As more and more businesses move to cloud-based infrastructure, reports of the demise of legacy IT systems are much exaggerated
Even as cloud computing, platform technologies and remote working become an integral part of business life, thousands of British businesses are still relying on legacy IT systems developed and implemented in previous decades.
If you’re looking to improve the performance and effectiveness of your IT systems, the daunting prospect of replacing, integrating or discarding your legacy IT systems is bound to have crossed your mind.
But will the choices you make deliver real business value? And which strategy will lead to the least amount of short-term pain and the greatest long-term returns?
Legacy IT Systems – The Issues Businesses Face
"Our systems are disjointed, cumbersome and far too often just plain incompatible."
John Cryan - Chief Executive, Deutche Bank
Projected ROI should guide decision-making around any planned change to IT infrastructure – whether that involves hardware, software or a combination of the two. You need to be sure that making a change will deliver a return.
As such, it’s important to evaluate the current performance of your legacy IT system in the following key areas to see whether the proposed change will deliver the value your business needs:
Suitability
Simply put, if your current legacy IT system is fit for purpose, even without cloud functionality or multi-site networking, changes may not be appropriate. However, if replacing or integrating the system will lead to higher productivity and end-to-end process visibility, changes will need to be made.
Security
One of the key reasons that a business chooses not to embrace the cloud era is the fear that making data, processes or functionality available via the cloud will incur a security risk. However, more and more experts are claiming that cloud computing is more secure than outdated legacy systems:
"I think the better bet is to get to the cloud as quick as you can because you’re guaranteed almost to have better security there."
Tony Scott - CIO, United States Federal Government
Skills
If your existing systems require a high level of skill or familiarity to use, this must be factored into your plans. Replacing your legacy IT system may be expensive, but using newer, more user-friendly systems can offset this cost by increasing productivity and adding further value to your business.
Specialisation
Your existing IT systems were procured for a reason – there was a specific purpose in mind. Due diligence must be undertaken to ensure that replacing this legacy IT system won’t remove specialised functions that are vital to the continued success of your business.
These questions don’t just apply to software – hardware infrastructure such as your current printer and document storage systems may also be in need of modernisation, especially as full digitisation and improved security become more attractive to businesses.
Is It Time to Discard, Replace or Integrate your IT Technologies?
As you consider moving to a system that is more suitable for your business’s future growth – providing an extra level of security and meeting specialised needs while increasing productivity – you should consider the benefits that moving to a cloud-based system could offer your business.
Processes will be more visible and information will be more easily accessible throughout the business. This will allow for greater control and consistency across the organisation. But these benefits should be balanced against the costs and challenges.
So should you discard and replace your system, or integrate legacy IT systems into a new, cloud-based system?
Discarding and replacing your current technologies present considerable challenges. You’ll be starting afresh with a completely new system. That may sound great, but you will be losing customisations and configured settings you’ve made to your legacy systems over the years. The end result will be an improvement, but the costs and learning curve may rule them out.
A better solution may be to integrate your legacy IT systems with newer technologies, safeguarding functions that your business still needs, while gaining the benefits of a modern, cloud-based infrastructure.
For example, by integrating newer software systems to your existing document infrastructure you can retain familiar and reliable printer hardware, while allowing for the use of new working methods which can help to reduce overall costs and increase flexibility. The cost and productivity benefits of newer solutions such as mobile printing can be substantial.
Integration will need to be handled carefully and safely - and ideally by an accredited specialist provider, but by combining the strengths of your legacy IT system with the improved functionality and interfaces that modern systems offer, you’ll be able to improve productivity and demonstrate a considerable return on this investment in a much shorter timeframe than would be possible with a complete replacement.
As with so many things, a compromise solution could be the decision that delivers the biggest return on investment and adds the most value to your business.
Takeaways
- Businesses need to consider suitability, security and specialisations before choosing whether to replace or integrate legacy IT systems.
- Replacing a legacy system which works may lead to short-term cost and productivity issues that can be alleviated with integration.
- Legacy systems can present security issues, being ill-equipped to deal with newer threats.
- Integrating legacy IT with new processes can lead to improved productivity with a lower initial outlay.
- Consistency of processes is one of the key benefits of legacy IT integration.