Change is natural.  Most people hate it, but they can’t deny that it is a part of life.

When you’re talking about electronic systems, it’s even more important to admit that change is natural, so that you can have a plan and budget in place that allows you to adapt your systems to evolving business practices.  System evolution should not be considered a failure of your initial system design – it’s an expected and necessary part of investing in a custom system.

When we build custom systems for our clients, we schedule annual Sustainability Check Meetings so that we can:

• Discuss any new ideas regarding workflow and features that may have arisen during the normal use of their system.
• Talk about new technology that may have become available since the system was initially designed, and decide if it’s a good idea to incorporate anything new to make the system more secure, usable, etc.
• Recommend a budget for designing, developing, testing, and implementing the changes.
• Recommend a Change Management Plan to educate users about the changes, to minimize end-user confusion upon implementation.

Systems that evolve with your business practices will last longer than those that are ignored.  If your system isn’t working for you, people will stop using it (or will constantly curse it), and all the money you invested in developing it will be wasted.  Continually making moderate investments in upkeep will ensure that your system retains its value over time.

Change is natural.  Don’t fight it – embrace it!

Read more - System Sustainability Part 1: Planning for Maintenance

Technology moves at 200 mph – it seems like as soon as something is released, it’s out of date!  We’ve all bought a top-of-the-line camera or laptop, only to have a new model with 10 new features released the next week that blows our model out of the water.  The good news is that it’s easier to keep software up to date because you usually don’t have to throw away your old model – you just have to spend some time tweaking the code to make sure it is keeping pace with the technology it relies on.

When we build web applications for clients, we encourage them to plan for system maintenance in their yearly budget.  We then set aside time in our schedule to perform routine maintenance activities, such as:

• Researching, developing and installing code patches for compatibility with web server, database, operating system and web browser upgrades.
• Working with internal technical support staff to coordinate system security, communicate and plan server upgrades/moves/changes and monitor/coordinate backups.
• Communication with client IT representatives to coordinate compatibility and compliance with security, data, and technology standards.
• Annual Sustainability Check Meeting to plan for system upgrades, review & revise maintenance plan recommendations, etc.

Like getting the oil changed on your car, it’s important to continue to make small investments in the upkeep of your electronic systems so they continue to hum along smoothly.  If you don’t, you’re likely to find yourself stuck by the side of the road, watching helplessly as your competitors speed by you on the information superhighway!

Read More — System Sustainability Part 2: Planning for Evolution