When the Shadow System Is the System
- Doug Ehlert
- Oct 14
- 2 min read
Last week’s post looked at shadow systems. The quiet tools that fill gaps in enterprise software. Sometimes they’re just stopgaps, but sometimes they evolve and become so integral to operations that they become the system of record. That’s when things get complicated.
The quiet takeover
It starts small: an Access database tracking what the main system can’t, or a spreadsheet that finally makes sense of an export. Then it spreads. Pretty soon, reports, budgets, and even strategic decisions depend on a tool that was never meant to be permanent.
It isn’t “shadow” anymore, its infrastructure, an "ERP light", built out of improvisation.
When the workaround becomes production
By the time a shadow system takes center stage, it’s often too late for quick fixes. The organization has built routines, dependencies, and even policies around it. Turning it off would grind operations to a halt and cause confusion, anger, or resentment. "I had this tool that worked, now I'm in the dark."
But keeping it running comes at a cost:
Single points of failure: One person knows how it really works.
Security blind spots: Shared drives and personal macros don’t pass audits.
Data drift: Numbers in the shadow system no longer match the official ones.
Modernization paralysis: Every new system has to work around it.
What to do next
When a shadow system becomes critical, don't panic, triage it.
Stabilize it. Document how it works, who touches it, and what it connects to. Even a basic diagram can reveal complexity.
Mirror it. Move its data into a managed environment: an internal database, SharePoint list, or Snowflake table. DON'T SHUT THE SHADOW SYSTEM DOWN. You’re not replacing yet; you’re reducing fragility.
Learn from it. Every field, formula, and rule inside a shadow system tells you what the enterprise system missed. That’s your blueprint for what modernization should capture.
Transition slowly. Once the new solution reflects real workflows, migrate in stages. People need to see their world preserved before they’ll trust a new one.
The deeper truth
Shadow systems that survive this long usually do so because they serve reality better than the system of record. This is feedback on your organization's systems, not a failure.
Modernization isn’t just about moving data. It’s about understanding why people built their own tools in the first place.
When you finally integrate or replace these systems, do it with respect for the ingenuity that kept the work moving all these years. That’s how transformation earns trust and sticks.
Doug Ehlert
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