Do you think continuing with the same old version of the same old software is a good idea? While it may function adequately for the time being, the clock is ticking towards disaster. Waiting to upgrade results in a monster that consumes money, time, data, and morale.
Demands on your organisation are increasing, putting additional strain on your outdated software to perform under conditions it was not built to withstand. As your system strains to keep up, malfunctions occur more frequently, increasing the likelihood of failure. Software vendors may still be prepared to assist, but when your old system fades into obscurity, fixing it becomes a custom task with increased custom work costs.
Maintenance is critical and costs more as software ages. If you think you can forgo maintenance and only pay for repairs on a case-by-case basis, you're going down a bad road. You'll deplete your money and risk having emergencies that hinder or even halt your output completely. When a software system goes down for repair, personnel and procedures may be affected.
Do you worry about the cost of licensing new software? Consider the value you obtain for your investment. Better software opens up new options to operate smarter and more efficiently. It increases your ability to accomplish more for your clients faster, which can easily offset license expenses. Fewer errors, reduced downtime, and less expensive maintenance all contribute to a higher return on investment in upgrades and licenses.
Holding your data hostage
Isolated software systems are becoming increasingly rare. It's a connected world, and your system's ability to integrate with other systems, both internal and external, can make or break your company's ability to grow. Old software that is incompatible with other systems in your company, your vendors' systems, or your clients' systems effectively traps data that could otherwise propel you forward.
Incompatibility disrupts the flow of data, preventing it from being used to inform and enhance your partnerships.
Incompatibility might also be a risk when it comes to hardware connectivity. Old software can corrupt inputs streaming from hardware, resulting in inaccuracy and data loss. Access control gear, networking hardware, and surveillance equipment, as well as more specialised systems ranging from advanced two-way radios to inventory management tools such as barcode scanners and RFID readers, can all be compromised.
Older software also increases the threat of data security breaches. As security standards increase through software upgrades, old software becomes easier to exploit. Clinging to an obsolete system may end up costing significantly more in security breaches than modernising. And if a crisis comes, you can end up paying for both at once.
Data portability realities can often come as a great, unexpected surprise. You may be unable to transfer data that is locked within an older software system. There may be no way to recover the data for use in a new or different system. Then you have to decide whether to dump your old system and start afresh, or to continue with it until it ages and eventually fails.
It’s a dead end
Your old software system may have served you well for years, performing exactly as needed to support your company's goals. You may consider it a workhorse that you cannot live without, and you are concerned that upgrading to something new will take too long to master and may not work as well.
But the reality is that new software is intended to be a rewarding experience. Many people wonder how they lived for so long without upgrading their enterprises.
The truth is, there isn't much of an option. Even well-maintained software loses steam with time. The people who built and maintained it eventually abandon it in favour of other opportunities to create something smarter, stronger, and more effective for your company.