CIOs can reduce legacy costs by getting rid of duplicate software, stopping payments for infrastructure licenses, offshoring some tasks without sacrificing productivity, and redeploying the workforce. However, there is a strategic approach to digital transformation that enables CIOs to cut costs during the app modernization process. This systematic and evidence-based approach focuses on altering organization-critical applications through a series of smaller, well-defined projects that require fewer resources. By breaking down transformation projects into smaller segments, each improvement can build upon the preceding one. Additionally, an API-first modernization approach should be used to design customized APIs specifically for the critical components of the current system and integrate them with cloud-based solutions.