Technology migration: is my equipment obsolete?

Technology changes every day, saturating the market with innovative offers that replace recently purchased equipment. There are also new technologies that make it difficult for companies’ Systems and Information Technology departments to face the challenge of deciding when their equipment has become obsolete and when they should migrate to new work schemes.

在流动性方面,认为那是一个错误t a team has become archaic just because a new one is launched on the market. This is not a clear indicator that the life of the device has already expired, but it may be a first warning. Obsolescence is a relatively subjective term, as technologies rarely come to a complete stop, but rather a gradual decline in performance is usually observed.

These changes may be invisible to users and system administrators, thus disguising the need for an update. However, these bypasses can be very costly, especially when multiplied by the number of computers and users that use them on a daily basis.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AN OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT?

One of the most common signs of aging within equipment is battery performance over time, especially in mobile devices whose power sources may not last long. Continuing to use old batteries requires more time to recharge, in addition to not allowing more lighting on computer screens, fewer barcode readings and wireless transmissions, as well as slow processing operations.

The simplest solution would be to continually replace them; however, these types of actions can cover up some more costly consequences. Forcing workers to take time out of their shift to recharge batteries can reduce productivity. Also, repeatedly replacing old batteries with new ones incurs considerable purchase and maintenance cost.

When operators have to waste valuable seconds re-scanning codes that failed to read or have to wait for the mobile terminal to process the application to display a result, many of the benefits are savings in time, labor and increased productivity. they are lost

Another issue isupdating equipment,which is commonly resolved by uploading new applications. But most of the time, the above results in memory capacity being affected, as well as in processing and response time. The situation becomes even more complicated when working with proprietary systems, since specialized knowledge is required to update them and make the necessary modifications.

When users begin to experience the effects of aging equipment or notice an increase in the number of repairs and replacements they have to do, it’s time to plan how their mobile systems will be managed. It is necessary to consider that although keeping the equipment for a long time can contribute to an exceptional Return on Investment (ROI), the drops in productivity and an increase in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) can overshadow the original returns.

At this point, the most important decision must be made: start the migration to next-generation equipment or allocate more budget and support time to keep current devices running. Old systems can be useful for many years, however they are extremely difficult to expand beyond their capabilities or to replicate their applications in new installations, which can limit future growth.

HOW TO MIGRATE TOWARDS A NEW TECHNOLOGY?

Any changes organizations make to their processes must be justified in terms of costs and benefits, and technology upgrades are no exception. However, this registration is not always straightforward as new systems cannot be immediately compared to those that are being replaced. Of course, performance will be faster and more reliable than predecessors, but head-to-head comparisons don’t tell the whole picture because there will be new features whose benefits were not anticipated and for which metrics were not available.

When thinking about acquiring new equipment, it is necessary to consider that these may have greater processing capabilities for wireless communication standards. In this way, communication is efficient and the need for other equipment, such as cell phones or additional bar code readers, is eliminated.

In the field of automatic data capture, the state of the art is integrating several functions into a single device: scanning barcodes, recording the customer’s signature, and taking a photo as proof of delivery, all providing real-time documentation that it will never have to be manually entered into the system.

The cost of a total change in hardware, software and business processes is most likely something that organizations cannot manage. This is not why updating should be neglected, since one way to start the migration is by choosing computers that support terminal emulation, in such a way that they can be adapted to future requirements but also support previous applications, that is, that they are compatible with different generations of products.

Whatever decision is made, it is important to consider that technology moves and evolves rapidly. For this reason, it is convenient to adopt systems based on and attached to standards that will not become obsolete so quickly when work networks increase their speed or different security options are found on the market.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL MIGRATION

There are some basic factors to take into account:

  • Set a life limit for current and outdated systems.
  • Thoroughly review your business processes, especially those that are bottlenecks. Investigate if these operations can be improved using new tools.
  • Analyze where your business is going to move, what potential changes there will be and how these will impact your new systems.
  • Do not advance your Information Technology area to meet today’s needs without envisioning the near future of your company.
  • Find and take advantage of standards.
  • Adopt computers with expandable memory, so applications can be upgraded or support any additional information in the future.
  • Make sure that the use of a radio technology in the device is not exclusive.
  • 测试技术。
  • If you don’t have the equipment or staff to carry out the implementation, turn toConsulting Professional Services.

If you are looking to make a change in your equipment and you do not know where to start, contact us to give you advice.

info@nexonautomation.com

Source: https://wylsolutions.blogspot.com/

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