Notebook notes: The feature parity trap

Yesterdays workaround is tomorrows 'must have' requirement

Reader warning - This is part of my 'Notebook notes' so not a lot of thought has gone into the readability or value of this.

I’ve experienced this alot in the different organisations I’ve worked with- Yesterdays workaround is tomorrows ‘must have’ requirement for any new system. Not understanding this is the feature parity trap.

What do I mean? Let’s look at an example.

Let’s imagine Business X is a large retail company looking to modernise its e-commerce platform. Their current system is a monolithic architecture, struggling to keep up with increasing traffic and customer demands. The business aims to improve website speed, enhance customer experience, increase online sales and introduce efficiency savings. However during the transformation they fall into the feature parity trap, they prioritise replicating the exact functionality of their old platform in the new system (copying complex workflows, outdated user interfaces, and inefficient processes). In the areas where they are looking for efficiency savings, they digitise new processes to be exact replica of their existing processes.

The allure of replicating existing system functionalities is strong. After all, that’s how they do it now and it seems like the easiest path to adoption. But this approach is fraught with danger. By simply copying the features of an old system, they are inadvertently perpetuating its limitations and inefficiencies. They will have missed the opportunity to innovate. Replicating the old system’s technical architecture leads to the accumulation of technical debt in the new platform, this hinders future development and maintenance efforts.

To break free from this cycle, we must shift our focus. Instead of replicating the past, we need to define entirely new processes aligned with our desired future state. We need to focus on the outcome. By doing so, we create an opportunity to build a system that truly meets our needs, unburdened by the constraints of its predecessor.

It’s essential to resist the temptation to recreate the old system, feature by feature. Instead, challenge the status quo. Ask yourself…

  • “Why do we do things this way?”
  • “What could we do better?”
  • “What if…”

By rethinking processes and identifying new requirements, we can design a system that is not only functional but also innovative and efficient.

Breaking free from the feature parity trap requires courage and vision. It’s about daring to let go of the familiar and embracing the unknown. By doing so, we open the door to create a system that truly drives value.