Building an interconnected tech system that operates smoothly and efficiently can take a company weeks, months—sometimes even years. And when it comes to their tech systems, many companies are reluctant to upset a working status quo, even if new tech could function better. However, as the company grows and/or tech evolves, inevitably the day comes when it’s time to upgrade.
Changing a tech system that has worked for a long while and that staff members are used to can be quite disruptive, so it helps to be well-prepared before starting. Below, 12 members of Forbes Technology Council offer tips for companies to remember when the time comes to update their tech.
1. Make Sure You Have The Right Team
Understand the functionality provided by the legacy system. Document every aspect the technology touches on the business side. Form a collaborative team and build a prototype environment with the latest technology. The team should work to test every aspect or agree to transition to a new way of working. Then when every stakeholder agrees, work collaboratively to switch from prototype to production. - Vilas Uchil, BullsEye Telecom
2. Document, Plan And Test
Document everything, plan and practice the upgrade, and test the upgrade with real users and workflows. Before the upgrade begins, develop clear criteria for assessing success or failure at every stage. Have contingency and fallback plans for every stage. There are worse things than reverting to the previous working system while you sort out unexpected problems—like no longer having a working system. - Seth Noble, Data Expedition, Inc.
3. Upgrade With Security In Mind
It usually makes sense to implement whatever the best current solution is today and then port over whatever you can later. You may have to run some virtual machines to run the legacy code, but by running on new gear with a new implementation, you are up-to-date security-wise and are also able to install the latest patches. - Marty Puranik, Atlantic.Net, Inc.
4. Pilot A Use Case
Old systems will reach their breaking point. Find a use case that needs the same data but better functionality. This will flesh out the issues with the upgrade on a smaller scale while still delivering value and proving the need for a new system. This will help pave the way for a larger rollout and mitigate risk at the same time. - Nicholas Thompson, Garnish
5. Implement A Staggered Rollout
We follow a staggered rollout strategy when we upgrade our tech systems, starting with our engineering team, then adding a group of volunteers and finally our entire company. Our product development team always tests the new system internally for one to two months so we can identify different quirks, challenges and tricks to stay ahead of any potential frustrations or sources of confusion from the company. - Justin Morgenthau, Triax Technologies, Inc.
6. Communicate The ‘Why’ Before The ‘How’
In order to ensure the implementation of new technology happens smoothly, leaders in the organization must first communicate why the new tech is necessary. Once the workforce understands the “why” they will then need to be briefed on the “how.” Too often there is resistance within the workforce due to a lack of knowledge and training, but it is avoidable if employees understand both “why” and “how.” - Daniel Munk, FenceCore IT Solutions
7. Run Application Lifecycle Management
Every disciplined and well-run organization should have key elements of IT service management implemented. If that is the case, application lifecycle management (ALM) and application health checks need to be exercised regularly. This is especially true for any key or mission-critical applications. If this process is running regularly and the stakeholders are properly engaged, disruption should be minimal. - Mohamad Zahreddine, TrialAssure
8. Use Platform Partnerships To Start Small
Many technology platforms are developing partnerships and integrations with other technology providers to enhance their systems. This provides an easy point of entry for those looking to upgrade their systems seamlessly and cost-effectively. Start small with a smaller license or a trial package and expand from there as trust and comfort level grow. - Marc Zionts, Automated Insights
9. Always Keep One Foot On The Ground
The two biggest risk vectors during upgrade include system downtime and data corruption. Minimize system downtime by 1) deploying new systems side-by-side with existing systems; 2) duplicating the system flows into both systems over time using segmentable feature flagging; 3) protecting against data corruption throughout the process with rollback or emergency cutover strategies. - Michael McCormick, Salesforce.org
10. Consider The Cost Of The Status Quo
Don’t underestimate the hidden costs of old tech: attrition, difficulty hiring Millennials, unreliability, human errors and maintenance. This is especially true for back-office systems that can easily be put behind a user-friendly collaboration system. Users can access the system via bots or documents, keeping business logic and rules in place and letting you migrate the system at your own pace. - Stephane Donze, AODocs
11. Audit Technology Systems As A Team
Waiting until a piece of critical technology breaks to fix it is going to cause the greatest disruption to your business processes. Conduct a quarterly technology system audit to determine if your team is having issues with any systems or if there are red flags indicating that a piece of technology may be on its last leg. Involving your team mitigates risk and prepares them for change when necessary. — Marcus Turner, Enola Labs
12. Plan With The Future In Mind
Make sure your plan takes the future into account; this won’t be your last migration as technology evolves. Ensure you select technology that meets your business’ needs and places your underlying data and workflow into an architecture that can scale and interoperate with both the known and yet-to-be-defined ecosystem in an open manner. - David Muse, Dharma
