Is it time to upgrade your legacy system? Unless you’ve recently performed an update, chances are that the answer is yes. There’s nothing wrong with a legacy system in and of itself. After all, we wouldn’t have our most recent technology without the innovations that older systems gave us. And legacy systems often perform the job quite well. Even NASA chose to continue using its system from the 1970s. However, these systems do come with a set of challenges. Whether you plan to overhaul your entire system or simply update the existing one, a legacy system upgrade is always a good idea.
A Legacy System Upgrade Lets You Keep Up
Any company that relies on technology has to keep up with the competition. Granted, because software changes almost constantly, it’s impractical to try to accommodate every available update. Often, though, companies need a legacy system upgrade to stay on track.
Upgrades help ensure the future of your company. There are no young legacy developers. In fact, most legacy developers are already old enough to retire. When these developers do retire, they’ll leave behind a workforce of millennials who have studied newer systems. “One of the key challenges the legacy systems face is that they are too abstract and generic for the millennials,” said Kumar Erramilli in an article for Forbes. Indeed, many millennials — who have invented more contemporary software systems — prefer upgrades. In the near future, when they comprise the majority of the software workforce, an outdated system could mean a loss of productivity. They’ll have to dedicate their time to learning the old software. Newer systems, on the other hand, will let them focus on more important tasks.
A Legacy System Upgrade Will Save Money Long-term
Some companies fail to upgrade because their leaders focus on short-term savings instead of long-term savings. System upgrades will cost money, of course. That said, they will yield a significant ROI in the company’s future. For one, legacy systems without strong security upgrades become vulnerable to hackers who can make you lose money. Furthermore, when you tether your business to outdated software, you may limit your potential ROI. We’ve already mentioned that you have to consider a younger workforce. You also have to think about your clients. If your competition’s software gives the clients a more user-friendly experience, you may notice a decrease in customers. The writers at the Harvard Business Review agree. As one article puts it, “As automation and digitization transform the economy, well-resourced incumbents in industry after industry are losing out to upstarts.” These advances will not go away any time soon. The companies that take advantage of upgrades will increase their profits, while those who refuse to upgrade may lose customers.
Improve Your Customer Relationships
Thanks to social media, customers expect easy connections to the services they use. Software can’t afford to be impersonal anymore. “Modern software solutions are much more intuitive and focused on user experience,” said Ivailo Nikolov in the Forbes article. “Legacy tools, on the other hand, were usually built with the sole purpose [of getting] the job done and without meticulous attention to detail.” This approach worked well for its time, but today’s clients expect a more personal touch to their software. Companies that use this intuitive software perform well. They get to know the client’s preferences and adjust accordingly. The Harvard Business Review points to Netflix as an example. “By instrumenting its apps to detect everything from where customers are geographically to when viewers stop watching a movie, the company is able to understand people’s preferences intimately. [Netflix] uses this knowledge to provide timely recommendations and to source — or create — content that people will love.” Upgraded software fosters deeper customer relationships, and those relationships will ultimately keep your business afloat.
Ayoka Systems
Generally, a legacy system upgrade is preferable to outdated technology. Ayoka has several different methods to help you upgrade your system. One is to move your legacy system to a web-based solution. We often move software systems from outdated PC-based applications to website applications. This gives our clients access to better updates and better ROI. We want you to get your money’s worth from your system, and this method can help. Instead of abandoning one system for another, we can re-write your existing software. There’s no need to lose any of your progress. We can also help you make your software user-friendly for smartphones and other devices. Take a look at this page for a list of ways that we can help you upgrade your legacy system. If you have any more questions or want to get started, visit our contact page or call us at (817)-210-4042.
