We are replacing a system. Must we reproduce every old feature?
Uncritical legacy scopeEvaluate existing features against current needs rather than treating historical existence as justification. Preserve required outcomes and obligations, not every accidental behavior of the old system.
What to do now
- Inventory actual feature usage
- Identify mandatory and valuable outcomes
- Test simpler replacement options
- Obtain explicit retirement decisions
When to escalate
Escalate when
A proposed omission affects a required business process or obligation.
Who decides
The scope owner and authorized sponsor
Example
An unused legacy report is retired after its owner confirms that a standard report meets the present need.
Mistake to avoid
Copying obsolete customizations without checking whether anyone uses them.
Prevent a repeat
Review ambiguous requirements and unresolved acceptance conditions before the affected work begins.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Projects
- Tasks
- Documents
- Approvals
Keep the agreed scope and acceptance evidence with the project; record any proposed change and its decision separately. See the platform
Related cases
- The requirements say the system must be user friendly. How can we test that?Untestable requirement
- Our project overlaps with another team's system. Where should the boundary be?Unclear scope interface
- We are replacing an old service. When can we switch it off?Unverified retirement readiness
- We cannot reproduce a reported defect. Should we close it?Insufficient defect evidence