The manufacturing landscape is constantly changing with the rest of the world. Fluctuating market conditions and unexpected global phenomena require a rapid response.
Additionally, the cybersecurity threat level in Finland has remained elevated since 2022. Software vulnerabilities are being detected at a significantly higher rate than before, thereby increasing the overall impact of cyber threats on society. (Centre for Cybersecurity) This creates even more challenges for organisations in maintaining systems and software.
Regular software maintenance is a prerequisite for business continuity and security
Manufacturing industry processes rely on critical software and its smooth operation daily. The longer software maintenance is neglected, the deeper and more difficult to fix the problems become over the years. Systems may work for a very long time without problems, but the technical debt gradually increases year by year, and the security risks and the likelihood of production stoppages increase.
However, organisations do not always have the resources to pay attention to all the essentials, so maintaining critical software can easily take a back seat in a hectic day-to-day life and become the last thing to be prioritised.
What follows is a breakdown of the common challenges that industrial organisations face in maintaining software daily, gathered through our experience, and the harm these problems cause to the business.
The most common challenges in regular software maintenance
1. Outdated software and neglected updates
Many industrial companies are still using business-critical software that has reached the end of its useful life, at worst, a long time ago. The software may still work on a day-to-day basis, but in the background, it accumulates technological debt and exposes the entire production process to problems.
System upgrades can be either very difficult or even impossible to implement, which is why system upgrades are postponed further and further. This further increases security risks. One unexpected error, software crash, or cyber-attack could, in the worst case, bring your business to a standstill. Outdated technology therefore does not optimally support business, but actually slows down growth and competitiveness.
2. Legacy of old processes
The problems are not only related to the software itself, but also to legacy processes. In the past, it was common to freely install different software in different environments and give users broad access rights - the most important thing was that the system worked. Today, this is no longer the case, as security goes right to the heart of systems.
As a result of old practices, some systems contain serious security risks that have had to be fixed after the fact. In some organisations, these challenges have only started to be addressed in recent years, reflecting the prevalence and severity of the risk.
3. Insufficient technical expertise within the organisation
A company's focus is - and should be - on the day-to-day running of its core business. Few organisations have the technical expertise or resources to maintain mission-critical software on an ongoing basis.
Problems start to arise when the maintenance, monitoring, or further development of technically critical systems is completely neglected or relies on a single in-house expert. In this case, business continuity relies on a single person, whose absence or turnover further increases the risk to the technical aspect of the organisation. In addition, internal resources are often focused on putting out everyday fires, rather than on long-term development or foresight.
4. Lack of documentation for system maintenance
There is also a risk that technical expertise, already concentrated in a small number of people, may be lost as people change, making it difficult to develop the system or solve problems.
If only one person is responsible for the system, they may not have the time or interest to maintain the technical documentation that is important to the business. In the event of a change of personnel, knowledge of the system is lost and, in the worst case, no one knows, for example, the identity of the root user or environment, where the system data is stored, how the environment was built, or where the latest version of the code is located.
By outsourcing software maintenance to Pinja, you free up your staff's time for other activities
Even if your critical systems are running without any visible problems for now, they are accumulating technological debt over time and are becoming more and more vulnerable to malfunctions and security threats.
Reliable, expert, and regular software maintenance and proactive development are key to minimising risks. Of course, you can learn to maintain and modernise software yourself, but maintenance can easily be bought in as a specialist service.
Pinja's software maintenance service offers more than problem-solving, combining ongoing maintenance, security updates, and small-scale development with proactive development. The development work keeps your system up-to-date and adapts to the rapidly changing needs of your business and environment.
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Frequently asked questions about software maintenance
How do I know if my software maintenance is behind schedule?
Signs of this include:
- repeated malfunctions
- difficulty and slowness in performing system updates
- lack of security updates.
- concerns about the functionality of the current system
What makes outdated software dangerous for business?
Even software that appears to work normally may have serious security vulnerabilities and technological debt.
Even the smallest error or attack can bring down an entire production line, resulting in immediate financial losses and reduced customer satisfaction.
Why is data fragmentation such a big problem?
When information is scattered across different systems, it takes a huge amount of time to manage and causes errors. This slows down decision-making and can lead to delivery delays, which have a direct impact on customers and competitiveness.
Can you maintain and update software yourself?
It can be done to a certain extent, but it requires a lot of resources and skills. Often, organisations' own staff do not have the time or resources to maintain all critical software effectively, as the focus is on the core business. In such cases, it makes sense to outsource maintenance to a competent partner.
How should software monitoring be handled?
An organisation can organise monitoring if it has the resources and technical expertise to do so. In addition, it is recommended that software maintenance be kept up to date to avoid major risks. However, monitoring requires continuous effort, staff training, and the right tools. It is often easier and more efficient to outsource monitoring to a service provider.
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