Legacy Systems – How to get out from beneath unsupported software

Many businesses today rely on old enterprise software that is no longer supported or enhanced. It’s a situation that leaves companies that were once cutting edge, struggling to keep up with their more technologically enhanced rivals.

The trouble is, things move so fast, it is almost impossible to keep up. Yesterday’s cutting edge technology is today’s legacy system. Councils and other public sector organisations have been hit particularly hard, as have manufacturers, but it really applies to anyone.

Dependence on legacy systems causes smooth operations to break down, making you inefficient and ultimately unprofitable.

Legacy ERP systems were once state of the art – but many have become outdated and abandoned by their creators leaving you either without support, or paying through the nose for it.

You can’t prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities while you’re fixing yesterday’s problems.

Here are 6 problems you may be experiencing

  1. Manual record keeping

Over-reliance on manual record keeping is the no 1 way legacy systems are holding companies back.

Home-grown solutions, paper documents and folders are all common work-arounds when your system no longer functions – but it is not sustainable. In the long term you are seriously compromising your accuracy and efficiency!

  1. Multiple solutions

A lurch towards several different stand-alone applications is a recipe for chaos. When technology doesn’t link up, your efficiency is compromised, data is duplicated and errors start to creep in.

  1. Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are a great way to manipulate data but you can overdo it! Spreadsheets are excellent for data analysis – but not effective in business process management. Don’t worry most modern ERP systems have made the download and upload of spreadsheets a simple “one click” process so it’s not goodbye for ever.

  1. Data become untrustworthy

When data is housed in several different locations and you have no single source of truth, data can become untrustworthy. At that point you will struggle to make reliable business decisions.

The problem arises when teams are forced to work around unsupported legacy systems, investing in short term solutions that don’t join up or they return to paper out of frustration. The outcome is that your organization is forced to generate multiple sources of data which slow you down and introduce error.

  1. Waiting for reports you could have now?

If  your current system forces you to wait until the end of the day or even the end of the month for reports then you are behind the curve. You will be  working on old information while your competitors are getting real-time results.

Today’s modern ERP systems are geared to support exception-based reporting which means vital performance information is delivered almost immediately to a desktop, laptop, or smart device.

  1. How safe is your data?

Unsupported legacy ERP comes with security limitations because these systems are no longer being updated and maintained. Modern security features not only reduce the risk of data breaches, but provide more powerful audit and control features. You can restrict data access to certain roles and functions without hindering users from doing their jobs seamlessly.

To function fully in today’s information-based economy you need immediate access to your data in real-time. With SAP Business ByDesign you have built-in analytics with real-time reporting via desktop or mobile so you can get access on the go.

Fast, efficient ERP based in the cloud is the new reality – joining up your processes and offering you a digital core that is ready for exciting new developments from Artificial Intelligence to the Internet of Things.

Benefit from;

* Fast performance

* Hosting in the cloud

* Mobile app to keep up to date on the go

* Warehouse management

* Support for regulatory compliance and tracking

* Sophisticated analytics with real time reporting

* Constant updates – legacy problems over

A single solution for the digital age

Say goodbye to information in multiple formats & locations. Get rid of those manual records and adopt a single source of truth. Make strategic decisions based on accurate information which you can have at your finger-tips, fast and on any device, even on the go.

Moving on from legacy systems can seem like hard work – but once you’ve moved to cloud-based technology you will always be current as automatic upgrades are fed through on a regular basis. For example, SAP are about to upgrade everyone to Making Tax Digital compliant software – there’s no need to worry when such upgrades come as standard.

We offer a cloud solution from SAP designed specifically for mid-sized businesses called Business ByDesign. If you would like to find out more about it then take a look by clicking the link above.

Or contact us direct and speak to Caroline; [email protected]