Legacy System Integration
Legacy System Integration: Modernising Your Business’ Ecosystem
Legacy systems are often the cornerstones of a business. Not only are they the glue that holds everything together, but everyone is used to the quirks and qualities inherent to a particular system. Because of this, and plenty of other reasons, modernising your business isn’t as simple as just implementing an upgrade.
But upgrades are often essential when modernising a business. Time marches on, and with it, changes in technology and expertise, causing legacy systems to become outdated. Recent innovations, such as the Cloud and other SaaS-based technology, often struggle interfacing with older systems. This forces businesses to invest in newer systems that run parallel to the old, creating a messy environment where neither system can function independently. Additionally, new generations of employees have little to no experience with archaic, obsolete systems, nor should they need it. This will make it a challenge to settle in new hires without an extensive training process. This begs the question – how can you upgrade your systems without causing such a multi-system headache?
Thankfully, the answer is rather simple – system integration. Integrating your legacy systems and software into one cohesive entity will modernise your infrastructure and your business as a whole, bringing benefits to you and your customers.
What is system integration?
In short, system integration is the process of connecting a series of subsystems, also known as components, into a single system that combines the functionality of its parts. This allows a business to have a single port of call for their operations, rather than be forced to interact with a series of different systems to work effectively.
Why conduct software integration?
As legacy systems are the beating heart of your business, having had the time to become part of day-to-day operations, it isn’t practical nor even financially viable to completely replace them. This being the case, it is tempting to simply leave them as is, avoiding the trouble and the cost of potentially rocking the boat. However, integrating your legacy software with more up-to-date systems will confer enormous benefits. If avoiding the aforementioned headaches isn’t persuasive enough, consider the many other ways legacy software integration can benefit your business.
Efficiency
Increased efficiency is one of the core improvements software integration can make. Though your systems may get the job done, and your employees might be used to them, it’s a given that older systems are functionally limited. The user interface is lacklustre, they are comparatively slower, have less capable tools, and are often extremely rigid in their functionality. Although such issues can be overcome, it is an obstacle to the productivity of your employees that simply isn’t necessary. Particularly not when better alternatives exist.
Security
Another critical benefit software integration can have is increased security. Firstly, legacy systems tend to have obsolete security measures. With cybersecurity being a constantly advancing frontier, outdated security is tantamount to no security at all. Secondly, though there are merits to having your data stored in multiple locations, integrating your systems into one can work wonders for security. One location makes it easier to design security solutions specifically to fit your situation, alongside having multiple security measures working in conjunction. Doing so will keep your data safe from unauthorised access attempts. Spreading your data across multiple locations will require multiple systems and security measures. Oftentimes, this will lead to increased vulnerabilities, and even increased costs.
Cost-effective
Integrating multiple systems into one core system is an excellent way to cut costs. Much of these savings will be due to reducing storage costs. Keeping your data in a centralised location will reduce the need for physical storage devices, alongside decreasing the amount of system maintenance required. Depending on how you organise your storage, you stand to save on subscriptions and other similar fees.
How to get started with system integration
While integrating legacy systems seems appealing, it can be difficult to know where to start. Keeping your legacy systems intact and operational while adopting newer, more up-to-date, technologies is a tricky enough task. Doing it well for an affordable price is even more difficult.
Despite the challenges, system integration is necessary to keep up with the advancing environments fielded by others, both businesses and clients alike. To mount an effective integration, consider some of the more commonly used approaches:
Build a custom integration
You know your business and your systems best, along with what the future holds. Perhaps you intend to implement a multitude of changes in a short space of time, or perhaps you’d rather roll out a single, large-scale update to last well into the future. Either way, building the integration yourself allows you to accommodate any changes you intend to make, in addition to including whatever features and functionality you like.
This method does come with one major drawback – cost. Building the integration yourself does give you the most flexibility, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Not only will you need to foot the bill for equipment, personnel, and the work itself, but it will take a great deal of time. Time you won’t be spending on paying clients, at least to the degree you were before work started.
API integration
This is another somewhat time-consuming solution, though one that will cost you significantly less. Using an API, or application programming interface, you will be able to connect systems that might otherwise be difficult to bring together. This is accomplished by having the API act as the bridge between user and system, taking in queries and other inputs from the user, then displaying the requested information. Using this method will require a strong development team with good knowledge of your systems, as the programming involved can get quite intricate.
Pre-built integration connectors
This final solution is the easiest, if the least customisable. Application connectors are exactly that, software that connects one application with another. They are the ideal choice for businesses looking for a simple solution, as they are built and maintained by a third party. All that is required from you is configuration, which can typically be done within a day. Once set up, you’re good to go, plus you have the support of your connector provider should you need it.
Make a start on system integration today
Legacy systems are usable, but they will only get you so far. Modernising your systems is necessary to keep up with the increasingly sophisticated technologies of today, something that will make your business operate all the more smoothly. For more information on system integration, contact Algairithm today.
