4 MISTAKES TO TAKE CARE WHEN TREATING SYSTEM OBSOLESCENCE
In the continually evolving landscape of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) products, system obsolescence represents a significant challenge that companies need to address carefully.
The first step is to recognize obsolescence as an inherent part of the technology lifecycle. It highlights the need to identify and evaluate obsolescence early, in order to minimize its potential disruption.Avoiding common traps that can accelerate the problem or obstruct effective management is also essential.
Avoiding these mistakes can help guarantee a resilient and adaptable system, able to evolve with technological changes and market demands.
4 common mistakes in PLM / IT systems obsolescence management
#01 – Ignoring the Signs of Obsolescence
Obsolescence is the process by which a product or service becomes useless and out-of-date. This may be due to technological changes, evolving consumer preferences or market dynamics. Software obsolescence can be just as critical as hardware obsolescence, affecting security and functionality.
Obsolescence is not just linked to the inevitable “end of support”. It is often gradual and subtle.
Recurring and non-recurring costs are a good indicator to track. The older the technology is, the higher the costs are, due to the rarity of skills and know-how.
Technical debt is another great indicator of obsolescence. The debt itself is not the problem, but its increase is. Even more so if it can be quantified in terms of costs and delays.
Ignoring the early signs of obsolescence can result in precipitate and costly decisions.
#02 – Not doing Strategic Planning
A strategic plan enables you to anticipate the potential obsolescence of a solution and align data maintenance investments with the project lifecycle, ensuring sustainability and profitability.
The complexity of this phase is centered on the definition of a transition roadmap, which must be in line with the company’s other roadmaps.
PLM software is generally not used on its own, but in close connection with other tools that have their own roadmaps. The software editor’s roadmap must also be taken into account when building the strategic plan.
All these elements need to be considered when dealing with an obsolete PLM system. Otherwise, the transition can be chaotic, with significant short- and long-term financial repercussions, affecting the longevity and viability of the project.
#03 – Thinking that obsolescence project is only an IT concern
Obsolescence is often wrongly considered as a fully IT project. The impact on users of the solution obviously depends on the gap between the current system and the target system. In all cases, users will be facing a change, even if the gap to be filled is no more than a product version upgrade.
To ensure a smooth transition without resistance, and to ensure that all use cases are covered, the commitment of all stakeholders is essential to success. Guaranteeing the involvement of the necessary resources and financial support is fundamental to achieving the right level of commitment. This can mean anything from reviewing updated documentation to involving teams in the definition and validation of the solution.
There are many ways of integrating and involving the company, but the most important is anticipation. Contractual aspects need to be taken into consideration, especially if subcontractors or partners are involved.
This part, generally known as change management, is often ignored due to inadequate budgeting and late communication with stakeholders.
#04 – Thinking that obsolescence project is only an IT concern
One of the most important elements to consider is the well-known data migration. As the heart of the company, it is important to ensure that data can be migrated without loss during the transition to a new PLM system.
The complexity of data depends on its model, which can be very simple in the case of metadata stored in explicit tables, or very complex in the case of CAD data manipulation.
In the case of PLM, data migration to a new system is obviously more complex than expected. Due to the level of customization and longevity of the products managed, and the data associated – it’s common in the industry to have a product lifecycle of several decades.
An uncontrolled migration can lead to data loss, data corruption or system incompatibility, with immediate consequences for production.
To minimize these risks, the most important thing is to keep as closely as possible to product standards, regularly update tools or find a solution that avoids data migration. In all cases, a specific analysis is required to evaluate the various options and choose the right one.
There is no single formula for tackling obsolescence, as each company has its own context, history, organization, projects and IT landscape. It is generally advisable to be accompanied by a company experienced in PLM system obsolescence, in order to benefit from an external expert vision.
Percall offers services and its SOLINGS solution to support its customers in the elaboration and conception of obsolescence projects.