So, you might have been successfully convinced that moving to the latest and greatest technology, or brand name, will solve all your organisation`s headaches and set you on the path to a brighter, smoother and more cost-effective future.
But those of you who have, however, had the joy of making such a move, will know that this is seldom the case. Making changes to the technology within your organisation can prove to be the most painful experience yet in your entire working career, simply because it`s never as easy as everyone makes it out to be.
While there is obvious value in ensuring your organisation has the most cost-effective and efficient systems, it is important to be fully informed when it comes to the business impact of replacing any system. It takes time, money and resources and, all too often, the customer is the least informed about just exactly how much.
Bear in mind that updating a system is one thing. Replacing technology, however, is quite another. The greater an organisation`s reliance on their existing infrastructure and business applications, the higher the impact, and risk involved in changing it.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of how successful such a transformation will be, or whether the new product will be able to deliver what the existing system does. This is not to say that there are not some phenomenal technologies out there, it`s just worthwhile keeping in mind that it all comes at a cost.
If your existing systems are running smoothly in the background, are proving to be cost-effective, powerful, dynamic and stable, then it would be advisable not to fall for all the marketing hype out there. Consider updating and enhancing what you`ve got, rather than replacing it outright.
In fact, much of the latest functionality is continuously being developed for, and included in the reliable technology of yesteryear, so why throw the baby out with the bathwater. Vendor commitment and product road maps also go a long way to ensuring a technology investment will indeed prove to be a sound bet, and that product enhancements will be able to provide any additional functionality required.
Weigh up the cost and value of your existing system against unknown cost, value and the impact of any new technology offering. Remember that there is no right or wrong decision; only one that somebody needs to be accountable for and that is likely to be labelled `right` or `wrong` during, or after the implementation.
Ensuring your organisation continues to use the most cost-effective and efficient systems may well prove to be a case of not fixing something that isn`t broken.
Share
Workgroup focuses on supplying leading products from international vendors with the expertise and hands-on support to benefit both channel partners and their customers. As a full-service distributor, Workgroup enhances the value of its product sets and solutions with experienced understanding of the needs of corporate and retail markets.
Among others, Workgroup represents the following renowned software vendors: Microsoft, Symantec, Borland, Accpac, Computer Associates, Corel, Novell, IBM, Citrix, Vivendi and Vmware.
Editorial contacts