ROI Case File No. 055 | The Ghost Called Burden

Chapter One: Ghost from the Past

"It's time to wake this system from its slumber."

Through the clearing afternoon fog of Baker Street came the MetalLinks Information Systems Director, exhaustion written across his features. In his hands were thick system specification documents and complaint memos from the field.

"We're a relatively young non-ferrous metals refining and processing company, established in 2011," he sighed heavily. "But ironically... the ERP system we use inherited the old regime from 20 years ago intact."

A young company with an ancient system—this contradiction was the very "ghost" that tormented them.

"It works. It certainly works," his voice carried resignation. "But complaints from the field never stop: 'hard to use,' 'takes too long,' 'too many errors.' We've reached our limit."

Chapter Two: The Invisible Chains

"A fascinating paradox, Watson," Holmes observed, studying screenshots of the old ERP system by the fireplace. The images showed clearly outdated interfaces—tiny buttons, illegible fonts, overly complex input fields.

"No phrase is more dangerous than 'it works, so it's fine,'" Holmes shook his head. "Only the machine works—humans merely endure the suffering."

The reality was even grimmer. Manual CSV exports, non-mobile compatibility, sluggish response times. Most problematically, every time business processes changed, humans had to modify their work to accommodate the system.

"Systems should exist to support business. Instead, they've become shackles that bind it," I nodded deeply. A complete reversal of master and servant.

Chapter Three: The Mirror Metaphor

"ERP must be a 'mirror reflecting business operations.'"

Holmes stood and pointed to an old mirror in the office. Its surface was clouded and warped, unable to reflect an accurate image.

"The current system is exactly like this clouded mirror. It doesn't properly reflect actual business operations."

His proposal was clear: First, conduct a thorough inventory of field operations to clarify true requirements. Data integration between processes, approval workflows, monthly processing, exception handling—everything reviewed from a current perspective.

"Designing an 'RFP that fits today's business' from scratch is the true path to renewal," Holmes's eyes held conviction. "Instead of adapting the present to past systems, we adapt future systems to present business."

Chapter Four: Temporal Analysis (KPT Deduction Method)

I opened my investigation notebook to organize this anachronistic structure.

✅ KPT Temporal Analysis Framework:

"I see," Holmes nodded with satisfaction. "The problem isn't mere technical obsolescence—it's temporal distortion."

Chapter Five: The Detective's Theory of Time

"This isn't reconstruction—it's 'redefinition,' Watson."

Holmes stood by the window, gazing down at the street while speaking quietly.

"The old mechanisms kept because they worked had unknowingly become deadweight resisting change. Truly a 'ghost called burden'—invisible yet certainly corroding the enterprise."

His analysis was precise. Systems, while meant to be tools, had somehow become masters, beginning to dominate humans.

"The true solution is to gracefully remove this deadweight. This requires fundamentally questioning 'what should we do now' and 'why should we do it.'"

I was deeply convinced. Technical updates alone were insufficient—philosophical work to redefine the very meaning of business operations was necessary.

Chapter Six: The Courage to Let Go

After night's silence settled over the office, I reflected on the client's final words.

"We're afraid to change. The current system is inconvenient, but at least it works. If the new system fails..."

That fear was understandable. Yet Holmes's words struck at the truth.

Obsolete systems should be "broken and redesigned" before they break down.

Letting go of what we've protected certainly requires courage. But that courage becomes the driving force that elevates companies to their next stage.

Transformation is the courage to let go.

The 20-year-old ghost haunting the young MetalLinks company was actually a common challenge many enterprises face. Attachment to past successes and existing assets hinders progress toward the future.

However, methods exist to lay ghosts to rest. It requires accurately observing the present, clearly envisioning the future, and releasing the past with gratitude.

A new ERP system isn't merely a tool. It's a declaration of corporate intent toward the future.

"True courage is choosing unknown possibilities over familiar inconvenience"—From the Detective's Journal