A common response to getting stuck in a big ball of mud is to fund a large systems replacement project. Such projects typically take months or years before they deliver any value to users, and the switchover from the old to the new system is often performed in “big bang” fashion. These projects also run an unusually high risk of running late and over budget and being cancelled. Systems rearchitecture should not be done as a large program of work funded from the capital budget. It should be a continuous activity that happens as part of the product development process.
