Entrenched systems
What are Entrenched systems?
Existing systems are embedded in important work, data or organizational practices deeply enough that replacement risk materially shapes buying.
How Entrenched systems work
Customers may tolerate shortcomings to avoid disruption. An entrant must make migration and continued operation credible, even when its product offers a benefit.
Case studies tagged with Entrenched systems
Each link opens the passage tagged with this concept.
- Bentley Systems
- Cadence Design Systems
- Cursor
- Cylance
- Dayforce
- Fiserv
- Instructure
- Rockwell Automation
- Veeva
- Workday
The question to ask of a company
What existing system could the customer keep, what would replacement disrupt, and how does that affect buying?
Examples
- Workday: employers depended on established systems for essential HR work.
- Toast: replacing the POS could disrupt restaurant service.
Who names it
| Author | What they call it / where it appears |
|---|---|
| Strategy Canon + | Editorial pattern label derived from the company entry studies |