Technology migration isn’t fun. It occurs when changes require the organization switch to a different technology. This happens when it has outgrown its current systems or needs capabilities they can’t deliver. You do it when you have no choice, but it entails substantial risk.

Last October wiredFINANCE started to address some of the costs of changing technology, here. All the big technology vendors—IBM, HP, Oracle, others—zero in on the migration issue as part of their efforts to get companies like yours to switch to their products.

IBM has gone so far as to bundle its system migration tools and services into a package it calls the Migration Factory. The IBM process recognizes the risks from the start and addresses the five primary concerns executives have when faced with a technology migration.

According to IBM, the five biggest migration risks are:

1. Technical risks—Is this the right system or technology? Will it work with the applications and data we already have? Do we need special tools and can we get them?

2. Unpredictable costs—Can we do this within the existing budget? How are we funding this? Have we correctly identified all the associated costs? Does it deliver a positive ROI?

3. Scheduling concerns—When will we make this change? How much will it disrupt operations? What is the best time to undertake this? What are the risks of waiting?

4. Skills and culture issues—Can our people operate and maintain this system? Have we lined up the necessary outside experts? Have we planned for additional training? Are we prepared to manage this change?

5. Operations risks—Do we have a contingency plan? Do we have a test strategy? How do we ensure it will deliver the expected performance and reliability levels? What are we forgetting?

Beyond the risks, IBM identifies four key considerations when attempting any IT system migration. First, you need to assess the readiness of the existing IT infrastructure, which consists of the servers, storage networks, and security technologies. Then, you need to look at your primary databases and determine if they are sufficient or need to be upgraded or migrated too. After that, check any custom applications you may be running. They may have to be revamped or replaced or otherwise modernized. Finally, check with your packaged software providers to make sure their applications will run with your new system.

Most major technology vendors offer packages consisting of some combination of tools, testing and assessment methodologies, and professional services to help you migrate to their technologies. IBM, as noted above, has its Migration Factory. HP offers HP Migration Services. Oracle, too, offers migration services. Big ERP systems like SAP present a high risk migration challenge all their own, so much so that SAP has its own migration offering.

Businesses grow and change, and information systems get obsolete or become unsuitable. At some point technology migration is unavoidable.