When we think of ways to improve education, IT systems aren’t necessarily one of the first things that come to mind. However, countless teachers find their jobs made more difficult by obsolete technology. This blog will investigate legacy applications found in many schools and discuss the importance of modernizing to a new system.
What Are Legacy Applications?
Legacy applications are operationally defined as “an information system that may be based on outdated technologies but is critical to day-to-day operations.” As technology advances, systems change. A system that was once considered top of the line can quickly become rather typical. After more years pass, a once stellar system can now put an organization far behind the times in terms of what their staff can do.
Legacy applications may have a number of problems. For example, they may lack features present in newer systems that cause poor efficiency. They may no longer be supported by a vendor with updates, leading to increased data breach risks. They may fail to integrate with newer systems, creating extra work.
A recent example of the pitfalls of legacy systems can be seen by Southwest Airlines. After a recent largescale bad weather event, their legacy scheduling system led to many days of flight cancellations while other carriers were only affected on the day of the weather. While not all legacy systems create such extreme problems, most do end up causing headaches.
Benefits of Modernizing Legacy Systems
Modernizing from a legacy system to an enterprise solution can certainly come with costs, an important consideration for schools that must make well-intentioned fiscal decisions. However, the benefits of such a change tend to be widespread and easily seen. Below are some of the most common benefits.
- Efficiency. Modernizing systems can improve the speed at which you can complete tasks and help educators more efficiently use information. This can often include improving automation of processes and facilitating better communication between systems.
- User Experience. Updated systems tend to be organized in a much more intuitive manner while having more features at the user’s disposal. This typically results in higher levels of satisfaction in the overall experience, something valuable to administrators, teachers, students, and parents alike.
- Functionality. Modernizing systems tends to provide many new features to users. This often includes things that were not possible when the original system was put into place. These new tools can greatly enhance the work of educators and provide valuable information to inform their practice.
- Cost Savings. While there certainly is an upfront cost with modernizing legacy systems, there are often long-term cost savings. Modernized systems will typically require less maintenance. They also typically allow users to be more productive, further contributing to value.
- Data Security. Data security is critical, particularly when dealing with educational records. Legacy applications tend to have more vulnerabilities for people to exploit and are often not prepared to defend against newer threats. This can expose educational institutions to potential data breaches and the financial costs that come with cleaning them up. Updated systems mitigate many of these threats.
- Better Data Access. Legacy systems often don’t interact well with one another and can have minimal features in terms of analytics. Modernized systems reduce these issues while usually improving the way data is used. This can be particularly valuable when tracking metrics like learning outcomes, grades, and attendance.
Challenges of Modernizing Legacy Applications
While there are undoubtedly many strong benefits that come with updating out of date technology, there are also some challenges to consider. After all, modernizing legacy systems is a comprehensive process. Here are some things to think about when making this decision.
- Upfront Resources & Cost. While updating these systems tends to return long-term cost savings, it can be quite costly upfront. In addition to the cost, it also requires IT expertise, particularly in terms of understanding the system being replaced. Budget is likely an important consideration for many organizations.
- Data Migration. Successfully moving data from a legacy system to a new system can sometimes be a challenging process. While tools are available to help, it is critical to execute this process will to preserve existing data.
- Complexity. Modernizing systems can be complicated in nature. This typically means it will require extensive time and knowledge, particularly from staff who understand the structure and operating processes of the existing system.
- Service Interruptions. Any time you replace a legacy system with a new one, you have a risk of interruption to users. While these can be mitigated by careful planning and transitioning during times of low usage, it is a factor to recognize.
- Compatibility. While modern systems are quite effective interacting with other systems, there can sometimes be problems with compatibility, particularly if you want to connect your new system with old applications. When these issues arise, they generally require technical knowledge to identify a solution.
- Resistance to Change. People tend to get comfortable with the systems they know. Thus, there will often be resistance from users when it comes to updating a system. Showing users how the new system can empower them to be more successful in their roles is a good strategy for overcoming these challenges.
- Security Risks. While updated systems provide greater data protection, the migration process can provide exposure to threats. Careful planning can identify these and create plans to mitigate them.
- Legal Compliance. Education institutions have to consider a wide variety of laws and policies. It is important to consider how these could be impacted by the process of modernizing legacy systems in order to ensure continued compliance.
Options for Integrating Legacy Systems
As noted, one of the challenges in modernizing legacy applications is data migration. After all, you want to preserve your existing data in your new system while ensuring that it remains accurate and accessible. Fortunately, there are a number of different options when it comes to integrating your legacy system into your new application. Below are the most common options.
- Extraction. This process involves removing your data from the legacy system and loading it directly into the new system. This often requires converting the old data from the legacy system’s storage structure to that of the new system.
- Replication. In contrast, replication involves making a copy of the data from the legacy system and placing it into the new system.
- Virtualization. Virtualization means keeping the data in the legacy system’s storage and instead designing the new system to be able to access it. This can often be implemented more quickly.
- Warehousing. A popular option for larger organizations, data warehousing involves removing the data from your legacy system and placing it in a storage area. The new system is then configured to access old data from this storage.
- Cloud Storage. Most people are familiar with how cloud storage functions. In this scenario, the legacy system’s data would simply be extracted and placed in the cloud. The new system would then be configured to access it.
- Hybrid Approach. Depending on your organization’s needs, a combination of these data migration options can be used to create the most ideal solution.
Need Guidance on How to Modernize Your Legacy System?
Most data systems eventually go from behind a resource to a burden. If your organization is using a legacy system, the benefits for modernizing it may outweigh the costs. IT professionals will attest that legacy technology simply is not a great option for educational institutions. If you would like to modernize your legacy systems but don’t know where to start, Common Good is happy to help guide you through this process. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are considering this process and have questions.
