According to the late American author, Upton Sinclair, “You can’t make somebody understand something if their salary depends upon them not understanding it.” How very apt in your case!

I intentionally wrote this post up as a cynical caricature of the old business apps world however, as simplistically exaggerated as much of it is, the basic points I illustrate are broadly accurate as observations and frustrations I have felt over the last five to ten years.

Classic business software does seem to have driven itself into something of an investment cul-de-sac out of which it cannot escape without incurring serious damage to its collective Balance Sheet. The result is an industry which has eschewed its past adherence to the principles of invention and innovation in favour of a somewhat downbeat make-do-and-mend philosophy. There are too many legacy vendors – in my experience as well as my opinion – who have very quietly all but shut down their R&D functions and remain solely focused on over-extending the profitable lives of elderly products while on the surface pretending, frankly, that it’s business as usual.

Of course, gravity always prevails and in the case of the technology world, maturity and profitable prudence seem to have replaced the frontier spirit of adventure, some might say misadventure. In part this is a good thing.

Call me an old romantic but that doesn’t feel quite right or, I may say, anywhere near good enough.

PS. There are lots of good solutions and easy(ish) to use small business and enterprise class apps out there – always do your homework and as in the previous comment, make sure you get good references.

It makes you wonder though why enterprises don’t take two simple steps: (a) ask the vendor for user references, and follow them up; (b) talk to the analysts (that’s *really* talk to, right through the project, not just selectively quote research to confirm a decision already taken). And perhaps (c) get the analysts to provide other links to existing users for a more independent view.

Two points in particular strike a chord with me. #4 in particular, as I have witnessed one vendor (who will remain nameless) try and perform palliative care on their rotting, 25 year old codebase with ever more liberal application of lip gloss.

Also #5, because as you have it, I am one of those *ahem* fools who wrote an ERP application on his dining table during nights and weekends. If you are interested, step into this dark alley, where I have a nice collection of Cartier’s and Bulgari’s within my overcoat…