8. System considerations

If the change involves a new software system or database, then a number of things need to be considered

Training

Staff may need to be re-trained to use the new system. For example, a payroll office that has used the same accounting system for years and a new one is to be implemented. All staff need to be trained in the new system before it becomes 'live'.

 

Data migration

Many systems take over from an older one and so the question is how does the old data get moved over to the new one. Quite often the old data is not in the right format and so a process of conversion needs to take place that staff will be involved with.

 

Switching over

This is the point at which the old system is switched off and the new one is switched on. There are two ways of doing this a) after data migration, switch off the old system. b) Migrate the old data up to a specific point in time, but then carry on using the old system alongside the new one for a while. Data is duplicated until final switchover.

 

Disaster recovery

Changing a system is a risky business as you do not want to disrupt or cripple the business. And so there should be a plan in place of how to restore the old system if the new one has a serious problem. Staff need to be confident that they will be able to carry on even if the new system fails.

 

Help system

Even after training, staff will need to have a support system in place if they need help. This may be part of the system itself or it may be a help desk with trained IT staff on hand.

 

Business process change

Most systems are there to support some business process within the organisation. The current process should be analysed to see if changes are required because of the new system. Expert staff should be consulted as part of this analysis.

 

challenge see if you can find out one extra fact on this topic that we haven't already told you

Click on this link: Creating a business process