IT transformation success increases operational efficiency
One of the major challenges that Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) face today is ensuring a seamless IT transformation across their businesses. The reason many companies are failing to achieve effective and long-lasting change is due to existing technology legacy systems that do not align with current goals, and harbour hidden costs and barriers.
The more complex the market sector, the greater the risk that unknown systems and processes are keeping dreams of profit from coming true. This is the ‘Curse of the Zombies’ that troubles many industries and sectors when they embark on mission-critical IT transformation projects.
Why are Zombies rampant in telecoms?
Telecoms firms began as national or regional public sector utilities, sometimes tied to other services such as post offices. As time went on, these public sector telecommunications firms were privatised in whole or in part. When mobile services emerged, many new operators joined the market. These too were privatised, merged or acquired – often across borders.
European telecoms providers have developed through an uneven process of mergers, acquisitions and organic growth. This evolution has left a complex and often dysfunctional legacy of technologies and processes that are not only now unfit for purpose, but detrimental to the business.
Lack of documentation and staff turnover leave many systems and components with unclear origins, functions and associated risks. Thus, they are left undisturbed to avoid unintended consequences.
How can telecoms break ‘the Curse of the Zombies?
CTOs need to ensure that IT transformations serve today’s customers and ensure maximum operational efficiency. It’s essential that “Zombie machines” are identified and dealt with promptly so that they can be safely removed with minimal disruption to the IT ecosystem. They can be found in varied layers of the IT infrastructure, in back office and front office processes.
Vendors and telecoms must work together to remove these monsters so that efficiency can define operations today. In a Better Connected World, tech partners must always consider on-the-ground realities. Weeding out the zombies by culling all the legacy gear is not the answer. Useful equipment should be left in place, with default system integration concepts such as ‘rip and replace’ rejected in favour of what works, and what is achievable in the short to medium term.
On the customer side, tough choices and renewed courage are needed. Not all legacy infrastructure is harmful or obsolete, but Zombie equipment is. And while removal bears a short-term risk of disruption, the benefits of IT transformation are worth it.
