Automated Progress OpenEdge data-dictionary export — programmatic reporting

Many enterprises running Progress OpenEdge applications lack up-to-date schema documentation and programmatic exports of their data dictionaries, which slows migrations, audits, and developer onboarding; this problem touches a large addressable set (150,000 businesses in the relevant TAM) and contributes to an estimated $1.2B opportunity. Teams facing it are often small internal IT groups or consultants with few Progress specialists, so manual reverse engineering costs months and introduces risk. You could build a focused developer tool that programmatically extracts OpenEdge data dictionaries, produces machine-readable artifacts (JSON/YAML), human-readable documentation, diff/change reports, and CI-friendly connectors (CLI, API, plugins). Priced in the niche tooling range (roughly $8K ACV per customer), the opportunity scores well (Market Score 78/100, Revenue Potential 88/100) because legacy-modernization projects, a shrinking pool of Progress experts, and demand for automation-first tooling are converging now. This market is attractive because competition is low and buyers value anything that reduces specialist time, but standing out will require depth: version-aware parsers, accuracy benchmarks, secure read-only connectors, and tight integration into migration and reporting workflows. The challenges are real — handling multiple OpenEdge versions, proving accuracy to risk-averse teams, and building initial credibility — so prioritize pilot customers and measurable time-savings rather than broad marketing at launch.