KTLO & Brownfield: Overcoming Challenges when Modernizing Process Automation and Business Intelligence

Abstract

An estimated 50-80% of an organisation's IT budget is said to be spent on "keeping the lights on" (KTLO), with the remaining resources being often constrained to brownfield development in which legacy software systems define the boundaries to modernisation and innovation. Prominent business systems such as e.g., SAP ERP or SAP HANA fail to address all business needs, hence inhouse software development remains unavoidable. This paper gives an overview of the development and successful implementation of a scalable in-house data aggregation and data provisioning system built to enable rapid responses to emerging process digitalisation and business intelligence needs. The architectural implications and considerations are discussed.