The systems running behind a digital ecosystem are the backbone of a company’s operations. As the business evolves and the world changes, these systems will eventually need to be modernised. What kind of philosophy should guide system design so that it boosts efficiency and continues to serve for as long as possible?
In this article, we share some of the insights we’ve gained on the subject through our own projects.
System modernisation projects rarely fail because of the wrong technology. More often, the problem is an architecture that can no longer keep up with the business. When a system starts to dictate operations instead of supporting them, it is already too late.
Most overhaul initiatives begin in a situation where the system still works technically, but no longer strategically. The system might be tied to outdated structures with fragmented integrations – and new requirements demand heavy modifications. Each addition seems to increase complexity rather than capability. When the system won’t bend, the business adapts to the system, not the other way around.
To avoid this from happening again anytime soon, architecture must be seen as more than a technology choice. The structure itself needs to support change. A genuinely durable architecture does not try to solve everything at once. Instead, it provides a flexible foundation for developing and introducing new services gradually.
This approach allows each partial solution to be tested in practice and decisions to be made based on real experience. It also makes it easier for the people in the organisation to adapt to the changes step by step. Version control, microservices, containerised environments and open-source solutions all help keep change manageable.
Technical debt often exists not because a system is old, but because it was never designed to adapt to change. When planning a system overhaul, it helps to remember that older logic does not always need to be removed straight away. Even if it cannot be rebuilt immediately, it can be contained and managed. Seen this way, improving the internal structure of the existing system is not just a band-aid, as long as this work is guided by a clear roadmap of where the project is headed as a whole.
The broader point is: decisions should be made with the whole system in mind, both in the short and long term. For example, integrations should not be treated as temporary fixes that simply glue separate systems together. Instead, they should be designed as a solid foundation that allows the system to grow. In the same way, a documented, API-first approach is not just a technical best practice, but a practical way to ensure the system can be maintained and developed regardless of who is doing the work. Open interfaces and a clear data model should make business data genuinely reusable, not only more transparent from a technical perspective.
Ultimately, a clear sense of purpose is the single most important factor in determining why one system stands the test of time and another does not.
One of the central questions in any system overhaul is the choice between a tailored solution and off-the-shelf software. Which one is more sustainable?
Off-the-shelf software can offer a fast route to deployment, but it also brings an inherent dependency on the vendor’s pace and priorities. When the supplier updates its product, the customer has to follow along – even when the business would benefit from a different direction. A tailored solution, by contrast, can offer full control if it is built iteratively, with open interfaces and a scalable architecture.
Neither option is automatically better than the other. However, when evaluating the investment, it is important to give due weight to how much decision-making power and control over long-term development matter to the organisation.
Good architecture does not make a system finished; it makes it ready to change. It is an invisible yet critical part of an organisation’s infrastructure – and precisely for that reason, it should be built in collaboration with a partner who understands cause and effect as broadly as possible.
Is a system overhaul a timely topic for your company? Get in touch – our experts will help you map out the best way forward.
