What is key-person risk in legacy software?

You have key-person risk when one or two employees hold critical knowledge about a legacy application. If those people become unavailable, maintaining or changing the system gets much more difficult.

Why is key-person dependency common in manufacturing systems?

Manufacturing software often evolves over many years through custom ERP modifications, MES configuration, reporting changes, integrations, and production-specific workflows. Much of this knowledge is rarely fully documented.

How can manufacturers reduce legacy software knowledge risk?

The most effective approach is to find people who understand the system best. Then, document the workflows that matter most to the business, capture hidden business logic, and make sure the whole team knows support procedures.

Do you need to rewrite the system to reduce key-person risk?

No. Often, documenting the existing system, improving support processes, and distributing knowledge reduces operational risk. No need to replace the software.

When should external legacy support be involved?

External support is particularly valuable when legacy software documentation is missing, the original developers are no longer available, internal teams lack capacity, or the organization needs to stabilize existing systems before planning larger modernization initiatives.

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