Not all components of your system need to be replaced with newer versions. Consult other members of your industry to see what the benefits are of newer models before you switch, and what support structure is in place for your legacy equipment. The bottom line goal of a positive return on investment should not be lost.
We all know that money talks, and the longer you can live without something, the cheaper it becomes to replace. Know what parts of your system you can and can’t live without, and design your migration plan accordingly.
Nothing is worse than buying a new phone or tablet mere months before the cool new replacement hits the shelves, but at the same time, you don’t want to be caught years behind afraid to upgrade because you may miss out on that next big thing. Plan your re-control with the appropriate upgrade paths in place so that when that next generation processor is released, you don’t need to start over again to incorporate it.
The last and maybe most important question is will you be happy with the final product, or will you be back planning another upgrade two years from now? As difficult and inconvenient as a large scale upgrade will be, it will only be worse the second time around. Finding that perfect balance between supporting your ongoing operations and upgrading the required equipment is an inexact science but don’t sacrifice too much long term pain for short term gain.
