The Quiet Cost of Legacy ECM
It usually starts with a gut feeling.
A team lead chases yet another missing document.
An audit takes twice as long as expected.
A project stalls because no one knows where the latest document version lives.
People shrug, miss a deadline, finally find a workaround, move on and forget.
But deep down, you know these aren’t one-offs.
The cracks are widening.
- By Catalin Paunescu
- 5 Minute Read
Why Legacy ECM Still Slows So Many Teams
This isn’t just about licence costs (although it is about that too).
It’s about friction. Wasted time.
Compliance risks quietly building in the background.
Every time it’s left unaddressed, the harder it gets to see and the more it drains energy from your transformation efforts.
Many organisations are running on a patchwork of ageing ECM, layered with newer apps and ad-hoc fixes. It keeps the wheels turning. But at what cost?
1. The Invisible Drain on Budgets
Legacy ECM costs rarely sit in one line item. They’re scattered across licence renewals, integration maintenance, outdated data models that no longer support current business functions, low user adoption due to poor UX, user support, and endless workarounds. Hidden costs creep in as systems age – from staff time spent on manual processes to compliance penalties waiting to happen.
In a recent project, an insurer saved over €12 million by replacing two outdated platforms with a single modern solution. The savings came not just from licences, but from cutting waste across IT and business operations.
2. Lost Time, Lost Focus
Every minute a team spends hunting for documents, double-checking data, or navigating clunky systems is time not spent on higher-value work. Over time, this erodes morale and productivity.
Many CIOs find their teams firefighting instead of driving innovation. The effort required just to “keep the lights on” with ageing ECMs often blocks wider transformation plans.
3. The Compliance Risk No One Wants to Talk About
Inconsistent retention policies. Missing audit trails. Siloed records with no central governance. These risks lurk in the background until an audit or legal case brings them into the spotlight.
Modern platforms can automate much of this governance, reducing human error and increasing audit readiness. But legacy systems often can’t support this without extensive (and expensive) custom work.
4. The Real Impact on Transformation
Many organisations underestimate how much legacy enterprise content platforms hold back broader digital initiatives. If core data and documents remain stuck in old architectures, it blocks AI-readiness, cross-platform integration, and more agile ways of working.
Fixing this is a way to unlock capacity, reduce frustration, and accelerate the very transformation programmes leadership is investing in.
Where the Biggest Wins Come From
Even though enterprise content modernization can save tons of money, some of the biggest transformation wins don’t make headlines.
They’re the risks you no longer carry.
The manual effort you no longer waste.
The momentum you finally unlock.
Step one? A clearer view of where your hidden costs and risks really sit – and where change will make the biggest impact.
If you’d like to explore that in your world – we’d be glad to help.
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