Innovation theater
You know the script. An organization-wide announcement promises that innovation is at hand, a change that addresses a longstanding problem, saves time and money, increases security, choose your menu items.
Read further, and the truth emerges. Nobody has innovated. They signed a contract with a company that promised to solve their problems. You’re reading a press release.
At a high level, it’s understandable. Depending on the system, your organization might have done its due diligence, maybe gone medium-deep with functional requirements and regular use scenarios before signing up. But all the irregular use scenarios, the everyday exceptions and workarounds that make the current system work, aren't part of the contract.
In the new system, some of those workarounds are done differently, or they require training, or permission layers that only become visible after adoption and rollout. You can hear the tech liaisons sighing as they clean up after the promises the sales reps made.
Some of those invisible, essential functions can’t be done at all. Unless you upgrade your subscription, purchase a custom module, with corresponding training, support and increased costs.
And if organization-wide announcements are sent out about the realities and compromises of those promised innovations we're now contractually stuck with, let's just say their tone is noticeably different.