A key tenet for modernizing core systems is to assess the current solution and to define the context for the to-be solution. While working with a large customer in Europe, my colleagues and I focused an eight-week effort on assessing the current environment and the readiness to renew core systems. The assessment revealed issues about product currency in operational environments and resulted in our recommendation to correct these infrastructure matters before embarking on a renewal. These tasks are ongoing as part of broader development initiatives.