The Hidden Dangers of DIY Upgrades

The risk of serious injury aside, there is another significant risk associated with DIY. A Google image search for “home repair fails” shows an unending story of measuring mistakes, banister blunders, plumbing problems, door disasters, stair silliness, and garage gaffes.

In IT, it's the same for keeping core systems up to date. An upgrade for a system like OnBase is an investment and its tempting to cut corners to keep costs down. But, without the right expertise and tools, it can go seriously awry if you try to DIY it.

The Riskiness in Self-Upgrading

The cause of significant upgrade issues is not just for obvious dangers like forgetting to take database backups or use proper project management oversight. Costly issues may arise from improperly implemented server settings, web.config settings, missed OnBase installer entries, compatibility issues with custom forms and scripts, unplanned deprecated modules, or even failing to plan ahead and rushed user acceptance testing.

Then there’s trying to catch up on documentation. If you haven’t installed OnBase before, or even if you have but it’s been a while, it can be challenging to know where to start in looking at upgrade whitepapers, upgrade MRGs, End-of-Life module FAQs, module MRGs, app server MRGs, etc.

Finally, you have to put all this information together and document it. There are many best practices, recommendations, and gotcha’s when it comes to upgrading OnBase. If you’re performing an upgrade for the first time or if you only do so every couple of years, you couldn’t be expected to have anywhere near the experience of people working on these projects year-round.

Did you know?

Over 90% of customers who attempt their own upgrade end up having to call for help
Having an experienced OnBase engineer perform an upgrade is to help ensure that no underlying issues exist. If an issue is discovered, you will be glad you have a professional to assist.
There were 1200+ software corrections between version 18 and the current version of OnBase
A botched upgrade may take significantly more time to troubleshoot to find a root cause than hiring someone to get the implementation done right the first time
A botched upgrade can cause significant disruption to standard business processes

DataBank Upgrade Assistance Options

Many organizations are looking to trim budgets where they can, and have to do more with less. Unfortunately, many are operating under the misguided assumption that an OnBase upgrade is a sensible place to cut corners and costs by performing work they have not been adequately trained on how to do.

We have an Upgrade Specialist to help tailor a project plan to suit your needs, Upgrade Technicians whose primary role is performing upgrades, and a Project Manager dedicated to supporting upgrade projects. The team meets weekly to iterate and improve on processes regularly. Engagements with DataBank’s upgrade team put you in the best situation to upgrade smoothly and on time, freeing up your team to focus on the things you do best.

If your team would like some form of ownership over the project, we can account for that. Think of it as hiring a home contractor to consult with on the things you’re unsure of, fill in the gaps where needed, and make sure your work is up to code.

Navigating Upgrade Risks

When to call in the experts