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ECM Migration – What’s blocking your upgrade? The 4 main challenges preventing you from migrating/upgrading your ECM.

You reach that point! Your Legacy ECM System is not easy to operate anymore, and your users describe it as a slow, complex and with an outdated UI design (providing a bad user experience). So, what’s preventing you from moving to something different? Something more modern, technologic advanced (AI-powered) and with a clean user interface that powers users experience?

Well, let’s be fair here… a lot of concerns may be stopping you from do exactly that!

As analysed before in this technical article, the migration process should be completed as seamlessly as possible with minimal service disruption, and with a minimum impact on the business. Nonetheless, and as we know, this is not always this simple, and you may not be ready for that!

When it comes to content migration, it’s usual for organizations to struggle with some aspects very meaningful before they decide to proceed, such as:

    • Investment needed in time and money (both in human resources as well as in new hardware/software).
    • Service downtime, compatibility, data loss and even security.
    • Peoples’ training, confusion and disorganization – very common in scenarios of migration to new environments.
    • And the biggest concern of them all, Content & URL Structure – Migrating content, but maintaining the same files URL’s is, without a doubt, a concern to have your eyes on!

In the other hand, migrating to a more advanced and modern ECM system, may enable you not only to get more from your data, by converting and normalizing legacy content, but also:

    • Modernize your ECM technology with AI automation tools.
    • Improve and speed up your users’ access to information.
    • Reduce the total of cost and power up productivity.

Well, we have the solution to overcome all your concerns and help you achieve the sweet benefits, but first let’s look at the problems referred to in more detail!

URL Structure (One of the main concerns) – Migrating content, but maintain the same files URL’s

Migrating content, but maintain the same files URL’s

This is maybe the reason why you are reading this article, and THE concern that is preventing you from migrating to a modern ECM System! In fact, this scenario can be a big challenge. For example, if you are moving off from an older system that rely on folder-based structure, it’ll be necessary to remap everything in the new environment. Obviously, this is a task not meant to be done by yourself, or even by hand, and for what is needed automation!

Not only that, but it’s usual when moving content to a modern ECM System, that files need to be updated. For example, if your system used to store documents as images (something that is used by some legacy systems to improve viewing performance) the migration will involve converting those images to pdf. The same applies to documents such as: MS Word; MS Excel; Keynotes, and even videos.

There is a solution to do this migration painlessly – it calls Texport! Nonetheless, despite Texport’s new mindset for upgrades and content transfer, planning and testing is a crucial need… don’t go alone, if you need help, just reach us!

These are the 3 other concerns that may prevent you from migrating/upgrading your ECM.

1) Investment needed in time and money (both in human resources as well as in new hardware/software)

3 concerns that may prevent you from migrating or upgrading your ECM

By now, your Legacy ECM system has been around for a long time… over that time, it has been tweaked and enhanced, and the word “migration”, at least for you, means a lot of money invested in those enhancements thrown away. And there’s even more! The process of migrating to a new ECM System may also involve an investment in human resources (consultants, technicians, and others) and, most of the times, new software, hardware, or cloud services fees.

All these investments in time and money can make you easily ignoring the best for your users (workforce) or even the clients, and given that, you usually delay your ECM System upgrade “to next year”!

We all know that the most relevant metrics for companies are the financial gains. But be aware that, as you can see in our article: How an ECM System can benefit your company? ” – there are several benefits that make the all process worthwhile!

2) Service downtime, compatibility, data loss and even security

3 concerns that may prevent you from migrating or upgrading your ECM

So, your old system has a lot of data in it, some of those documents are quite older, and you already thinking about the impact that a migration or upgrade may have…

As a matter of fact, when migrations of content are being made, there’s a possibility for some of that data to be lost. It may be not a problem if that data is not important or can easily be restored from previous backups. But there are documents much more sensible and serious! No one wants to compromise confidential or private information that needs to be protected. And that’s not only a real data loss issue, but also an important security concern!

Of course, migrate content from one environment to another is theoretically a simple task, but believe in us… things are much more complicated! For example, as content is moved, eventually, some compatibility problems may occur, some files can become inaccessible, and user’s permissions may not be migrated, preventing users from accessing to data. Worst-case scenario is, of course, the entire system collapse once it’s migrated from its legacy environment.

Finally, software compatibility! Yes, it’s true… despite the efforts, sometimes the destination environment cannot handle the migrated data. In fact, if we think carefully, it’s a lot of optimism think that all documents can be migrated between ECM Systems without worries. We are talking about different environments, repositories, technologies, hardware, and so on…

Despite all problems, content migration does not have to be a pain! Check out Texport – a Texter Blue’s migration tool that enables you to upgrade your organization’s content management system to a modern, flexible, AI powered, compliant platform, providing a better experience for your users and clients – quickly and painlessly!

3) People training, confusion and disorganization – very common in scenarios of migration to new environments.

3 concerns that may prevent you from migrating or upgrading your ECM

Leaving the technical issues behind, we stumble upon another big concern… people! In fact, most problems of data migration originate in confusion, disorganization, or failure to adequately prepare people to deal with it… and that’s your company problem. It’s true that modern tools like Texport can easily migrate your content, but it all comes down to people responsibility to prepare, plan, and underestimate the time and effort necessary to achieve a successful migration.

Well, people are not literally a concern, in most scenarios it’s more about their reactions to something new, and the way your company deals with those reactions, despite there be good or bad. So, be aware that developing an inclusive and comprehensive content migration plan focused on people should always be your company first step… and don’t forget their training!

For example, if you are migrating your ECM System to a brand new and different environment, you should focus on training the users to work with it.  Not only that, but you must also keep in mind that users usually see migrations, innovation and optimization as a burden, and not as an improvement… remember what we said in the article Modern ECM’s in Digital Transformation“Let go of “this is the way things have always been done” mindset!” – and only training can do that!

Welcome to Texport – a Texter Blue’s migration tool that enables you to upgrade your ECM System quickly and painlessly!

ECM Migration - What's blocking your upgrade?

Texport introduces a new mindset for upgrades and content transfer, we’ve developed a solution that exports and imports at object level supporting all Alfresco (as well as other ECM’s) object types and it carries the symbology of true export.

Texport provides the opportunity to implement a clever digital transformation to the way the companies interact with their digital content, consolidating and enriching data – tagging, categorizing, auto-classification, applying AI – thus increasing efficiency and optimizing the investment.

You are not alone in this! Be in the front line of digital transformation and get the most of your data by migrating/updating your ECM System… Texter Blue is here to help you providing the best results! Make sure you read our news and articles, and contact us.