With expiring licenses and outdated legacy systems, the diagnostics division of an international leader in the medical field needed to determine how to take control of their 680 Lotus Notes applications. Netrix was able to utilize its application modernization process for the technical analysis, business process, categorization, and consolidation of their applications so when the client decided to migrate to a new platform, they would have a complete understanding of their applications and how to best migrate them.
The diagnostics division of an international leader in the in vitro diagnostics field provided a wide range of innovative instrument systems and tests for hospitals, reference labs, blood banks, doctors’ offices, and clinics. The division helped transform the practice of medical diagnosis through science, research, and the development of industry-leading products and technological advancements. The company saw strong customer retention and was growing quickly overseas providing potential for additional business.
Despite the division’s role as a worldwide leader in its field, the company was burdened by outdated computer systems and applications developed years prior that struggled to meet the division’s current needs. Further, software licenses were expiring which caused concern that support for their legacy system might discontinue.
Over the years, the company had developed a portfolio of more than 680 Lotus Notes applications to manage everything from files and mail to calendars and CRM. As their new system launch approached, the client team didn’t know what applications and data they had, whether the data should be archived or merged with the new platform, and how to get the data moved to the new platform.
The client turned to Netrix for experience providing support before, during, and after similar platform migrations, and specifically for Netrix’s proven expertise with Lotus Notes and SharePoint environments.
“With Netrix’s reliable data, we were able to plan an efficient time and money-saving migration that helped simplify an exceptionally complex process.”
“We had a giant bundle of apps – for lack of a better word – but we weren’t sure what we’d need on our new system or even where or how to begin inventorying everything.”
The Netrix team met with app owners and sent questionnaires to users. A database of survey responses was created and an app was built that allowed the client team to see their existing apps, how they were used, and which ones were linked to other applications.
Lotus Notes’ off-the-shelf tools often generate inherent inaccuracies, providing a glimpse of only about 70 percent of the platform. Netrix’s proprietary tools scan all applications, providing a deeper dive and more comprehensive scope of the situation that helps paint a complete picture of the platform and data challenges. The insight was the foundation that enabled Netrix to help quantify the migration and set realistic expectations with stakeholders and users.
Netrix’s familiarity with both Lotus Notes and SharePoint enabled the development of a lifecycle for the company’s application migration and a roadmap to help them prioritize applications by importance and complexity. The client would also have a timeline that could guide future migration initiatives.
“We are now in an exceptional position to make the important decisions with confidence as we move to our new platform. Netrix has given us an invaluable picture of our current reality along with a game plan for a successful implementation of our new platform.
