15 questions that reveal how much your legacy system is threatening your operations and business growth.
0 / 15 questions
Knowledge & dependency
We have no documentation
Yes, we have complete, up-to-date documentation
We have documentation, but it's incomplete or outdated
There would be complications, but operations wouldn't be threatened
It would threaten operations – the running of the system or its further development
Operations won't be threatened, we don't expect complications
At least two people understand how the whole system works
Only one person knows the whole system, or nobody does
There is coverage – multiple people know the full system
Yes, the critical parts are described and mapped
We have no idea
We have a rough idea of the critical parts, but they're not documented
Several weeks
Months or "that's hard to estimate"
Days to 2 weeks
We often don't know what the change will cause
We can usually estimate the impact fairly well
Sometimes we know, sometimes we're guessing
Rarely
Occasionally
Almost with every change
We have implemented testing procedures that cover most of the system.
Testing is mostly ad hoc or non-existent.
Part of the system is tested.
Estimates are usually reasonably accurate
Estimates are very inaccurate and often way off
Estimates often slip, but within tolerance
The system is relatively structured and clear
It's a mix of exceptions, workarounds, and patches
It contains some, but they're still navigable
Barely at all, the system handles most needs
It significantly limits the ability to make changes, introduce new ideas, and grow the business
It slows us down in some important areas
Integrations are practically impossible to carry out in a reasonable time
Integrations are easy (structured API, well documented...)
Integrations can be done, but are costly and time-consuming
The technology is no longer supported and updates cannot be performed
We don't have time for updates, but they're possible
The technology is maintained and we update the stack on a regular basis
We have a rough idea but lack an implementation plan
Yes, we have a clear plan and a list of the necessary steps
We have nothing, we'd be going in blind
The team has learned to work with it, but isn't enthusiastic
The system is well-maintained, has a clear UX, and users are happy to work with it
Working with the system is complicated, causes stress and resistance to change