AC22 | Session 17

"Strategic Subtraction: The Process of Decommissioning Legacy Systems"

 

OVERVIEW: It is human nature to solve problems through addition: More features, funding, products, and people. This often blinds from our view the need to strategically subtract. This tendency leads to a cluttered context where inefficiencies abound, and legacy tools become zombies that bite us.

In this session, you will hear from someone in a new type of I.T. role that is designed to counter the clutter. BYU decommissions unneeded and redundant technologies for BYU's Office of Information Technology. BYU will present several mini-case studies involving a departing tool and the fate of the information it contained. Participants will also receive downloadable checklists that BYU uses to guide decommissioning efforts.

Session Outcomes:

• Learn a three-stage process for retiring a technology service or system gracefully.
• See how to build an organizational culture of strategic subtraction.
• Understand the skillset needed to become a successful "Application Undertaker."
GARA CERTIFICATE COMPETENCIES: "Retention and Disposition" OR "Electronic Records and Information Management"

PRESENTER: Joe Hadfield, Service Retirement Manager, BYU Office of Information Technology