The Legacy Challenge

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Administrative Management Systems Division (AMSD) faced a critical modernization challenge: managing an aging financial ecosystem comprising approximately 30 feeder applications tightly integrated with a Core Financial System (CFS). This architecture created operational vulnerabilities where changes to any system could disrupt multiple business processes simultaneously.

The legacy Oracle Forms and Reports infrastructure required specialized expertise that was becoming difficult to maintain. With the Bureau planning a transition to a new web-based departmental solution, the tight coupling between systems had become the organization’s biggest operational risk.

“We couldn’t simply replace the CFS overnight,” explained an AMSD manager. “We needed a strategy that would allow our feeder applications to operate independently while planning for the future.”

The PST Strategic Approach

When Prime Source Technologies was awarded the $23 million, four-year Administrative Systems Technical Support contract in 2012, we recognized this as a strategic modernization initiative requiring fundamental architectural transformation. Our solution centered on the “Feeder Split” project – a comprehensive effort to decouple CBS feeder applications from the Core Financial System while maintaining business continuity.

Implementing the Feeder Split: Phased Transformation

The Feeder Split exemplified modern systems engineering applied to legacy infrastructure. Rather than attempting massive system replacement, we implemented a phased approach that gradually introduced Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) principles while maintaining operational stability.

Each phase focused on decoupling specific applications from direct CFS database interactions. We replaced tight integrations with web services that provided identical functionality while creating logical separation between systems. This approach enabled feeder applications to operate during CFS maintenance windows, allowed independent system updates, and created a more resilient architecture.

“Users didn’t see any difference in their daily work,” notes our Software Development Lead. “Behind the scenes, we were fundamentally changing how systems communicated, but business processes remained seamless.”

Technical Innovation in Legacy Environments

The modernization required mastering multiple technology platforms simultaneously. While maintaining existing Oracle Forms and Reports applications, we developed new components using Oracle’s Application Development Framework (ADF), Business Process Management (BPM), and contemporary web service technologies.

We successfully implemented service consumption within legacy Oracle Forms applications, allowing interaction with modern web services while preserving familiar user interfaces. Each delivered web service required careful integration work, including database packages that handled SOA service calls while maintaining data integrity.

Our database administration team maintained system performance throughout architectural changes. Through proactive monitoring, strategic patching, and performance optimization, we achieved above 99% system availability during the entire modernization period.

Comprehensive Systems Support

The project encompassed comprehensive support including database administration, technical writing, training development, and consulting services addressing every system lifecycle aspect.

We developed extensive documentation following the Census Bureau’s Enterprise Systems Development Life Cycle (eSDLC), including Systems Engineering Master Plans, System Design Plans, and System Acceptance documents. This documentation proved essential for knowledge transfer and long-term maintainability.

Our quality assurance approach integrated testing throughout development. Using HP Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools, we maintained requirements traceability matrices mapping test cases to functional requirements, ensuring comprehensive coverage across all components.

Transformational Results

The CFS modernization delivered results that positioned the Census Bureau for long-term success:

Operational Independence: Individual applications could be maintained and updated without impacting other systems, dramatically reducing change complexity and risk.

Enhanced Resilience: Service-oriented architecture provided redundancy and error handling layers, improving system reliability and reducing downtime.

Modern Development Foundation: Integration of contemporary frameworks with legacy systems created sustainable paths forward, enabling talent retention and attraction.

Performance Optimization: Database tuning and monitoring improvements resulted in faster response times and improved user experience across all financial applications.

Future-Ready Architecture:
The flexible SOA foundation proved adaptable to new requirements and technologies.

Strategic Impact and Innovation Platform

The project’s success extended beyond technical achievements. By creating stable, flexible financial systems architecture, we enabled the Census Bureau to focus on core mission activities while confidently planning future technology investments.

The modernization demonstrated the value of incremental transformation in large federal agencies. Rather than pursuing risky “big bang” replacements, the phased SOA implementation proved legacy systems could be systematically modernized while maintaining operational stability.

Our Business Intelligence Publisher integration and single sign-on capabilities added reporting and analytics that improved organizational decision-making, supporting both daily operations and strategic planning initiatives.

Lasting Foundation

The architectural foundation established through the CFS project continues serving the Census Bureau effectively. The service-oriented approach remains adaptable to new requirements, while comprehensive documentation and established development processes support ongoing enhancements.

The project validated our comprehensive federal systems modernization approach, demonstrating that technical excellence combined with strong project management and stakeholder engagement can deliver transformational results in complex legacy environments, providing a solid foundation for continued innovation and organizational growth.