#102: The Hidden Challenges when Retiring Systems

Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering

In this episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott sit down with Mark Borcher from Razorleaf Government Solutions to tackle a rarely discussed but critical topic: retiring legacy business systems.

Mark brings nearly two decades of experience in engineering, system integration, and enterprise transformation, and he shares what really goes into shutting down old PLM, ERP, CRM, and supply chain systems—and moving organizations onto modern platforms.

From outdated DOS-based tools to massive migrations involving hundreds of systems, Mark explains the technical, organizational, and people-related obstacles that can derail a system retirement—and how to overcome them.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• When it’s time to retire a system — from end-of-life support to functionality gaps and security risks.
• How to plan a smooth transition — data archiving, cleaning up “junk” data, and mapping functionality to modern tools.
• The biggest roadblocks organizations face — user resistance, licensing challenges, security concerns, and integration hurdles.
• Why people are the hardest (and most important) part — strategies for training, managing change, and turning skeptics into champions.
• Mark’s best advice — focus on data cleanliness, open communication, and embracing change as an opportunity, not a burden.

Whether you’re sunsetting a small PDM tool or migrating hundreds of interconnected legacy systems, this conversation will help you understand the hidden challenges—and how to get ahead of them.

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