:

• Combining low-code and traditional for fast development plus bespoke work.
• Adding new modules in Java or JavaScript, while the core keeps running in Mendix.

And do not forget AI. AI-driven software development can play a big part in takeover projects in particular:

• AI can help you understand and refactor code faster.
• With AI you can automate processes or add new features, such as chatbots, document analysis or predictive reporting.
• AI agents can be integrated into existing apps so they can make decisions autonomously, without having to rewrite the whole architecture.

That way you keep the stability of the existing app, but you can still innovate and benefit from the latest technologies. New technology makes further development ever faster, but it also sets higher demands on structure, quality and maintenance. So read this too: AI makes building easier. But who maintains it afterwards?

Conclusion: keeping a grip is a process

Taking over an app means investing in knowledge, structure and a clear vision. By starting with a baseline assessment, good documentation and a clear development plan, you make sure the app not only keeps running, but is also ready for the future.

Do you have an existing application you want taken over, maintained or developed further? Then it is important to first get clear what its current technical state is, where the risks lie and which next steps take priority.

At JAM-IT we would be glad to help you think through a suitable approach to maintenance and further development. Get in touch to discuss your situation.