7 Signs It's Time to Upgrade Your Technology Stack for Your Business

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Any time you are considering a change to your tech stack, you need to consider two key things: business needs and technology needs. If you focus solely on the business piece without considering technology concerns, you may end up keeping outdated technology longer than you should, or you may end up purchasing a new system that doesn’t do what you need it to do. On the other hand, if you consider the technology side of the equation without a laser focus on business needs and benefits, you may end up investing in exciting new tech that does nothing to empower your business objectives.

If your tech stack is under performing on one or both counts, it’s time for an intervention. Here are 7 signs to watch for:

Negatively Impact On Your Business Due To Outdated Technology

This is a broad statement, to be sure. We mean that you are wasting too much time, energy, and money dealing with technology, which is preventing you from moving forward with your business goals.

How does that look? You may be receiving an unusually high volume of support requests, having difficulty hiring IT staff due to outdated technology, or spending more time and money than necessary on bug fixes. Employees may be unable to perform their duties efficiently, or they may resort to elaborate workarounds to solve problems. We're not saying you need the most cutting-edge new tool on the market. However, if your technology is impeding business growth or development, it's time to make some changes.

Technology Cannot Scale

Scalability is more than just your technology's ability to handle traffic and load. It's also about having code that makes it easy to add new tools or meet changing requirements.

If your framework is clumsy, old, or bloated, it can slow down your processes and make innovation difficult. Old technology isn't always bad; in some cases, keeping the current technology makes sense because replacing it would halt operations and be prohibitively expensive. However, it is a red flag when your technology is unable to meet your company's growing needs.

You're Busy Fixing Bugs

Bug squashing is a necessary part of technology, but it should not consume an inordinate amount of time. If you find yourself repeatedly attempting to fix problems that crop up any time you make a tiny adjustment to software applications or requirements, then you need to take a closer look at the quality of your code. Before you can add new features or fix bugs, you may need to refactor old or poorly written code.

Difficulty Finding Qualified Developers to Work With Your Tech

This is an issue that often gets overlooked, but it can end up creating major challenges. It is difficult to support old technology. When hiring internally, it takes time to find someone who has the necessary knowledge and credentials to work on your technology while also being a good fit for your team.

If you outsource the maintenance, you may have difficulty finding developers who support obsolete technology. This is especially true for older ERP systems that may no longer be supported by their original developers. At Ciphernutz IT Services, we pride ourselves on having a team of highly skilled and experienced developers ready to tackle your tech challenges. Our experts specialize in creating seamless, innovative solutions tailored to your unique needs.

Security Concerns

As technology progresses, so does the number of cyber threats you must contend with. Antivirus software and spam filters will not be enough to keep today's sophisticated threats at bay, and if your tech stack lacks adequate security protocols, you could face serious issues. Inadequate configurations in your tech stack or cloud safeguards can also leave you vulnerable to accidental data exposure.

Current Code Is Incapable Of Supporting New Technology Requirements

Code ages and becomes difficult to manage. Old code and technology accumulates "technical debt" as your company's needs for new capabilities grow. In other words, you have to pay the toll of catching up before you can move ahead and add new features. As you try to build new functions on top of code that wasn't designed to support them, you may encounter navigation problems, kernel panics, and time-consuming inefficiencies.

Tech Stack Couldn't Work With New Tools

New software tools that use AI, machine learning, or IoT technology can make your company more productive and cost efficient. However if your tech stack can't integrate with them, you're out of luck. A gleaming new tool is worthless unless it is built on a solid, functional technological foundation.

What to Do When You Know Your Tech Stack Needs Work

Consider a scenario in which your tech stack contains several of these warning signs. What's next? Here are three pointers to help you decide what to do next:

Make a strategy

Could perhaps you replace your current technology or simply upgrade it? That's going to be contingent on the requirements of your company and your technical specifications.

Begin with a technology roadmap that identifies your current needs as well as your long-term objectives. You may not be ready for AI today, but you may want to consider adding an AI tool in the future. If this is the case, your tech stack must be capable of incorporating this type of functionality in the future.

Hire developers (at Ciphernutz)

Is there a thriving community of knowledge and support for the language and framework you've chosen for your tech stack? Is it going to be obsolete within a few years?

We use ReactJs and NodeJS at Ciphernutz because they are clean, scalable, and simple to learn and maintain. It makes it simple to find people who can keep your technology running smoothly, even if major changes are required in the future. Contact us today if you need a complete solution for your tech development needs.

Think about the innovative tools in your industry

What tools do your industry's leaders use? What technology is readily available to offer you a competitive advantage? Think about how you want to take the next step with your tech strategy, and then take into account what your tech stack needs in order to bring those fresh concepts.

Conclusion

When should you refactor your code or upgrade your technology stack? When it fails to meet your functional, productivity, talent, or customer service needs.

In an idealistic situation, your technology would always benefit your employees, business goals, and customers. If it doesn't, it's time to make a shift.