If you are familiar with the phrase “build one to throw away,” we seem to have done it; have reached the limits of version 1 of our online application. This is the time to clean things up:
- Reorganization of code and user interface
- UI process unification
- Adding additional features
- Building the future
- Changing our database structure to handle all of the above
What is the best way to make this transition?
We want not to throw all our users into the new system (as soon as it ends) ... they will worry, and we will not be able to cope with the load on the call. Our users launch the gamut, from technically savvy types used for writing, to those who don’t know what HTML is.
If we start a new "installation" of our system and gradually move on to it, after we guarantee that this new project sufficiently solves enough problems with version 1?
Should we (somehow) change every module of our system gradually and phase? This can be tricky, because the layout of the database will change, leading to the need to configure the "kernel code" and code for several surrounding modules.
Is it generally accepted to have a set of trusted, patient, beta testers of clients using the most advanced version of the application? (The goal here is to get feedback and test errors on the new system)
Any other tips? First-hand?
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