If there’s one thing we’d like to share with you, it’s this: Upgrade isn’t a dirty word—at least in the cloud. Something we discussed in our last blog, there’s a reason you’ve been putting off making the change from “legacy ERP 7/8/9” to “legacy ERP version 10” (or whatever numbering system it uses)—upgrading in the legacy world takes a lot of work.
Thanks to the technological advancements made, a move to the cloud could actually be the last upgrade you’ll ever make. Understandably, if you’ve ignored the talk about the cloud over the last decade, you may be a bit reluctant. However, too often, this reluctance is based in a legacy mindset.
In fact, many companies make excuses because they expect their move from legacy ERP to cloud ERP to be just as complicated as their move to the product they currently use. It’s a limiting mindset, so we decided to show you why. Here are just three of the common myths that decision makers tell themselves to avoid a change.
Excuse 1: We Can’t Afford Fixing Integrations Twice a Year
If you’ve been following our blog for any time or have been looking at cloud solutions, one thing you’ll notice is the sheer frequency of updates. For companies like yours, the thought of a biannual update probably elicits eyerolls, but semiannual? Madness!
Rationale: Updates Are Awful with Legacy ERP, Why Would They Be Any Better Now?
This is a mindset based on how legacy ERP works. It’s the reason that according to Forrester, ERP customers are on releases that are two versions behind the current release. The sad reality is that for almost every business, “version-lock” happens. Each customization, change, or integration builds up, and even a minor update requires you to redo everything.
Reality: Updates Are Less Hectic in the Cloud.
Things change. What used to be a hand-coded way of connecting applications has been replaced with an application programming interface. Those APIs evolved from solution-specific to Open APIs that rely on common languages. In turn, connections are more resilient, updates are easier, and disruption is nonexistent during said updates.
Excuse 2: Our People Already Know this UI
Another worry that many companies may have about making a change in ERP is the change in experience that comes with it. Though this critique may be more justifiable than excuse one. After all, any change in user experience is one that requires adjustment, this is still one that is often more exaggerated than warranted. That said, it’s rooted in the legacy mindset.
Rationale: ERP is Complicated; One Interface is Hard Enough to Learn
We understand the concern, because as you know, this is one of those things that isn’t ERP-exclusive. It’s the same reason many people balked at the end of support for Windows 7, change is hard. Understandably, change is even harder when your people have been using the same software for a decade, have gotten used to the clunky interface, adjusted to the quirks, and expect the same from every ERP.
Reality: Modern ERP is Intuitive
Your legacy ERP experience can be summed up perfectly by a quote from the movie, The Shawshank Redemption. “These walls are funny. First you hate them, then you get used to them. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.”
The problem with the apprehensive mindset is that you’re simply adjusting to the legacy software, not embracing a solution that’s easy to use. While modern ERP still has a learning curve, it’s nowhere near as steep. Plus, today’s ERP delivers something we call a three-legged stool—functional, easy-to-use, and well supported.
Bonus Reality: People Retire—And You Still Have to Train New Users on Your Current ERP
In the early days of ERP very few of your employees ever put their hands directly on ERP. That privilege was reserved for data entry staff and select super users. However, how old are these power users? People retire, and you begin to see that they were the only ones who were used to the quirks. Now, you have to train new users on the software, which means exposing them to the steep learning curve of your old product.
Modern ERP has to deliver those three benefits mentioned above—because more people throughout the organization use it. More people using a solution requires it to be more user friendly. Cloud solutions deliver both intuitiveness and role-focused functionality.
Excuse 3: It’s Cheaper to Stick with What We Have
“Ok,” you may think, “but moving to the latest edition of our ERP would still be cheaper.”
Reality: Is It?
The rationale is simple—but flawed. If you’re like those businesses mentioned earlier who are more than two editions behind on their product, guess what? Despite a lack of notable improvement since you last implemented a product, a whole lot has changed. Depending on its age—and especially if catching up a few versions, the upgrade is closer to implementing a new product than it is to a slightly iterative improvement.
Start adding up the costs of continued use—new licenses, new servers (and software for them), another set of new servers when the first ones need replaced, the time to install. Then, let’s not forget the annual charge: 20-30% of the licenses every year for support—you know, for those updates you never install. Or, check out this ROI calculator.
At this point, you basically completed a significant upgrade that was akin to an implementation… only to receive insignificant improvement. Oh, and let’s not forget about the declining base of support partners for your product—the law of supply and demand and whatnot. In reality, it’s not going to be cheaper.
MIBAR Whitepaper: The Last Upgrade You’ll Ever Need
Stop making excuses—it’s time to join the scores of companies who have put their business in the cloud and never looked back. If you’re looking to learn more about why an upgrade from legacy to the cloud is less of a hassle than updating your current product, we recently released a whitepaper explaining just how easy it is to make the move.
In our whitepaper, titled Why Replacing Legacy Systems with a Cloud Solution is Now Mission Critical, you’ll learn about:
- How the business landscape has changed, requiring a new approach to running an organization.
- Six areas where modern cloud solutions deliver (that legacy products can’t).
- A special offer from MIBAR designed to help you make a switch during the COVID-19 pandemic
We’ve Made Your Decision Easier (and Cheaper): Data Conversion, Compliments of MIBAR
In fact, we can get everything set up for you from the comfort of our quarantines, so you’re ready to hit the ground running when the economy bounces back.
