Moving On: How to Break Up with Your Legacy IT Systems

“It’s not you, it’s me.” “It’s just not working out.” “We’re on two different paths right now.”

Honestly, making the decision to break up with your legacy systems isn’t easy. They’ve been with you since the beginning, operating in the background to support the business day in and day out. Yet as newer and faster systems such as an after hours medical answering service (if you are a medical business owner, this might prove helpful) or a CRM software emerges to keep up with the pace of demand. Businesses, thus, need to let go of their old legacy systems and upgrade to new technology!

The shift from legacy systems is not just about better and faster technology coming along. More and more companies are changing their digital infrastructure due to a push for sustainability in the sector. In Australia, for instance, people like Walt Coulston and other similar specialists are helping companies build or shift their data centers to fit the ideal standards of sustainability. So, it is an inevitable rush that’s now coming toward all legacy IT systems, which means a few nasty breakups are to be expected.

Service businesses and organizations ought to have agile software to manage their daily client portal. With newer bank and insurance agency management software coming into the picture, it is time to analyze whether these new systems are better suited for your business.

While these legacy IT systems have multiple benefits, such as housing historical data and providing support for older applications, they are a massive drain on organizational resources, time, and money. Their reliance on ancient software creates security headaches for IT, and the daily upkeep often requires organizations to find staff experienced in its outdated programs. With much-improved technologies that support supply chain nfts for digital business documentation, the need for refinement in software is imperative.

Making the decision to migrate from a legacy IT system is overwhelming, but we’ve found a few tips to help you call it quits.

Be detailed

Create a master map detailing how the legacy systems are connected to the rest of the organization. Mapping any and all interconnections, interfaces and interactions among the systems allow visibility of your available resources and provides insight into the scale of the migration project. Use this map as a reference throughout the entire migration process.

Be thrifty

Chances are, your legacy systems have loads of data, applications and software stored away. The question is, do you need it all? Weigh the importance of the application’s migration versus the cost, transitioning only what is necessary to the business. To speed up the process, arrange your applications and data into a migration plan in order of organizational importance.

Be selfish

No two companies’ legacy IT systems are alike. While your systems may house historical data, your competition may keep them running due to legal requirements. So why would you use the same migration method? Building a legacy migration plan to suit your business’s system needs is an easy way to guarantee a seamless transition.

Be patient

When it comes to legacy migration, follow the old adage: Walk, don’t run. Rushing through the migration increases the chances of missed connections, lost data, and other potential calamities. Take your time to ensure the data and applications transitioned properly will save time, money and resources.

Breakups aren’t easy, especially when it comes to ending the long-term relationship organizations have with legacy IT systems. Creating an organized migration plan eases the loss of these systems and builds up your new system so the organization can move forward without delay. What are your top legacy system migration tips? Share with us below!