computers should be less friendly

There has been a lot of “fall out” in the enterprise blogging space around a MITSloan article entitled “The Trouble With Enterprise Software.” Up until recently most of the posts have been attacking some of the facts and slinging random bits of statistical evidence around however, Thomas Otter has really summarized what people who actually use and work on the software see as the problem. He highlights the major hurdle SAP has to overcome and it’s not lines of code:

I look around here at SAP, I’d say fighting complexity is our biggest competitor. Sure we have much to learn about simplification, and we must get significantly better at reducing and managing complexity. But if there is one thing that I loathe more than unnecessary complexity it is the oversimplisitic. ERP is complex, so is the Belgian tax code. Many of those that damn SAP and Oracle for its complexity seem to suspend business reality when discussing the next great start up that will blow us away.

This is exactly why customers buy SAP software. We need it to run our businesses. Yes, it costs more then we like but anyone with half a brain realizes that navigating the Brazilian tax code without it would basically put you out of business in Brazil. If you follow my blog at all you realize I think most things are too complex but, this is more on the outside the user facing bits. I don’t want to know anything about the Polish payroll rules all I want to do is pay my employees. If my ERP system makes that easier by guaranteeing compliance then it’s a win.

Just to throw some geeky fuel on the statistical fire counting lines of code to determine “complexity” is dumb. I could reverse a string in 3 lines of confusing recursive C++ code. Or I could write 10 lines that are easier to follow and run at about the same speed and a maintenance programmer would understand it immediately. Which one is better?