2026-02-04
Wiebe van Leeuwen
Many organizations are still running software that was once perfect. The system did exactly what it was supposed to do, fit the organization perfectly, and supported its processes. As long as it keeps running, it feels safe to leave it as it is.
But legacy rarely arises because an organization makes the wrong choices. Legacy happens to you. Organizations grow, processes change, legislation becomes stricter, and collaboration within chains becomes more complex. What was once a perfect fit slowly becomes a limitation. The system might still work. But the question is: what is it costing you in the meantime?
A legacy system isn't just “old.” It is software built in programming languages or on platforms that are hardly used anymore. Systems for which knowledge is increasingly scarce and which are difficult to maintain or adapt. Sometimes, only one or two people still understand how it truly works.
This makes organizations vulnerable. Because how do you move away from it when no one can read the code anymore? Where exactly is your data stored? And what happens when adjustments are needed, but no one can implement them safely?
At a certain point, the problem is no longer that the system is outdated, but that you can no longer get out of it. This dependency carries three clear risks:
1. Knowledge disappears
Many legacy systems were built by people who have since retired, left, or are no longer available. Documentation is missing or outdated. New developers no longer learn these technologies. Consequently, adjustments become risky and expensive. Scarcity drives up the price of expertise. And every change feels like a gamble: will it still work afterward?
2. Agility disappears
Legacy hampers change. New requirements from the business, legislation, or supply chain collaborations no longer fit within the system. Integrations with modern solutions are difficult or impossible. As a result, processes are no longer designed around the business, but around the system. Employees create workarounds. Manual labor increases. And innovation slows down because the system cannot handle it.
3. Security and continuity come under pressure
The older a system, the higher the chance of known vulnerabilities. Updates are difficult or no longer available. In sectors with critical processes, this is more than just an IT risk. Downtime, data leaks, or hacks have direct consequences for compliance, safety, and the environment. Legacy doesn't just make organizations slow; it makes them vulnerable.
The true cost of legacy is rarely reflected in the IT budget. The greatest costs lie in delays, frustration, and wasted capacity.
Employees perform duplicate work, data is transferred manually, and IT teams spend most of their time putting out fires. Audits take longer, incident risks increase, and in the meantime, the full potential of your people remains untapped.
As long as the system works today, intervening doesn't seem urgent. But that short-term view masks the real questions: is the organization still agile, is knowledge not too dependent on a single person, and is continuity guaranteed if something goes wrong?
Legacy does not become cheaper or safer on its own. It only gets older and, therefore, riskier.
Modernization doesn't automatically mean replacing everything at once. A 'big bang' is rarely realistic and often unnecessary.
What does work is making legacy manageable: gaining insight into dependencies, controlling risks, and making components future-proof step by step. Unlocking data, integrating systems where possible, and decoupling critical processes from outdated technology.
An important question in this process is: which processes currently depend on a single system or one key person? The sooner you gain that insight, the more control you retain.
The longer modernization is postponed, the more difficult and threatening the transition becomes. At some point, there is no longer a choice, and you have to start over because there is no other option.
Those who start on time can make choices. Those who wait too long will be forced.
The question is not whether legacy must be addressed eventually. The question is whether you do it while you are still in control.
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