All of these kinds of systems are the same, from financial systems, like SAP and Oracle, to things engineering systems, like Teamworks and Integrity/Windchill.

All of these kinds of systems are the same, from financial systems, like SAP and Oracle, to things engineering systems, like Teamworks and Integrity/Windchill. (I've worked on Oracle and SDRC.) Their size makes them impervious to change, and their complexity leads to ridiculous workflows. I've made a living writing custom software for engineering, embedded with engineers, that fixes problems with these monstrous systems, and which IT could never implement in 100 years. So, yes, companies with CIO's who want to make a name for themselves (and probably collect a kickback in the process): PLEASE continue to implement these hundred-million dollar IT systems. You MAKE a lot of extra work in the process, guaranteeing job security for everyone who has to use them, and work around them. You'd think that Fortune 100 companies would put people into positions like the CIO or CTO who are sharp enough to understand how this REALLY works out, but I guess those kinds of people aren't politically savvy enough to reach that position.