HR & IT: Collaborative Mainframe Migration
Migration Is Inevitable
Over the last few years, a number of contemporary alternatives to traditional, proprietary mainframes have reached the market. Large organizations are no longer severely restricted in their information storage and management solutions by a dearth of feasible server providers.
Eventually, the cost savings provided by the .NET platform and the risk of continuing to rely on obsolete systems will make the benefits of mainframe migration impossible to ignore. The sooner employers begin exploring their options and taking steps to modernize their infrastructure, the more viable they will remain.
Why HR Needs to Get Involved
HR can play an important role in promoting the modernization effort. The amount of data management required for Human Resources typically represents a significant percentage of an organization’s total information handling burden. HR therefore has a vested interest in the performance of the systems that store and process this data.
In industries with a high churn rate (and for companies with multiple locations) the consequences of any inaccuracy in processing data for thousands of employees can be severe. Federal and state governments can levy fines for errors and omissions in documentation regardless of the cause. This is certainly true even if an unintentional oversight was caused by a company’s use of outdated software.
Having access to HRIS workflow solutions that promote greater compliance is critical. Most of today’s HR software solutions are intended for use with modern interfaces - not with the obsolete platforms offered by mainframe giants. This means it is easier to integrate such modern applications with the new generation of servers that are designed using similar core concepts. Reducing the cost and labor involved in upgrades is in the best interests of HR and the organization as a whole.
HR Crash Course in Mainframe Migration Options
There are several different ways an organization can attempt to modernize data storage and handling. The terms “legacy modernization” and “mainframe migration” are sometimes used to describe a combination of these different approaches. Before HR can effectively advocate for an upgrade, it’s important to have an understanding of what each process entails.
Simple Re-hosting Solution
Software applications and data are moved from a mainframe to a .NET platform in their current condition. This process is readily automated (for the most part) and significant savings are realized due to decreased server maintenance costs. However, this approach does little to correct underlying problems like the inefficiency and opacity of the code involved. The system as a whole is still obsolete. Eventually, it will be necessary to perform a more complete overhaul to address this issue.
Interface Based Solution
Existing software applications are modernized by “wrapping” the html code in a web based interface. Now, the legacy system can be more readily integrated with contemporary off-the-shelf solutions. This makes upgrades easier and also delivers improved interactive capability for the end user. Such a modular approach makes cost management simpler. However, this technique alone does not address the high cost of continuing to use a legacy server for hosting data and processes.
Rules Based Solution
It is possible to re-engineer each application in the legacy system with superior designs that are transparent and highly agile. Such an approach requires an in-depth understanding of the rules of every business process carried out via the existing system. This is the most complex solution. It carries the greatest risk and cost but also has the potential to provide the most benefit. The entire application portfolio can be migrated as part of this process to realize the highest ROI over the long-term.
Understanding Resistance to Change
No matter what solution is attempted, IT will be required to make a significant time investment. Moreover, if anything goes wrong, the blame will fall on their department. With an extensive modernization, human error will undoubtedly cause problems at some point. Often, such mistakes are easily fixable; but such a scenario does have the potential to be catastrophic if core business processes are affected.
There may also be resistance from the CFO (who generally does not understand the complexity of the issues involved) regarding the costs of a mainframe migration. In this case, IT may tire of struggling to justify their requests for sufficient funding. Without an adequate budget, the chances of a successful upgrade are lessened. As a result, IT may simply decide not to move forward.
HR & IT - A Symbiotic Partnership
How can HR help IT move forward with modernization? Opening a dialogue about potential solutions is the first step. Both departments will need to be flexible during this process; so establishing a healthy rapport is crucial. HR executives should respect the expertise of the IT department but shouldn’t accept vague answers to pertinent questions.
HR can align itself with the needs of IT in a number of ways. For example, Human Resources can assist in arranging any training necessary for technical staff to successfully participate in the legacy modernization effort.
IT personnel should be encouraged to see the mainframe migration as an opportunity for professional development. New programming skills and the successful completion of a major upgrade project are significant enhancements to any IT resume. This can provide opportunities for career advancement.
In turn, HR will benefit from modernization by gaining access to flexible solutions that promote best practices. This increases the department’s ability to comply with employment rules while reducing the number of labor hours required to maintain HR databases.
Creating a Plan That Works
HR can work with IT to identify HRIS applications that are most suitable for a pilot migration effort. Starting out with secondary functions gives IT the opportunity to practice on non-critical programs before moving on to larger prospects like payroll processing. HR usually has many such peripheral applications (such as onboarding) that can be swiftly modernized with little difficulty.
The key to ensuring CFO buy-in lies in the ability to communicate realistic ROI scenarios. IT and HR should develop a plan that demonstrates a quick recoup of costs and significant savings for both departments. Many organizations realize the greatest benefits by staging their transfers of data storage and processing functions. This approach can maximize savings; and the resulting increase in available capital may be used to subsidize future improvements.
Sourcing the ideal migration vendor is another area where IT and HR will need to reach an agreement. The third party consulting firm should have specific experience migrating HRIS processes. A vendor with an in-depth understanding of HR’s requirements (including privacy laws governing employee health data) will be best equipped to assist in documenting and migrating HR business rules and functions.
Harnessing Momentum to Support Change
After each phase of the migration process is successfully completed, HR and IT should take steps to document cost savings and improvement in functionality. This will help ensure that suggestions for future changes are met with less resistance.
Chuck Ros is the President of Emerald Software Group, based in Alpharetta, Georgia. He has more than 20 years experience in the technology industry, and holds an MBA from William Carey College, and a BS in Computer Science and Statistics from the University of Southern Mississippi. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/hr-it-collaborative-mainframe-migration-1767837.html
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