Hardware Risk Mitigation
By: Jack Saint
ERP systems can last for 25 years or more. This means that there are companies out there still running ERP software on hardware and operating systems that date back to the early 1990s. Dot Matrix printers, green screen technology, old HPUX boxes. Yes, they all still exist and in many cases are being used in mission critical operations to run a business. They are not just as displays in a history of technology museum.
We often sell our modern web based ERP system into companies running on very old systems. A factor in the sale can sometimes be old hardware risk mitigation. The risk that the old hardware breaks down and repairs are slow in coming, or non-existent, can be devastating to the operation of the business. Data loss, productivity loss, financial and operational disruption can all contribute to risk. Finding repair shops or replacement hardware for 25 year old devices is like looking to fix antiques – sort of like fixing an 8-track player or an old rotary dial phone. And when your entire financial and operation day to day business is running on such old devices, the level of risk can become overwhelming. The business itself is at risk if they break down.
Fortunately we have many options to help customers with this predicament. Rapid deployment of new modern systems, the use of the cloud to eliminate the need of purchasing new hardware, modern implementation methodology which helps reduce the disruption of business during the rollout. All of these can help.
Companies with old obsolete hardware are now realizing that elimination of risks to the business often far exceeds the costs of moving to a new ERP. And, in similar fashion to when you replace that old rotary phone with a smart phone, or replace the 8-track player with itunes, suddenly a whole new world of opportunity and possibilities opens up . Risk mitigation can help justify the cost of ERP but the benefits from implementing far exceed that.
Check out some of the other benefits of implementing a new, modern ERP system.
