Migration Vs. Replatforming: Making The Right Move For Your Digital Experience Platform

Introduction

Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) are vital for delivering personalized, scalable, and seamless digital experiences. However, as the digital landscape evolves, so do the expectations placed on these platforms.

For many organizations, the cracks in their legacy systems are becoming harder to ignore. Outdated architectures, limited functionalities, and the inability to integrate with modern tools aren’t just inconveniences, they’re barriers to growth, agility, and innovation.

DXP migration and replatforming isn’t just about upgrading technology, it’s about addressing the fundamental gaps in your digital strategy.

DXP Migration Vs. Replatforming

At their core, replatforming and migration address the need to transition from outdated systems, but they differ significantly in scope and impact.

DXP Migration

Migration involves transferring content or data to a new platform with minimal changes to architecture or functionality. It’s akin to moving your belongings to a new house without altering the layout.

Benefits Of Migration

• Architectural Restructuring: Switch from monolithic systems to modern, headless architectures.
• Enhanced User Experiences: Revamp interfaces for both end-users and content editors.
• Scalability: Build systems ready to grow with your business, supporting advanced personalization and analytics.

Replatforming

Replatforming is a more comprehensive overhaul. It entails shifting to a completely new system, often rethinking architecture, user experience, and integrations for better scalability and modernization.

Benefits Of Replatforming

• Minimal Changes: Best suited for incremental updates like version upgrades or implementing security patches.
• Cost-Effective: Economical for businesses looking to maintain continuity without overhauling their systems.

How Axelerant Helped A Global Decking Manufacturer Replatform From A Homegrown CMS To Acquia DXP

A leading manufacturer of composite construction materials faced challenges such as

• Fragmented digital experiences
• Inefficient content management 
• An outdated architecture
• Operating across multiple regions, their existing platform struggled with scalability and regional customization.

As a solution, the experts at Axelerant helped transform their digital experience by building a unified, multilingual DXP using Acquia DAM, Acquia PIM, Drupal Commerce, and HubSpot. The revamped website interface and streamlined navigation enhanced user experience, leading to higher satisfaction and increased conversions. 

The integration of Acquia DAM and Acquia PIM consolidated their digital assets and product data into a unified platform, enabling seamless collaboration and efficient content management. Automated workflows, robust metadata tagging, and improved omnichannel coordination streamlined operations and ensured consistent branding across platforms.

Key Differences Between DXP Replatforming And Migration

Understanding the major differences between these two approaches is essential to making the right choice for your business:

Essential Considerations For A Successful DXP Replatforming

Replatforming is a significant undertaking that involves more than just adopting a new platform. It’s an opportunity to rethink your digital strategy and align your tools with future needs. Here are the key considerations to ensure a successful transformation:

Content Strategy And Architecture

Replatforming offers a chance to modernize your content architecture:

• Conduct Thorough Audits: Evaluate the relevance and structure of existing content to align with the updated platform.
• Adopt Modern Patterns: Utilize atomic design principles and component-based development for greater reusability and flexibility.
• Plan For Structured Content: Transition to structured or semi-structured content, allowing flexibility for editors while maintaining consistency in display.

UI/UX Improvements

The process provides an opportunity to reimagine user experiences:

• Implement Flexible Design Systems: Employ tools like Pattern Lab or Fractal for scalable and loosely coupled front-end systems.
• Accessibility And Responsiveness: Ensure your new platform adheres to accessibility standards and functions seamlessly across devices, benefiting all users.

Integration And Scalability

One of the critical advantages of replatforming is preparing your system for growth:

• Seamless Integration: Incorporate essential tools such as CRMs, marketing automation, or DAM systems into the DXP.
• Future-Proofing: Build a platform that supports emerging technologies like headless architecture, ensuring it evolves with your business.

Team Readiness And Training

Successful adoption of a new platform requires addressing the human element:

• Empower Your Team: Train editors, marketers, and developers on new workflows, whether using tools like Site Studio for drag-and-drop capabilities or learning structured content management techniques.
• Create Resources: Develop training manuals and hands-on sessions to ease the transition.

Strategic Discovery And Planning

A structured approach to planning ensures the replatforming aligns with business goals:

• Involve Stakeholders Early: From technical teams to marketers, gather input to understand cross-functional needs.
• Set Clear Goals: Define objectives for editorial workflows, personalization, and scalability to guide the platform’s development.

Long-Term Vision

Replatforming is not just a technical upgrade but a strategic investment:

• Emphasize Sustainability: Build a platform that reduces technical debt and can adapt to new business requirements.
• Enable Flexibility: Ensure your architecture supports modular integrations, allowing marketing teams to switch tools without disrupting the ecosystem.

How Axelerant Helped OHCHR Migrate From SharePoint To Drupal

The Office Of The High Commissioner For Human Rights (OHCHR), a leading UN entity on human rights, had its data spread across three separate websites, OHCHR.org, the Human Rights Council website, and the Stand Up 4 Human Rights campaign site. This fragmentation led to inconsistent branding and navigation issues.

The primary site, hosted on SharePoint, also lacked a decentralized content management system (CMS) with defined user roles. This complicated content publishing and management across six official UN languages.

Axelerant helped OHCHR consolidate the disparate websites into a unified platform powered by Drupal 9. This transition provided a decentralized CMS, enabling defined user roles and streamlined content management.

The overhaul also included a reimagined user experience (UX) design and an improved information architecture. This enhanced usability across devices and ensured accessibility for visually impaired users.

Long-Term Impact Of Replatforming And Future-Proofing

Depending on your goals and business requirements, DXP replatforming provides multiple long-term impacts. 

Replatforming: A Strategic Long-Term Investment

Replatforming lays the foundation for sustained digital growth. With platforms like Drupal and Acquia DXP, organizations benefit from:

• Scalability: Modular architectures ensure seamless growth as businesses need to expand.
• Integration Capabilities: Advanced APIs and frameworks enable smooth connections with new tools and services.
• Operational Agility: By training teams on scalable systems, businesses can adapt swiftly to market changes.
• The ROI Perspective: While initial investments in technology and training may seem significant, they translate into enhanced agility and superior digital experiences tailored to customers’ evolving needs.

Future-Proofing for Scalability and Integration

Modern DXPs redefine flexibility and adaptability by enabling businesses to adopt emerging technologies and paradigms like:

• Composable And Headless Frameworks: Transitioning from monolithic architectures to these frameworks equips businesses with the ability to seamlessly integrate modern content strategies. It also provides the agility to implement features like hyper-personalization or next-gen marketing tools.
• Enhanced User Experiences: Improved accessibility and responsiveness across all digital touchpoints. Real-time updates also help accommodate shifting user demands.
• Technological Adaptation: Readiness to integrate advanced technologies, such as AI-driven insights or IoT integrations.

How Axelerant Helped UEL Improve Student Engagement Through DXP Replatforming

The University of East London, founded in 1898, is ranked in the world’s top 250 young universities. The university’s vision is to advance knowledge and drive innovation for positive change. 

UEL’s website provides information on courses, admissions, careers, and research opportunities. The old website existed on Sitecore, and UEL needed a platform with better system performance, flexibility, personalization, and security.

Axelerant helped UEL replatform from Sitecore to Drupal. The new website offers improved functionalities such as advanced course search, personalization, and a unified content hub. It is equipped to better understand user access and evaluate the site's data, thus enabling student retention through personalization. This resulted in:

• 13% average increase in student engagement across course offerings
•  32% increase in enrollments in the previous academic year.

The experts at Axelerant can help you plan your business’s digital transformation to achieve similar results. 

Join Prateek Jain, Director of Digital Experience Platform Services at Axelerant, alongside experts Abhishek Dhariwal, Panshul Khurana, and Sabreena Khursheed as they break down the essentials of DXP replatforming in the first episode of “Deconstructing DXP Replatforming And Migration."