CHALLENGE FORUM PARTICIPANTS
As digital transformation accelerates, organisations increasingly want to leverage modern technologies and infrastructure to enable innovation and growth. However, many are constrained by historical legacy systems that house critical enterprise data spanning decades. Migrating this data to new environments, while maintaining integrity, security, and accessibility presents a major challenge.
To explore pragmatic solutions, TechPros.io recently convened a Challenge Forum industry experts. The participants engaged in an insightful dialogue on the nuances of migrating legacy data and systems to more agile architectures. Following the forum, they offered perspectives on proven approaches drawn from real-world modernization initiatives.
🎙️ Listen to the full interview in the Enterprise Thought Leadership podcast, powered by TechPros.io
As digital transformation accelerates, organisations increasingly want to leverage modern technologies and infrastructure to enable innovation and growth. However, many are constrained by historical legacy systems that house critical enterprise data spanning decades. Migrating this data to new environments, while maintaining integrity, security, and accessibility presents a major challenge.
To explore pragmatic solutions, TechPros.io recently convened a Challenge Forum industry experts. The participants engaged in an insightful dialogue on the nuances of migrating legacy data and systems to more agile architectures. Following the forum, they offered perspectives on proven approaches drawn from real-world modernization initiatives.
David Williamson, CIO at biotech company Abzena, emphasised the importance of creating a comprehensive roadmap when transitioning legacy systems. "I'm trying to look at least 5 years out into the future," he said. "The more detailed roadmap maintains timelines for projects across different functional areas."
Williamson suggested including legacy system specifics, data enrichments required, and security and infrastructure upgrades in the plan. He also advised mapping relationships between data sources and business meaning.
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Telling that story connects the dots on why foundational elements like infrastructure matter to achieve the end result stakeholders want.
With regulatory requirements to retain scientific data spanning decades, Abzena's roadmap focuses on gracefully transitioning historical data on a thoughtful timeline.
David Gramblicka, an IT leader in insurance, cautioned that short-term fixes often backfire when migrating legacy data.
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You have to validate that the data is accurate before shifting it. Otherwise, you risk corrupting information that’s been accumulating for years.
He advised thorough verification of any transformations applied to legacy data, extensive testing, and documentation of business processes tied to the data. For core systems, Gramblicka suggested regular reviews of current capabilities. “Long-time users are often unaware of upgrades that could eliminate pain points,” he said.
With data central to most modernization initiatives, Gramblicka emphasised multi-year timelines over quick wins. “You have to lay the proper foundation before layering on AI or automation,” he said.
Wil van der Walt, VP of Data Governace at Live Oak Bank, considers lightweight and practical governance as essential when transitioning legacy platforms.
“It’s about shared decision making across business and technology teams, not red tape,” he explained. To promote buy-in, van der Walt forms small governance groups of 5-6 cross-functional members to create streamlined charters.
"We put together a one-page document and chart that clearly defines the scope, objectives, timeline, benefits and success metrics," he said. With the team involved in shaping the program, adoption is smoother. He also noted that addressing data quality issues is an early priority.
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You need trust in the data before taking on new initiatives that depend on it.
"Migrating legacy systems is an enormous undertaking,” said Alex Kangoun, President of data management consultancy Athena Solutions. “Trying to do too much too quickly can paralyse progress.”
Instead, Kangoun emphasised a roadmap with a phased approach focused on decoupling data from legacy systems into a modern data estate. He advised concentrating initially on foundational elements like data management, security, and infrastructure.
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Once you have the right platform in place, you can begin shifting legacy data in stages while maintaining live systems. This might involve starting with customer data in CRM systems, for example. Incremental success builds momentum and confidence.
Kangoun also stressed the importance of data governance spanning legacy and new systems. “Trust diminishes if data differs across environments,” he noted. “Consistent meaning, quality and access are crucial.”
With meticulous planning and phased execution, migrating from legacy to modern systems can unlock innovation, analytics and growth. But experts caution that rushing the process jeopardises years of historical data. As Williamson advised, “Take the time to do it right. Your legacy is your future.”
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Athena Solutions
Athena Solutions is an IT and business intelligence firm focusing on helping businesses maximize ROI from data and analytics investments. They provide tailored solutions, innovative data transformation strategies, and practical IT consulting. Their approach includes close collaboration with clients, expert guidance, and fostering strong partnerships. Athena's services enable organizations to enhance their data capabilities, make data-driven decisions, and gain a competitive edge in the digital landscape.
Contact Athena for a Complimentary Data Modernization Assessment by emailing info@athena-solutions.com
A great forum to remind us that we're not alone. Senior marketing leaders are facing the same challenges, just in a slightly different shape. The Challenge Forum is a proactive way to share and learn how others are dealing with these universal issues.
Emily Tippins
CMO, Avantra
It's not often that as a busy marketer, that you get a chance to spend some high-quality time in the company of peers and go meaningfully deep into a real marketing challenge. The Challenge Forum is both interesting and challenging, and I would recommend it.
Dave Hughes
Head of Marketing, Ideal