Migrating from legacy reporting software platforms to Jaspersoft

Many organizations still rely on traditional legacy reporting platforms like SAP Crystal Reports or Oracle Reports, which have been around since the 1980s and 1990s. These legacy systems have allowed users to tap into different data sources to create neat, organized operational reporting for stakeholders. However, the need for more scalability and advanced features like self-service capabilities has many organizations looking for something more flexible and modern to meet their reporting and embedded analytics needs.

Built to deploy anywhere and any way, Jaspersoft offers a comprehensive reporting and embedded analytics platform that scales to suit business needs, enables flexibility, helps increase productivity, and gives modern enterprises the power to seamlessly integrate data into their applications exactly how they want.

Benefits of moving to a more modern reporting software platform

Let's look at what companies can gain by switching from legacy software solutions to a platform like Jaspersoft.

1. Advanced self-service options: Modern reporting tools are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, making it easier for users at all levels to generate reports, including charts, graphs, and dashboards. Giving users access to interrogate their own data helps drive better business decisions and increases satisfaction.
2. Improved performance and scalability: Modern reporting solutions often provide robust data support to handle large volumes of data or complex queries to accommodate increasing user demands. This significantly improves the speed of query responses and report creation while reducing the user's time to insight.
3. Better collaboration: Modern report tools enable report delivery through many different channels like email and SFT/SFPT in formats including Excel, PDF, or HTML. With the ability to support concurrency, users can work on the reports simultaneously, which enhances collaboration and teamwork.
4. Cost savings: Today's reporting tools reduce manual effort and minimize errors by automating many reporting processes. Companies spend fewer resources on using a supported platform that can be customized to meet their workflow needs.

Options for report software migration

One or more of the issues outlined above play a role in organizations' decisions to move to a new reporting solution. To make the move, organizations have several options.

1. Build an internal/proprietary solution

This option allows organizations to create features and functionality that meet their business needs. Ideally, they get a solution that aligns seamlessly with internal workflows and processes without being dependent on an outside vendor. However, businesses must deal with high initial development costs and invest resources for ongoing support and maintenance.

That includes paying for developers, infrastructure, and project management personnel, which can create risk if knowledge of using the tool is limited to a small team. Companies end up having to divert resources from other critical projects, leading to a distraction from other revenue-driving tasks or delays in other critical IT improvements.

2. Using open-source tools

Instead of building a tool from scratch, businesses can modify an open-source tool like Jaspersoft. This can save IT teams a lot of labor while still providing ultimate control over how they implement various components to fit company requirements. Depending on the chosen solution, going with an open-source product can save money on upfront costs while providing transparency in the tool's functionality.

Integrating open-source platforms with a company’s existing systems and business tools may also be challenging. Without a license agreement, companies may be subject to regulatory and licensing risks or known vulnerabilities that could introduce security concerns.

3. Partnering with a consultant

One way to avoid the headaches of building a brand-new solution or adapting open-source tools is to partner with an experienced consultant. They can offer guidance on using the open-source or commercial version of software products like Jaspersoft and help manage the migration project from start to finish.

Consultants typically have technology experts with experiential knowledge who are capable of performing the work needed to help users transition to a new reporting platform. This is a huge benefit to smaller organizations that lack the required skills or resources to handle the workload.

One drawback to hiring consultants can be the upfront fees involved. Conducting a cost/benefit analysis on time savings can often help determine the best option, and it is a best practice for companies to ensure they manage knowledge transfer to avoid needing to depend on consultants to handle every issue.

Best practices for reporting software migration

Let’s look at some steps organizations should follow to seamlessly transition from a legacy reporting platform to a new one.

• Take inventory: Evaluate the complexity of your legacy reports and work to rationalize them to reduce the migration scope. This includes consolidating any redundant reports, eliminating any unused reports, and making a plan to focus on high-priority deliverables.
• Perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis: This helps build a framework for reviewing all factors impacting a migration's success. It also supports essential tasks like identifying and mitigating risks, creating a strategic plan, and optimizing resource allocation.
• Assess your environment: Start tracking all systems, databases, mappings, and other resources that are integrated with your legacy reporting platform. During this process, most organizations plan for improvements to their deployment strategy, optimize data storage, and review current workflows to improve operational efficiency.
• Select the right software solution: Look for a tool that will meet your reporting requirements, fit your architecture needs, and enable your enterprise to scale. Partnering with software vendors that have an established customer base and experience transitioning companies away from legacy reporting platforms can drive cost savings and help solve problems faster. Review all the pros and cons of working with different vendors and how various tools will impact different areas of your organization.
• Plan a migration strategy: Define the migration's scope and assign a project manager to be accountable for time and budget. Some companies transition a few reports at a time, while others move everything at once. This can be managed in-house or with a consultant.

Once you’re ready, start a pilot migration program in a test environment to transition your reports. Track performance and feedback collected during user acceptance testing to address any key concerns before deploying to production.

Why Jaspersoft is the best choice for reporting and embedded analytics

Jaspersoft commercial edition provides everything you need to design and deliver any report you need. Whether you need to manage and deploy high-volume, pixel-perfect reports or self-service ad hoc reports and dashboards, Jaspersoft helps organizations enhance mission-critical applications by delivering actionable data insights inside their business applications. Contact us today or start your 30-day free trial.