AI-Driven Legacy System Modernization for a UK-based Cashless School Payment Provider
A leading education-focused financial management provider based in the UK and Europe was operating on a legacy desktop platform developed using Delphi/Pascal. The organization played a critical role in managing cashless payments within the education sector and relied heavily on its digital infrastructure to deliver consistent service to schools and parents.
2x faster modernization with AI-led code conversion
90% unit test cases auto-generated with Copilot
Legacy UI redesigned using AI from screen images
Developers focused on high-impact improvements
Problem Statement
The client faced several roadblocks in maintaining and scaling its legacy system. The outdated technology stack made it difficult to find skilled developers, increased technical debt, and limited the system’s ability to integrate with modern platforms. They needed a solution that could not only modernize the codebase but also retain the business logic and user experience without long development timelines.
Mastek's Solution
Mastek deployed an AI-powered approach to accelerate the modernization journey. By leveraging GitHub Copilot, the development team reverse-engineered Delphi Pascal files into .NET C# functions, enabling faster understanding and translation of legacy logic. OpenAI’s capabilities were used to regenerate modern frontend screens from old screen images, significantly reducing UI design effort. Additionally, 90% of unit test cases were automatically generated using Copilot, allowing the team to focus on validation and refinement rather than writing tests from scratch. Test teams created scripts based on requirements and acceptance criteria to ensure high-quality coverage.
Benefits Delivered
- Mastek’s AI-first modernization strategy resulted in a twofold increase in speed to market.
- Repetitive and manual tasks were drastically reduced through automation, enabling faster delivery without compromising on quality.
- The use of AI streamlined code generation and documentation processes.
- Development teams were empowered to focus on strategic improvements rather than routine work.
- The project demonstrated how intelligent tooling can drive efficient modernization while ensuring system integrity and future scalability.