Understanding Technical Debt: How Outdated Technology May Cost Your Association More Than You Realize 

Utilizing the right technology is a critical part of every association. It helps to streamline processes, increase productivity, and maximize revenue. However, when it comes to legacy technology – outdated systems no longer supported by modern solutions – associations may be unaware of how much they're losing by delaying major expenditures for modernization.  This is known as ‘technical debt’. 

Relying on outdated technology may result in short-term savings, but doing so comes at a cost – specifically by decreasing efficiency and, over time, increasing security risks. In this post, we’ll look at how technical debt is crippling your organization and what can be done to update these systems so that your association can reach its full potential.  

The Risk of Legacy Technology 

Productivity loss due to outdated technology is perhaps the noticeable risk of working with outdated technology. Compared to modern systems, old legacy systems often aren’t fast or efficient. This can cause staff to lose time and money due to waiting for programs and apps to load and respond. Outdated technology may also require more features and functionality to keep up with today's association needs. In addition, legacy systems are more vulnerable to security breaches and often cannot be updated with the latest security patches. This could lead to costly data breaches that hurt your finances and reputation. 

Upgrading Your Association’s Technology 

Upgrading your association's technology can have a profound impact on your overall efficiency, productivity, member satisfaction, and growth. However, it’s important to keep in mind that upgrading from legacy technology can be time-consuming, expensive, and disruptive to daily operations during a transition. Finding skilled professionals who work with older technologies can also take time and effort, but the benefits are great.  

Here are some useful tips on creating an effective strategy for modernizing your association technology: 

Develop a clear plan 

Before starting any upgrades or replacements, do an assessment and create a plan outlining goals, timelines, budgets and potential risks. 

Prioritize upgrades 

Identity areas of your system requiring the most urgent attention based on factors such as age or impact on productivity. 

Consider cloud-based solutions 

These options offer scalability and flexibility while reducing infrastructure costs. 

Remember your staff 

They are the primary users, and their experience is critical. Ensure the new technology is user-friendly and will be adopted by your staff and teams. Also, make sure employees receive adequate training on new systems to maximize productivity gains. 

Should you upgrade your association technology now? 

Whether or not to upgrade from legacy technology depends on each association's needs and circumstances. While upgrading from legacy technology may seem daunting due to costs and other challenges associated with changing an organization's IT infrastructure, it could help to streamline processes, increase productivity and profitability, and mitigate security risks over time. Upgrading from legacy technology should be considered part of a long-term technology roadmap for your association. 

Wrapping IT Up 

In an era where technology is revolutionizing every industry, associations must embrace digital transformation to stay competitive and relevant. Upgrading your association's technology empowers you to enhance efficiency, improve the member experience, strengthen data management and analytics, streamline communication and collaboration, and adapt to changing member expectations. By investing in the right technology solutions, you position your association for long-term success and growth in today's increasingly digital world. Don't hesitate to take the leap and unlock the full potential of technology to revolutionize your association's operations and member engagement. 

Contact us to discuss your needs and learn more about our assessment and managed services solutions for associations and non-profits.