Don't wait for your legacy systems to spring a leak. I never gave much thought to my bathroom until water started dripping out of the recessed lights in the kitchen below it. Naturally, I called a plumber. He told me that my legacy system was no longer sufficiently robust to support washing and waste disposal activities. And due to the inflexible nature of the bathroom’s infrastructure, it would need a soup-to-nuts upgrade to version 2.0. That would entail a total curtailment of functional processes for the duration of the project (estimated to be six weeks) and a major financial investment of scarce resources. More on CIO.com Strategies for Dealing With IT Complexity Consumer Tech: The New Complexity Add (What he actually said was close to incomprehensible, as his English was rudimentary at best, but the gravity of the situation and the comprehensiveness of his analysis became crystal clear when he presented his estimate for the job.) After the room was reduced to rubble, after the ceiling, walls, floor and fixtures disappeared, the infrastructure was revealed in all its dysfunctional glory. Complicated? I had no idea. Pipes twisted up, down and all around, taking odd turns to avoid old studs and ancient beams, rusting ducts and clogged vents. Iron pipe gave way to copper, which in turn gave way to PVC (from an upgrade made prior to my acquisition of the premises). Wires snaked and coiled everywhere. One should never have to see the guts of one’s domicile exposed like that. Similarly, a business doesn’t want to know about the infrastructure or IT architecture that supports its business processes. All it wants is hot and cold running apps when it turns on the IT faucets. It wants the new geegaws that enable it to do business faster, more easily and above all, more profitably. The problem is, each new gadget, each new application, each new product, process or function adds complexity that stresses the legacy system and strains the CIO’s carefully constructed architecture—and his scarce resources—until…you spring a leak and have to shut down. I assure you from bitter (and grungy) experience, you don’t want to go there. I might have avoided my bathroom disaster had I taken steps before the leaks began. You can avoid some of the costs of IT complexity if you start now, making process central to your technology strategy, communicating with the business in an open and predictable manner, keeping an eye on signs that your legacy systems are holding you back, not pushing you forward. Nothing about this is simple, but our story “Strategies for Dealing With IT Complexity” suggests ways to begin. Editor David Rosenbaum can be reached at drosenbaum@cio.com. Related content brandpost Sponsored by AWS in collaboration with IBM How digital twin technology is changing complex industrial processes forever As the use cases for digital twins proliferate, it is becoming clear that data-driven enterprises with a track record of innovation stand the best chance of success. By Laura McEwan Dec 05, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by AWS in collaboration with IBM Why modernising applications needs to be a ‘must’ for businesses seeking growth Around one-third of enterprises are spending heavily on application modernisation and aiming for cloud native status. The implications for corporate culture, structure and priorities will be profound. By Laura McEwan Dec 05, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation opinion 11 ways to reduce your IT costs now Reorienting IT’s budget toward future opportunities is a big reason why CIOs should review their IT portfolios with an eye toward curbing unnecessary spending and realizing maximum value from every IT investment. By Stephanie Overby Dec 05, 2023 11 mins Budget Cloud Management IT Governance news analysis SAP faces breakdown in trust over innovation plans The company’s plan to offer future innovations in S/4HANA only to subscribers of its Rise with SAP offering is alienating customers, user conference hears. By Peter Sayer Dec 05, 2023 6 mins SAP SAP SAP Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe