Changing Vendors Is Disruptive. Do It Anyway

If you think of your tech stack as a tree, then changing out a “leaf”-–that is, a system with minimal connections to the rest of the stack–isn’t all that complex. But the branches, trunk, and roots of your stack are a whole other challenge. Try to transition to a different vendor solution that’s embedded in the entire tree, and the challenges list is much longer.

Add in the convergence of artificial intelligence requirements, cloud-optimized platforms, and more complex security and compliance, and it’s easy to see why we have to rewrite the old rules. Organizations face fundamental choices about how to curate and provision their technology to meet these new realities.

Smart organizations will view the need for change as an opportunity. They recognize that investment in the right infrastructure will set them up for future growth. But in many cases, changing vendors isn’t so much a choice as a must. When outdated or underpowered tech slows down growth, there are no options but a change in solutions.

Decisions about technologies, equipment, and vendors all have long-lasting impacts, but there’s one thing you can count on no matter your choices: Your legacy systems cannot sustain existing needs, let alone support future demands. And you can’t invest in tomorrow if you’re still paying for yesterday’s limitations. In new research from Pure Storage, 84% of organizations found that transitioning vendors met or exceeded expectations.

That’s a lot of IT decision makers who agree that change is smart business.

Download “The Modern CIO’s Strategic Guide to Successful Vendor Transitions” report to learn more

When Comfort Zones Become Pain Points

The average vendor-provider relationship for storage, networking, and servers is more than seven years long, according to Pure Storage research. That means your solution choices could have been made in a very different environment, especially with respect to AI, data management, cybersecurity, and compliance.

Outdated tech can be a big problem, especially when a solution affects more than just a slice of the business. Changing requires the willingness to make tough decisions that benefit the whole organization—plus planning, collaboration among all connected stakeholders, and investment in human capital. Transformation comes with disruption, certainly. But ideally, it’s disruption for a greater good.

The average vendor-provider relationship for storage, networking, and servers is more than seven years long… That means your solution choices could have been made in a very different environment.

Some operational impacts of vendor transitions may be unavoidable. But rather than becoming paralyzed by the prospect of disruption, you can turn preparation into your secret weapon. When you know what to expect, you can develop mitigation strategies to address pain points before they become long-term problems. For example:

Accelerate proof-of-concept trials as quickly as possible so delays don’t slow down the transition.
Break the transformation down into increments that are as small as possible, so the project can begin to deliver value very quickly (and win over the doubters).
Replicate infrastructure temporarily to afford more flexibility in maintaining operations.
Strike a balance between agility and incremental progress. Sounds obvious, but moving too quickly or lumbering slowly along the path too solutions are not desirable.
Upskill teams so they are equipped in their new environment.

Organizations that are past the finish line for vendor change generally say the process was worth it. While 70% of enterprises surveyed by Pure Storage experienced some operational impact during their vendor transitions, they said thorough planning made the change manageable.

If your organization is mature enough, then some advance planning is likely built-in to the process of investments. The place you don’t want to be in is that of an enterprise that waits until systems break before taking action. You’ll regret wasting months that could have been spent in lowering the stress level of all stakeholders. Even with advance planning, it makes sense to onboard a partner with expertise in data migration and a proven track record in managing migration projects from start to finish.

Collaboration Is Complicated, but Worth It

CIOs want to guide technology with an eye to the future. CFOs want to see ROI. COOs want to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum. And CISOs want to avoid new risks. Everyone has vital concerns, and not only must they all be heard, but they must all feel like they’ve been heard. So transparency is essential.

Streamlined transitions aren’t just about choosing the right vendor—they’re about ensuring your team can flourish after that choice is made.

The investment in human capital is just as important as investing in technology itself. Streamlined transitions aren’t just about choosing the right vendor—they’re about ensuring your team can flourish after that choice is made.

When you shift away from an incumbent vendor that’s been part of your organization for years, there will be pushback. A certain level of resistance—even hostility—is a natural part of the decision-making process. True consensus may be impossible to achieve. But while you can and should crowdsource advice, you can’t crowdsource responsibility. It’s the decision maker’s job to act in the best interests of the organization as a whole. And by embracing transparency and the collaborative spirit from the start, you create the conditions for stakeholder buy-in even when the final call is yours alone.

Change Is the New Status Quo. Embrace It—with a Plan

There’s never been a better time to strategically navigate vendor change. Today’s nexus of technological transformation, proven methodologies, and competitive market dynamics has created ideal conditions for organizations to gain competitive advantage by partnering with vendors who innovate and deliver long-lasting solutions.

Transformation is inevitable. Will you keep sprinting to catch up—or lead the pack?

Ready to get started? “The Modern CIO’s Strategic Guide to Successful Vendor Transitions” report synthesizes insights from 500 technology decision-makers to provide CIOs with a proven playbook for navigating complex vendor transitions successfully.