How often does your team fall back on spreadsheets or manual workarounds to do things the system can't?
Rarely — it does what we need
Sometimes, for a few things
Daily — we run half the business in spreadsheets
When you need a new report or a small change, can you get it?
Yes, easily
With effort, time or cost
Basically never
How much time does your team lose to double-entry, re-keying, or chasing data across systems?
Little to none
Some
A lot — it's a real drag
Is the software still actively supported and getting updates?
Yes, fully supported
I'm not sure
No / the vendor's gone / end-of-life
If the one person who really knows this system left tomorrow, how exposed would you be?
We'd be fine
Some disruption
Serious problem — it lives in their head
If you wanted ALL your data out of it, could you get it?
Yes, easily
It'd be hard
Locked in, or I don't know
Does it talk to your other tools — accounting, CRM, and the rest?
Well connected
Partly / some manual bridging
It's an island
Is a change coming — growth, new compliance, a new product or market — that it probably can't handle?
No, we're steady
Maybe
Definitely
Roughly how old is the core system?
Under 5 years
5–10 years
10–20 years
20+ years, or no idea
When your team talks about the system, it's usually…
Fine — it's not a topic
A gripe
A running joke, or 'the thing that blocks us'
How often does it break, freeze, or need a nudge to keep going?
Rarely
Occasionally
Regularly — we plan around it
Does it comfortably meet your current security & compliance obligations?
Yes
Not sure
No / we're stretching it
Are you paying for capacity, modules or licences you've outgrown or barely use?
No, it fits
Somewhat
A lot — we're paying for the wrong thing
Could it comfortably handle 2–3× your current volume?
Easily
With strain
No
Keep it — it's pulling its weight.
On the signals that matter, your system is doing its job. The niggles are minor and the risks are low. Replacing it would cost you money and disruption for very little gain.
Keep it current — updates, backups, and a restore you've actually tested. | Write down how it works, so it doesn't all live in one person's head. | Fix the one or two things that annoy you — a small change beats a rebuild. | Reassess in 12–18 months, or sooner if a big change lands.
Something specific still bugging you?
Even on a healthy system, one well-placed fix can save hours. Ask us — no pitch.
It's straining — but don't rush to replace.
There's real friction here, but the signals point to fixable problems, not a dead system. A full replacement is likely overkill (and risky). Targeted work — a few integrations, some automation, the missing features — could buy it years for a fraction of the cost.
Map where the time and friction actually go — the workarounds are the clue. | Tackle the top 2–3: an integration, a missing report, a bit of automation. | Cut the key-person risk — document and cross-train. | Reassess once the fixes are in. Replace only if it still can't keep up.
Fix or replace — which is really cheaper for you?
That's exactly the call we help people make. Tell us your situation and we'll give you a straight read — no pitch.
You've outgrown it. Time to plan a replacement.
This isn't a few niggles — the system is holding the business back on several fronts, and patching it further is throwing good money after bad. The real question now isn't whether to replace it, but how to do it without a painful, over-budget disaster.
Start with what you actually need — not with software demos. | Get a full export of your data. Own it before you move. | Plan a phased migration, not a big-bang switch-over. | Budget for the real cost: build + migration + training + a buffer. | Pick a partner who'll tell you when off-the-shelf is the smarter buy.
Replacing a core system is where most of the risk lives.
Talk it through with us before you commit — we'll tell you the honest way to do it (and when not to). No pitch.
Close the exposure — before anything else.
Whatever else is going on, you flagged something that makes this urgent. Running the business on it is a risk you don't want to sit on — a security incident, a vanished vendor or an audit could force your hand at the worst possible moment.
Get a full export of your data now — don't wait for a reason to need it. | Pin down exactly what's unsupported or exposed, and the quick mitigations. | Treat any security or compliance gap as this-quarter, not someday. | Then decide fix vs replace with clear eyes — but close the exposure first.
This one's worth a conversation sooner rather than later.
Tell us what you flagged and we'll help you shut the risk down fast — no pitch.
Start the check →
Want a sharper read? Six more questions on age, reliability, security and growth — and a more detailed breakdown.
Sharpen it — 6 more →
What's driving this
A quick guide, not a formal audit — for a real read on your situation, talk to us.
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