Lesson 5: The Risks of Over-Customization – When Too Much Flexibility Kills Your Project
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today’s topic is one that has burned many companies (including mine) — over-customization.
By Tom Jones, IT Project Manager
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today’s topic is one that has burned many companies (including mine) — over-customization.
If you’ve ever led an ERP, CRM, or large-scale IT implementation, you’ve probably faced the temptation: “Let’s tweak the system to fit our exact business processes.” The problem? Too much customization can turn your system into an unmaintainable mess.
In today’s lesson, I’ll cover: ✅ The hidden dangers of excessive customization. ✅ Real-world horror stories from IT projects gone wrong. ✅ When to customize vs. when to adapt your business processes. ✅ How ezRACI helps balance customization with governance.
The SAP Project That Almost Broke the Company
In 2008, I was leading an SAP implementation for a Fortune 500 company. The goal was simple: move from an outdated legacy system to a modern ERP that could scale.
But then came the customization requests.
The finance team wanted custom invoice approval flows.
The operations team needed modifications to inventory tracking.
Leadership demanded real-time custom dashboards for every department.
Before long, our ‘standard SAP implementation’ turned into 1,200 custom ABAP code changes.
🚨 The result? 🚨 ❌ Go-live was delayed by 14 months. ❌ The cost ballooned by 70% over budget. ❌ Every upgrade required massive rework because of all the customizations.
The Hidden Costs of Over-Customization
Too much customization creates long-term pain. Here’s why:
🚨 1. You Break Future Upgrades
The more you customize, the harder it is to apply software updates.
Every new release requires re-testing and re-coding custom features.
🚨 2. You Create a Maintenance Nightmare
Custom code = higher support costs.
When the original developers leave, new hires struggle to understand the system.
🚨 3. You Lose Vendor Support
Many vendors have limits on what they’ll support if you over-customize.
You risk turning a vendor-supported product into a homegrown disaster.
🚨 4. You Get Locked Into Bad Business Processes
Customizations often preserve inefficient legacy workflows rather than improving them.
Instead of adapting to industry best practices, you code yourself into a corner.
How to Avoid Customization Pitfalls
✅ 1. Follow the 80/20 Rule
❌ What happens: Companies try to customize everything to fit their current processes.
✅ Fix it:
Adopt 80% of out-of-the-box functionality.
Customize only the 20% that provides a real competitive advantage.
✅ 2. Challenge Every Customization Request
❌ What happens: Teams assume they need custom features without analyzing the alternatives.
✅ Fix it:
Ask: “What happens if we don’t customize this?”
Map the customization to a measurable business outcome.
Reject any request that doesn’t provide real ROI.
✅ 3. Use Configuration Before Customization
❌ What happens: Teams jump straight to custom coding without exploring built-in settings.
✅ Fix it:
Many modern platforms offer low-code/no-code configurations.
Use built-in workflows, approval rules, and automation tools before resorting to custom development.
✅ 4. Implement a Customization Governance Model
❌ What happens: Custom changes are made without oversight, documentation, or long-term planning.
✅ Fix it:
Require business case justification for every customization.
Use a RACI matrix (via ezRACI) to define who approves, develops, and maintains custom features.
Document every customization so future teams understand its purpose.
How ezRACI Helps Manage Customization Risks
Many customization failures happen because ownership isn’t clear. That’s why I use ezRACI to:
✅ Track who is responsible for approving and maintaining custom code. ✅ Ensure business and IT alignment by requiring justification for every change. ✅ Reduce risk by documenting customizations in a structured way.
If your IT team is struggling with customization overload, ezRACI can help you regain control.
Final Thoughts: Customization Should Be the Exception, Not the Rule
The biggest lesson I’ve learned? Customization isn’t bad—but it should be strategic.
✔️ Limit customization to high-value changes. ✔️ Use configuration before writing custom code. ✔️ Implement governance to control customization sprawl.
Next time, in Lesson 6: The CIO Wants a Dashboard… Now What?, I’ll share how executive expectations can make or break an IT project—and how to deliver dashboards that actually provide value.
Disclaimer: This blog is written from the perspective of Tom Jones, a fictional IT Project Manager, and is intended for informational and educational purposes. While based on real-world project management principles, all anecdotes and characters in these posts are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. The blog also references ezRACI, a project management tool designed to help teams succeed in project execution. However, these opinions are solely those of the fictional character and do not constitute an official endorsement.
About Tom Jones
Tom Jones: A Veteran IT Project Manager Navigating the Complexities of Enterprise Technology
Tom Jones is a seasoned IT Project Manager with over two decades of experience leading complex enterprise technology initiatives. Based in South Florida, Tom has built a reputation as a pragmatic, results-driven leader who thrives on solving intricate business and IT challenges. His expertise spans project management, IT security, large-scale system migrations, and process optimization, making him a trusted figure in the industry.
Early Life and Education
Tom was born and raised in Pennsylvania, eventually attending Penn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems (MIS) in 2003. His passion for technology and business integration was evident early on, as he quickly grasped the nuances of systems architecture and project execution. His ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders became a defining characteristic of his career.
Professional Journey
Tom's career began at Unilever HPC as a Systems Analyst, where he got his first taste of large-scale enterprise operations. However, he quickly sought new challenges and moved to Washington, D.C., to work as a Consultant for the Department of Defense. This experience exposed him to high-stakes, mission-critical projects where precision and security were paramount.
Over the years, Tom took on increasingly demanding roles, managing SAP migrations, IT security projects, and various large-scale initiatives across industries. His ability to navigate high-pressure environments and deliver results led him to leadership roles in project management, where he excelled in driving teams toward successful project completion.
Leadership Philosophy
Tom's leadership style is rooted in accountability, transparency, and strategic execution. He believes that successful project management isn't just about timelines and budgets—it’s about aligning business objectives with technology solutions while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. His direct, no-nonsense approach has earned him the respect of peers, executives, and technical teams alike.
Entrepreneurial Ventures and ezRACI
In recent years, Tom has expanded his expertise into entrepreneurship, co-founding ezRACI, a SaaS platform designed to streamline compliance, audit trails, and project management workflows. Recognizing the inefficiencies in traditional project management tools, he sought to develop a solution that integrates collaboration features like Slack and MS Teams, industry-specific templates, and intuitive dashboards for workload optimization. His goal with ezRACI is to help teams achieve clarity, accountability, and efficiency in their IT projects.
Personal Life
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tom is a devoted husband and father of two elementary school-aged children. He enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his kids' sports teams, and keeping up with the latest industry trends. His wife, who works at the local library, shares his appreciation for continuous learning and knowledge-sharing. Together, they have built a life centered around personal growth, resilience, and community.
Legacy and Vision
With over 21 years in the industry, Tom Jones remains a passionate advocate for effective project management and IT governance. Through his blog, he shares lessons learned, war stories from past projects, and insights on optimizing workflows in modern enterprises. Whether leading large IT transformations or mentoring the next generation of project managers, Tom's mission remains the same: to drive efficiency, innovation, and lasting impact in the world of enterprise technology.
As he continues to build ezRACI into a premier project management tool, Tom is committed to reshaping how teams collaborate, execute projects, and maintain compliance in an ever-evolving digital landscape.