Anyone who has ever been responsible for IT in a company knows how complex such a task is. The larger the company, the more difficult it is to keep an eye on the big picture, because in most cases there are more than one responsible person.

Especially in the course of the digital transformation of many companies, a robust IT architecture is an indispensable basis for thinking about further digitization. Every day, we talk to people who are responsible for implementing or developing a digitization strategy. We see a lot of things – from large companies, which are still at the very beginning and have to orientate themselves, to medium-sized companies that are already very well positioned. That is indeed a great range. To ensure that you too are prepared from the outset and do not fail to overcome one of the many hurdles of digitization, we have put together the most important and common mistakes that must be avoided.

1. Always re-program everything from scratch

In general, one should learn from mistakes. But is it really necessary to restart every programming from scratch? Because you will lose precious time. Especially in the development of apps, but also in the case of changes to existing systems and programs, you could instead use a template of cases in which a similar challenge existed.

2. Always want to do everything by yourself

Nobody talks about the fact that you have to outsource your development to India. However, in some cases it makes sense to get other experts on board and let them do the work. This applies in particular to expertise that is not available in your company. If a software developer needs to familiarize himself with a new programming language or technology, it can take a lot of time and patience. Certainly, continuing education is important, but it doesn't always make sense when it comes to learning-by-doing. Rely on market experts and buy the expertise if your company does not have the necessary resources. Otherwise, promising project approaches often fall through the wayside. And honestly, don't you want to concentrate on the essentials - your core business - and spend your precious resources on it?

3. Losing the overview

Actually, this point is perfectly clear and yet it happens to so many people in charge. You lose the overview of your IT architecture. Which system is based on which one, where are important data, in which systems are they processed and how many systems do I have? If it is a large company, several hundred different systems can quickly come together. Keeping control is understandably not always easy. Careful documentation helps, but is still not standard in many companies. Especially when you add systems and applications that you don't even need to know about, it becomes tricky when you add your own departmental solutions, so-called shadow IT.

4. No further use of existing investments

Almost every IT investment had a deeper meaning at some point in time. But the earth continues to turn and companies, working methods and requirements are also evolving in the same way. But that doesn't mean that you have to throw your entire IT system out of business every few years. Data-holding systems in particular can continue to be used, even if the requirements for UI and UX change or if data has to be presented in a different context. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to merge the data of all different systems and make it available to the user depending on the context, without having to replace the old system?

5. Trust only a single system

Although there are powerful all-round providers, they rarely offer exactly the solutions you need. The more processes you try to map in a system, the more dependent you become. Then here and there something is adapted, a new function is added and the system is already indispensable, although there have been more practical solutions for certain sub-areas for a long time. The more you individualize, the more you become dependent. Therefore, you should always choose the most suitable system for your individual task, but make sure that processes are not represented in several systems if possible and that the new software simply fits into the overall structure of your existing IT.

6. Release only if it's perfect

This only applies to those IT departments in which they develop their own products. On the one hand, congratulations on your noble attitude and on the other hand, you are digging your own grave. Just get rid of the typical German overengineering, because honestly you will never be able to deliver a 100% perfect solution in the first attempt. But that's what software development is like. So get rid of the thought and let your users play guinea pigs instead. Then they feel that they have an important role to play in aligning the software and are all the more committed to providing useful and honest feedback. It is not without reason that all major software companies offer beta phases for their leading products. And you can already devote yourself to new projects in the test phase. However, you should be able to make changes to the applications quickly, and this brings us back to points 1 and 2.

Conclusion

It is not without reason that most of our customers are enthusiastic when we have introduced our low-code platform Simplifier, because this is how you avoid the most mistakes. By using the Simplifier, you only have to configure your applications once to make them available on all devices (browser, tablet, smartphone, Smartwatch, Smartglass, etc.) with their respective operating systems.

Do you want to know what this is all about? Every Wednesday we offer you two platform live sessions. From 2:00 – 2:30 pm (CET)  you will receive a general introduction to the Simplifier and learn what is so special about low-code platforms. Our specialists will also provide you a deeper insight on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:00 pm (CET). Within one hour you will receive a free demonstration of the complete platform.

* Please note that the Live Session will be in German. If you want, we can also offer the Live Session in English.

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