The new solution will be based on newer technology and will have a better architecture. The old system is not scalable and it’s hard to add new features.
You’ve heard these lines. Maybe you have even used them to justify a project.
These statements are code for:
We would rather write new code than fix the old code.
We would rather build a new architecture than refactor an existing architecture.
We would rather develop on a new technology.
I’m not being completely fair. No doubt, the old system is messy and the new system will be designed to do things better.
But technology and architecture do not deliver value directly and are insufficient criteria for project viability.
The real question is:
What business value does the project deliver — above and beyond what you have today?
-Donny
