Which version of SS&C Blue Prism Enterprise should we upgrade to?
There are 3 factors to consider here:
- What is your organization's appetite for risk?
- What new features do you want to adopt?
- How complex is the upgrade path from your current version?
Upgrade strategies and risk
Amongst our community there are 2 trains of thought when it comes to upgrades. Either be a first adopter, or opt for an "n-1" upgrade strategy.
First adopters move to the latest version of Blue Prism Enterprise as soon as they can to ensure they're always working with the latest features and improvements. However, they accept the risk of new versions carrying unresolved bugs or issues which need to be patched later.
n-1 take the approach of adopting the latest version minus one. So if the latest version is 7.5, they'll move to 7.4. They miss out on the very latest features, but reduce their exposure to known issues.
What new features are available?
New updates means new features which may (or may not) be useful in scaling and improving your automation operations. For example, 7.5 introduces new ways to use webhooks - so if integration with external systems is on your automation shopping list, you'll want to target 7.5.
We recommend reviewing the What's New section on our documentation site to get an overview of the key features in our latest releases, then discussing with your team.
How complex is the upgrade path?
If your current version of Blue Prism Enterprise has been patched / hotfixed, you might not be able to directly upgrade to your target version (this is due to database schema updates and feature dependencies - such as JavaScript improvements). We've built a table that allows you to see these upgrade path limitations, and check whether you need to make a version "hop", here.
You should also check the Upgrade Notices page, entering your current version and planned target version, to see if there are any additional factors that may impact your upgrade path.
Tip: Always be sure to select the latest version at the top of the page when you visit the documentation site!
Is anything other than Blue Prism Enteprise impacted by an upgrade?
A big consideration that will inform your choice of when and how you upgrade (and sometimes even which version you upgrade to) will be the other products that form your automation tech stack.
For example, upgrades that involve Blue Prism Hub, Interact, Desktop etc add significant complexity - and we always recommend that customers make use of Knowledge Support hours or our Product Upgrade Assurance service to get professional help and advice on these upgrades. If you work with an SS&C Blue Prism partner, they can offer support for these upgrades too.
We also recommend checking the "Plan an Upgrade" section of the documentation site for additional considerations before proceeding.
