IT Captains: You Need a SPOC for Your Enterprise!

Stop Relying on Outdated Database Conversion Methods—Embrace SPOC!

Many organizations are struggling to manage legacy databases and applications that are vital to their core operations.

As technology advances and the need for competitiveness intensifies, companies face the challenge of upgrading their systems and databases to more modern, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. However, these upgrades often come with risks, including potential data loss and system downtime during the conversion process, as well as the need for expertise in developing changes to database structures and code. Identifying necessary application changes requires understanding existing logic, and in some cases, rewriting elements entirely.

You and Your Leadership Team Deserve Project and Cost Certainty

Unpredictable risks and high costs will not inspire confidence in your executive leadership team when it comes to endorsing a project. Perception is crucial; thus, you must persuade budget holders and stakeholders of the necessity and benefits of database conversion while clearly demonstrating the process involved.

The Scalable Proof of Concept (SPOC)

The SPOC serves as a delivery framework to evaluate the functionality of potential database candidates based on clearly defined current and future use cases. It’s essential to note that many companies make their New database selections solely on what their current database lacks, rather than considering future needs. This often leads to a “like-for-like” comparison instead of a forward-thinking approach.

Adopting an Agile methodology, the SPOC identifies key minimum requirements and accelerates feedback from application users.

This approach allows decision-makers to quickly determine whether the new database meets application requirements and user needs, or if it reveals shortcomings (and reveals them swiftly). This positions decision-makers to assess whether these shortcomings are deal-breakers or can be addressed collaboratively by changing or enhancing the application.

If the software exceeds expectations, this overperformance can be measured against established metrics. These results can be shared with business sponsors and users, showcasing improvements and demonstrating that the new database solution can deliver beyond the initial scope of user requirements.

A three-stage process is typically is followed:

A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) brings invaluable expertise and experience to the table, particularly when navigating the complexities of database conversions. Planning for this task can often feel daunting, leading to a myriad of questions that may arise:

What options are available for migrating or retaining the current database?
What potential cost savings can be realized?
Should I consider on-premises, data center, or public cloud solutions?
If opting for the cloud, should we select a single provider or multiple providers?
Are Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle the only viable options?
What approach should we take—side by side or inline?
Can we accommodate downtime, and what are our Recovery Point and Recovery Objectives?
How swiftly can the data be transferred?

So, why is having a SPOC essential for your enterprise?

Traditionally, the methods for selecting a database outlined above have proven to be effective and appropriate. Historically, they have led to successful database conversions that meet the majority of an organisations requirements..

Small Steps with Continuous Feedback

Incremental steps allow decision-makers to identify issues on a small scale, treating minor problems as manageable challenges. This approach also helps quantify the effort and resources needed to resolve issues at a production level. As users interact with the target database and application, they begin to grasp its capabilities and the scope of the tasks involved, enabling them to accurately forecast the resources and investments necessary for the conversion. By utilizing a variety of databases, a diverse range of outcomes can be achieved, which can then be measured against the metrics established prior to the selection process.

Legacy Databases include:

Oracle
SQL Server
Sybase
Informix
DB2
Ingres

Modern Databases include:

MySQL
Postgres
Cassandra
MongoDB
Aurora

User buy-in

Active involvement from all business areas in the process enables a clearer understanding of how Database Conversion addresses their real-world needs. This staged approach facilitates either the adoption or rejection of the selected database.

The Single Point of Contact (SPOC) showcases the capabilities of the new database and software, which can be evaluated against various metrics. This assessment provides valuable evidence of what is achievable and the potential benefits.

Finance Buy-in

As well the benefits of technical engagement there is also the benefit of quantifying the investment required to buy and implement the Database and Application conversion.

As the SPOC is defined as a scalable solution accurate measurement of costs and return on investment (ROI) can be calculated and this can be applied to the real-life conversion and then estimates can be made for other requirements safe in the knowledge that the conversion will deliver the required results.

Finance Sponsors are more likely to invest in a conversion project if the returns are known and based upon hard facts, figures and metrics rather than estimates, possible’s or probable’s.

Executive Buy-in

As with many projects, the executive is keen to identify the benefits and improvements that the investment in time, energy and resources will make to the underlying health of the organisation, people and processes.

Because demonstrable and evidence-based results can be shown against the baseline metrics and desired stated outcome Executive sponsors are much more confident in their decision-making and know what to expect as the outcome once the SPOC selection process is complete.

Summary

Selecting a new database at the enterprise level is rarely a quick, easy, or cost-effective endeavor. Relying solely on traditional selection methods may lead to challenges in recognizing the true value of a database or fully understanding the costs associated with redeveloping the application at scale.

A Scalable Proof of Concept should address as many technical, organizational, and user requirements within the project scope as possible, allowing for scaling without the need for reconfiguration or modification. This approach adds significant value during the database selection and conversion process, even before deployment in to a production environment.