| It is if you want better software,to achieve more | | | | 'Big" software actually wants to build in as much |
| business benefit, for less cost. | | | | complexity as possible, and back it up with |
| Originally the phrase was attributed to Mies Van | | | | consulting, implementation and support services. |
| Der Rohe, otherwise known as the man who built | | | | High prices afford them vast marketing budgets, |
| Chicago. Recently the concept has been picked up | | | | over-paid sales people and inefficient development |
| by a number of new software companies, most | | | | and maintenance processes. |
| notably but not solely, 37 signals, and Front Office | | | | The new software companies approach their |
| Box, of course. | | | | market from a different perspective - remove |
| In software terms, less complexity is more value, | | | | the complexity, reduce the cost, make the |
| access and adoption for the users. | | | | software easy to use. Now they don't need the |
| Every time we add a "feature" we add | | | | marketing budget, the consultants and the IT |
| complexity, for the both the user and also for the | | | | support department. Users can get great |
| guys developing and maintaining it. That | | | | software, with added value, for a lot less cost. |
| complexity is a double whammy. It hurts | | | | Sounds perfect doesn't it? But there's a problem - |
| "adoption" - the software industry's perennial | | | | some users just don't get it. |
| problem. It also increases costs, and therefore | | | | They've been educated by "big" software to |
| prices. | | | | expect complexity. Software is supposed to be |
| The enterprise (big) software companies don't | | | | hard to use. Finding their own way through the |
| care. For them complexity is what they sell, and it | | | | minefields of features, wrestling with the |
| justifies their lifetime costs. All the consultants and | | | | inconsistencies, creating their own solution is what |
| IT support guys like it too. They get to make a | | | | makes them special. Organizing their processes |
| nice living out of ordinary people having problems | | | | across multiple applications and data files gives |
| figuring it all out. | | | | them the chance to get the better of the |
| Ask one "user" what he/she wants and we get a | | | | programmers. Keeping the way it all works in their |
| list of 10 "nice to have"s". Ask a hundred users | | | | heads is stressful. Boy these guys work hard, |
| what they want and we get a thousand "nice to | | | | It won't last though. Complex software is on its |
| have's". Ask a million users what they want and | | | | way out, taking the established software |
| we get Microsoft, Oracle and SAP. | | | | businesses with it. |