System Changeover

System changeover is about making a smooth shift from one way of doing things to another, while keeping disruption to business activities to a minimum. There are three main methods used:

• Phased implementation: A staged approach where one part of the overall system is changed at a time. If problems arise, they are limited in scope and not critical to the whole operation. Once the system has been successfully changed in one area, the rest can follow, using lessons learned from the initial rollout to make the overall changeover more successful.
• Direct changeover: A single, fixed point where the old system stops being used and the new one goes live. This is the cheapest, quickest, and easiest form of changeover, but also the riskiest: if the new system is broken or inefficient, the whole organization suffers.
• Parallel running: The old and new systems run side by side using live data, so project managers can compare the efficiency and reliability of the new system. Once they are satisfied, the old system is taken offline and the new one becomes fully active across the organization.