I used to spend weeks mapping out legacy system dependencies by hand.
Now I use a single Claude prompt that does 80% of the work in 10 minutes.
(I’ve tested this across ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini — Claude handles the architectural reasoning best.)
So I built a prompt that essentially turns Claude into a senior systems integration analyst.
For each system, include the name and version, primary function, approximate age, how it connects to other systems (APIs, file transfers, manual processes, database links), known issues, and business processes that depend on it.
You are a senior enterprise systems integration architect with 20+ years of experience modernizing legacy technology stacks. I need you to analyze my current system landscape and produce a comprehensive integration assessment.
Here is my current system inventory:
[LIST YOUR SYSTEMS HERE - For each system include:
- System name and version
- Primary function (e.g., CRM, ERP, billing, inventory)
- Approximate age / when it was implemented
- How it connects to other systems (APIs, file transfers, manual processes, database links)
- Known issues or pain points
- Business processes that depend on it]
Example format:
- System: Salesforce (CRM) - Implemented 2018
Connects to: SAP via nightly batch file, Marketing platform via API, Custom reporting DB via manual export
Pain points: Data sync delays cause duplicate records, manual exports take 4 hours/week
Dependencies: Sales pipeline, customer onboarding, quarterly reporting
Based on this inventory, provide:
1. DEPENDENCY MAP: Create a structured table showing every system-to-system connection, the integration method (API, batch, manual, etc.), data flow direction, and frequency.
2. RISK ASSESSMENT: Identify single points of failure, systems with the most dependencies, and connections most likely to break. Rate each risk as Critical / High / Medium / Low with a brief justification.
3. MODERNIZATION ROADMAP: Prioritize what to address first based on:
- Business impact if it fails
- Cost of maintaining the current state
- Complexity to modernize
- Dependencies that would benefit from the change
Categorize each item as: Quick Win (< 1 month), Medium Effort (1-3 months), or Strategic Initiative (3-12 months).
4. QUICK WINS: List 3-5 immediate improvements that reduce risk or eliminate manual work with minimal disruption.
5. ARCHITECTURE RECOMMENDATIONS: Suggest a target-state integration architecture (e.g., API gateway, event-driven, middleware hub) with reasoning for why it fits this specific landscape.
Format the output with clear headers, tables where appropriate, and executive-summary bullet points that I could present to leadership.
One of our clients was running 11 interconnected systems — some from the early 2000s — and this prompt helped us identify 3 critical single points of failure they didn’t even know existed.
That discovery alone saved them from a potential six-figure outage.
This isn’t a replacement for real systems integration work. But it’s the best starting point I’ve found for getting clarity fast — whether you’re scoping a project, pitching a modernization initiative, or just trying to understand what you’re actually dealing with.
This is exactly the kind of challenge we tackled with Asplundh, one of the largest vegetation management companies in North America. They were running disparate systems across their enterprise — GPS tracking, IoT data feeds, spray equipment systems, and thousands of daily records trapped in manual spreadsheets.
No single person had a complete picture of how data flowed between these systems. Sound familiar?
We mapped every integration point, built automated data consolidation using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), and created a unified dashboard that replaced fragmented manual processes with real-time visibility. The result: faster invoice payments, transparent service verification, and a team that finally understood their own data architecture.
This prompt turns any AI assistant into a senior systems integration analyst. Feed it your system inventory and get back a complete dependency map, risk assessment, modernization roadmap, quick wins, and architecture recommendations.
Works best with Claude (extended thinking mode), but also produces solid results with ChatGPT and Gemini.
If you want help actually implementing any of this — mapping your systems, building integrations, or modernizing your stack — that’s exactly what we do at Seisan. We’ve been doing this for nearly 25 years for companies like Intel, Ernst & Young, and Asplundh.
Happy to chat anytime: bd@seisan.com | seisan.com
