Preventive vs. Reactive IT Maintenance: How to keep your ERP system running smoothly
A reliable IT system needs regular maintenance – just like the chain on your bike! Without ongoing care, things can break down when you least expect it. But how much prevention is enough? And when is it okay to simply fix things after they go wrong? How do you find the right balance between acting before issues arise – and repairing them after?
As far back as the 1950s, the Japanese introduced the concept of preventive maintenance
with great success. They found out that the optimal mix includes:
• Emergency response
• Preventive maintenance
This cocktail:
• Reduces errors
• Improves stability, performance, and system lifespan
• Lowers operational costs
You oil your bike chain because bitter experience has taught you that if you don’t, a major breakdown is just around the corner. Whether it’s your bike or IT applications, the rule is the same: Prevention is cheaper than repairs — especially when failure hits, and you’re stuck far from home in the rain. The same applies to critical setups and installations — such as an IT application. Downtime in business-critical areas like issuing packing slips or transporting documents can be very expensive. The formula is: breakdown + business-critical = large costs.
IT requires maintenance – just like the chain on your bicycle
How do you find the optimal balance between reactive and preventive service?
Should you take the risk and wait until the system breaks down, and deal with the consequences? Or go all-in and spend heavily on prevention to avoid costly outages alltogether? The answer is a No to both.
Optimal operations require you to respond fast and prevent smart. Evergreen is the ERP
world’s version of an autopilot: A cloud solution that is continuously updated with new
functionality, bug fixes, and modern technology. Sounds clever — and it is. But it’s not the
whole story. Today, go-live is only the beginning. An ERP system needs to evolve alongside
your business — for years to come. That’s why operational stability matters more than ever.
The problem? Evergreen keeps your system updated — but it doesn’t take responsibility
for your daily operations.
The solution: Application Management Services (AMS), that acts as an intelligent safety
net, spotting and resolving issues before they become problems.
Examples of preventive AMS:
• Monitoring – detects small anomalies before they cause breakdowns.
• Automated testing – catches errors after updates before they impact operations.
• Planned releases – accommodates successful upgrades that don’t disrupt operations.
