I suspect doctor Frankenstein had the best of intentions when he argued that he would build a superior creature by using all the best parts. Imagine having to connect every vein and muscle of human bodyparts in a way that is absolutely seamless.
Software is not quite as complex as this, but it is a very valid metaphor. There are thousands of integration points between functional components and processes in an organization, and when systems are integrated with anything but the greatest of care, cost and effort, the results are not pretty.
Sometimes we have no choice. One's core business may be so specialised that only a purpose-written software solution would do. In other instances appropriate software is just not available and must be custom written.
What is bothersome though, is that some IT professionals still unashamedly claim "best of breed" as a valid departure point for an organisation's application landscape strategy. I remember a client where one IT professional's full time job consisted of making sure the sales and the debtors systems balanced, and no user dared challenged that notion. This position was a sought after one for slackers, and it was no surprise that this individual vehemently opposed the implementation of package software, because of its "bad fit". I have experienced an occasion where, before the software selection process begins, the internal IT department wrote specifications to such a level of detail that they specified where exactly on the user's screen the date should appear. Needless to say, the world's best ERP software packages had a less than 20 percent fit.
One cannot help but come to the cynical conclusion that this is about job preservation, no less self-serving than 1970's coal miners who resisted cleaner energy while Londoners choked in the soot. In history technology has almost always caused people to have to re-skill. While the ultimate positive outcome is higher productivity for all, this is of little comfort to the individuals who are displaced from their comfort zone. ERP software does this in the IT department no less so than in the rest of the organisation. It is unwise to not anticipate and plan for human nature. I see a lot of instances where it is incorrectly assumed that the cohesion felt in pep-rally environments carry through to the actions in the daily grind.
