If None of Us Like Complexity, How Did We End Up Here?

“We need to streamline the process.” “We want to simplify our operations.” “We have a Frankenstein system.” “It’s time to get back to basics.” We’ve all been there. We’ve all heard it. Some of us have even said it. But if none of us likes complexity, how do we always end up surrounded by it? The simple answer is this: Every day presents a new set of  obstacles. Today, we’ll devise new solutions to overcome those new obstacles. Tomorrow, we’ll rely on the solutions we devised today to overcome yesterday’s obstacles. But today’s solutions were built to overcome yesterday’s obstacles, not today’s obstacles. And it’s already tomorrow. Wait. What day is this? See what happened there? Nobody sets out to create complexity. Nobody wants a highly specialized set of intricate parts and pieces that each perform a very specific task. But we end up building those systems over time anyway. Not because we want to, but because we have to. The obstacles of the day demand solutions. So we solve problems. We create tools and processes. We develop systems. And over time, those systems collect complexity like snow on the side of a mountain. Avalanches happen one little snowflake at a time. We should always take a critical approach to the tools we use. Do we really need ALL of them? Are we still using them? Are they still solving the problems that they were originally created to solve, or are they now creating more problems? Now don’t be fooled. There’s no such thing as a one-tool-fixes-all solution. There’s a reason for the sledge hammer and a roofing hammer. But if you’re at the roofing stage, do you really still need the sledge? Are you really going to haul it up to the roof to tack in those few loose shingles? If so, chances are you’re going to wind up creating a much bigger problem. Your organization may not still need those “legacy” tools and systems. And you’re probably discovering that you’re at a point where you need a different set of tools. When it comes to your technology, deciphering which tools you need and how those tools will work together is called Enterprise Architecture. It’s the process of evaluating what you have (and why), planning for what you think you’ll need in the future, and putting together the plans and processes to ensure you’re adequately equipped. At Tricension, we help equip organizations. We help businesses become enterprises by creating architecture plans, by developing and implementing solutions, and by working to maintain those solutions so that they evolve with your organization. Give us a call or send us an email to connect with one of our Solution Architects for a free Information Technology Assessment. We can’t promise to make everything simple, but we can certainly make things a lot less complex. And at the end of the day, that’s where we all want to be.