The flexibility of ERP and other financial systems is coming increasingly under scrutiny. Huge market volatility combined with a harsher trading environment means that organisations of all sizes are looking to leverage fully the systems they own rather than to invest in completely new applications. Yet many systems sold ten to twenty years ago (or even more recently) are unable to respond flexibly to change. Many organisations are heavily reliant on applications experts and an army of consultants to push through even the simplest changes. However, architecturally there is no reason for this to be the case. It is just that many systems have not been designed with change in mind. But the position is beginning to alter and software vendors are much more conscious of the need to accommodate change and provide flexibility in upgrade paths. This week I take a look at the complex issue of how to build resilient architectures that provide comfort for the long term.
score communications