Beyond lift-and-shift: Smart migration strategies for modern workload automation
A large United States-based manufacturer recently approached Redwood Software with a high-stakes decision to make: Renew their legacy workload automation (WLA) contract at five times the cost or modernize and move to the cloud. Their IT leadership had already committed to a cloud-first strategy aligned with their broader digital transformation goals. Renewing with their vendor would have meant staying tethered to costly on-premises infrastructure and putting off much-needed modernization.
The business case was clear for moving to a cloud-native WLA solution. But the clock was ticking. With just three months before their existing contract expired, the company needed to evaluate new platforms, prepare for migration and go live in that tight timeframe without disrupting critical business operations.
That’s when they turned to Redwood.
Our team of migration experts quickly mobilized, leaning on Redwood’s proven methodology, cloud-native platform and proprietary migration tools. We helped this company not only meet their deadline, migrating from a legacy platform in just 14 weeks, but also use the migration as a strategic opportunity to improve automation processes, retire technical debt and set the stage for long-term success in the cloud.
This isn’t an edge case. Whether you’re facing similar licensing deadlines, preparing for a RISE with SAP transformation or simply looking to modernize a fragmented automation landscape, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to start from scratch.
At Redwood, we understand that migration isn’t just a technical change. It’s your chance to rethink how automation supports your business and make sure you’re ready for what the future brings.
Speed is essential — but so is strategy
Time constraints are common in these scenarios. Redwood frequently works with organizations facing license renewals that force a go/no-go decision, RISE with SAP transitions that require cloud-readiness and/or internal mandates for tool consolidation and legacy system modernization.
These deadlines create urgency, but a rushed migration without strategy leads to risk. It can carry over inefficiencies and complications into your next-generation platform. Too often, we see companies fall into the trap of replatforming without rethinking.
In our experience, there are two primary mindsets when it comes to WLA migration:
- Lift-and-shift first, optimize later: Move jobs as-is to meet tight deadlines, with plans to modernize after go-live.
- Modernize as you move: Take the opportunity to streamline architecture, remove redundancies and improve process logic as you migrate.
Most organizations fall somewhere in between, and that’s exactly why Redwood approaches migration by tailoring it to your environment, not a one-size-fits-all script.
Migration as momentum: Essential considerations
- What kind of change are you driving? Are you simply replicating jobs or using this transition to streamline, modernize and reduce complexity?
- How will you optimize the new platform? Are you planning for better performance and improved reliability from the start?
- Is your automation strategy aligned with broader goals? Will the migration support larger initiatives like cloud adoption, tool consolidation or SAP transformation?
- Who needs to be involved: Are departments, service providers or external teams part of the process, and are they looped in early?
Redwood evaluates your:
- Source platform and job volume
- Critical business processes and dependencies
- Timeline flexibility and go-live constraints
- Appetite for technical debt cleanup
This ensures we don’t just recreate your existing environment but deliver a better one.
Specialized migration expertise = smarter, faster results
Rather than thinking of migration as a one-time event, consider it the start of a smarter operating model. Redwood’s Professional Services team brings decades of experience helping enterprises like yours transition from legacy WLA platforms to our modern, cloud-native solution, RunMyJobs by Redwood. Here’s what that means for your business.
IT infrastructure savings
Migrating off legacy systems sooner lets you decommission outdated infrastructure, eliminate those redundant support contracts and reduce operational overhead. This is especially important if you’re heading toward hybrid or full cloud adoption.
Business process improvements
We don’t just move your jobs; we evaluate them. During migration, we help you identify inefficiencies, unnecessary handoffs and outdated dependencies. This is your chance to streamline.
Operational efficiencies
Redwood provides pre-built templates, connectors and industry best practices to fast-track implementation. These accelerators and our unique testing frameworks help you get to production faster.
The groundwork for long-term gains
One of the most overlooked benefits of a well-executed migration is how quickly you can begin realizing value, and not just from the software itself. Value comes from removing friction. Thus, you need a team with a track record of doing just that.
With Redwood, you begin seeing results almost immediately:
- Noticeably stronger stability: Our migration process is designed to minimize disruption and deliver a stable production environment from day one. You don’t need weeks or months of post-migration troubleshooting to feel the benefits.
- Improved visibility: Instead of toggling between tools and spreadsheets, you have a single source of truth for managing jobs enterprise-wide. Thus, fewer blind spots and better operational alignment.
- Reduced manual effort: With intelligent automation and reusable templates, your teams spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on process improvement.
- Accelerated business outcomes: Faster financial closes, improved service availability … whatever you’re after, Redwood removes the bottlenecks and gets you there quickly.
- Greater agility: Once you’re on a modern, cloud-native platform, you can scale, adapt and evolve your automation environment in lockstep with your business. Adding new systems or integrating third-party tools becomes significantly easier.
Modernize on your terms
Migrating to a new WLA solution involves much more than moving scripts or job chains. Your goal should be to enable a new level of orchestration across your enterprise. That’s why it pays to work with a partner who specializes in this exact domain.
Redwood’s Professional Services team is focused solely on successful automation implementations. We offer:
- Proven methodologies for assessment, migration and rollout
- Proprietary tools to streamline job mapping, testing and cutover
- Flexibility to adjust your scope in real time
- Risk mitigation with detailed validation and go-live readiness
- Post-migration services to keep advancing your automation maturity
- Training and enablement via Redwood University
At Redwood, we don’t just bring technology. We also offer unmatched focus, tools and experience. Organizations across industries have trusted Redwood to help them leave behind legacy WLA platforms.
If you’re feeling the pressure of an expiring contract, a cloud deadline or a business that’s outgrown your current WLA solution, Redwood’s proven migration approach is here to move you forward with a clear vision.
Hear directly from Daniel Sivar, Technologist at American Water, about how Redwood guided the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States through “managed waves” to ensure a successful migration.
About The Author
Rama Vadakattu
Rama Vadakattu serves as Senior Vice President of Global Services at Redwood. With over 25 years of experience in the enterprise software industry, he has directed numerous go-to-market teams, including substantial consulting services organizations. Prior to his tenure at Redwood, he held various leadership positions at Oracle, Infor and Celonis.
At Redwood, Mr. Vadakattu is spearheading the transformation of service delivery to customers. His team's principal objective is to ensure seamless customer onboarding to the RunMyJobs by Redwood platform and successful deployment of mission-critical use cases within critical timeframes. While they adhere to all Redwood values, his team is particularly focused on the core value of "Obsessing over customer success."
