Altsystem migration: risk management and fallback strategies for a smooth transition

The Altsystem migration is a necessary step for many companies to remain competitive and not lose the connection technologically. Outdated systems are often expensive in maintenance, uncertain and can slow down the digital transformation of a company.

But the transition to a new IT infrastructure is complex and has numerous risks. Careful planning, comprehensive risk management and thought-out fallback strategies are crucial for the success of such a project.

In this post we highlight the most common dangers and show how to make your old system migration safe and efficient.

The mosquitoes of the old system migration: 7 common risks

Short: A migration of old systems is far more than just a technical upgrade.

A migration of old systems is far more than just a technical upgrade. It concerns processes, data and not least the employees of a company. Without predictive planning, unforeseen problems can occur that are sensitive to business operations.

Based on experiences from numerous migration projects, seven central risks have emerged which must be taken into account.

1. Written and outdated data

Over the years, large amounts of data are collected in old systems. Not all of these data are still relevant or in a consistent format.

If outdated or faulty data are taken into the new system without testing, this can lead to considerable process disorders and data silos.

For example, old form numbers or customer addresses that are no longer valid can impair the functionality of the new system.

2. Vulnerabilities in the old system

Old systems often have known or undiscovered vulnerabilities. If these weaknesses are not identified and closed during migration, they can be transferred to the new system.

This represents a significant security risk and can endanger the integrity and confidentiality of your business data.

3. Operating interruptions (Downtime)

Complete system migration can rarely be carried out overnight or on a weekend. Particularly in complex IT landscapes, staggered migrations are necessary.

If various departments work in the transition phase with different systems, this can lead to communication problems and process interruptions that are sensitive to business operations.

4. Missing or insufficient rollback strategy

Even in the best planning, unforeseen problems can occur. In this case, a detailed rollback strategy is essential.

If such a plan fails, or if it is insufficient, a failed migration attempt can lead to significant data losses and long downtimes. A well-thought-out rollback strategy allows for quick and safe ursp in emergency

References and further reading

Short: The following independent references complement the topics in this article:

The following independent references complement the topics in this article:

• Bitkom – German digital industry association
• German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)
• European Commission – Digital strategy
• MDN Web Docs (Mozilla)
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium

"APIs are the backbone of modern systems; stabilise contracts early or pay twice in integration work later."

— Björn Groenewold, Managing Director, Groenewold IT Solutions