i-UG i-Power Conference 2026

From Legacy to API-First: The Next Chapter
Following on from last year's Modernisation Case Study, this session continues the journey at Draper Tools. The data access layer and decoupled RPG service programs we built as our first step haven't been thrown away — they've become the foundation we're now building directly on top of, extending outward to HTTP/JSON API endpoints for use with a modern web front end. That initial code investment is already paying forward.

We'll walk through our vision for a common business API library that sits between our IBM i database and a JavaScript framework front end, delivering tailored system access to each business persona — from Customer Services through to our Category Managers — showing only the data and functions relevant to their role.

We'll also cover our agile delivery approach, targeting one persona at a time rather than a big-bang release, so the business sees tangible working functionality at the end of every sprint. And we'll share our early, honest experiences of experimenting with AI coding assistance tools — including Claude Code and IBM's Bob — where we are very much learners rather than experts, but already seeing real promise.

If you're taking your first steps on the IBM i modernisation path, this session aims to show that the groundwork you lay today will keep on giving — and give you a glimpse of where that path can lead next.