Note: This resource is available in Japanese only.

As technology environments diversify, organizations are struggling to manage increasingly complex application ecosystems. ERP, CRM, HRM, and SCM systems are now combined with numerous SaaS and custom applications, making modernization essential for maintaining competitiveness and delivering high‑quality software.

This survey explores the key trends and challenges impacting application modernization in Japan, along with the role test automation can play in addressing modern IT and application ecosystem needs. Tricentis surveyed IT leaders involved in IT and DX initiatives across 13 industries at companies with annual revenue of at least 50 billion yen.

Key findings include:

• Application modernization is progressing slowly, with an average completion rate of 41 percent. Only 13.9 percent of ERP systems have been fully modernized.
• Nearly 80 percent of respondents cited a shortage of skilled IT talent as the top barrier, followed by insufficient staffing (64.7 percent) and cost constraints (57.8 percent).
• Companies increasingly recognize the value of test automation in reducing talent shortages and lowering testing costs and time. Among those who have implemented automation, 65.8 percent reported reduced talent constraints, along with average reductions of 50.7 percent in cost and 51.5 percent in execution time.
• Test automation adoption remains limited, with an overall automation rate of 33 percent. Many organizations still rely heavily on manual testing.
• Key challenges include tool stability (46.5 percent), ease of use and test creation (44.5 percent), and initial implementation cost (41.3 percent), highlighting the need for easy‑to‑use, no‑code/low‑code tools with built‑in stability and self‑healing capabilities.