INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DESIGN

Rube Goldberg was an award-winning cartoonist whose fame grew around his depiction of odd contraptions. A Rube Goldberg design was a collection of things that rolled, fell, twisted or through some intricate series of levers performed a mundane task. Accomplishing a task using a “Rube Goldberg design” is synonymous with applying a complicated, patched-together solution that works only when all of its elements are perfectly aligned. A lot of energy is spent accomplishing even simple tasks. Unfortunately, today’s version of a “Rube Goldberg machine” is often the information management system used by many businesses.

When the information management system of a business looks like a Rube Goldberg machine, there may be a risk that the system has become so complex in its combination of applications, patches, and operating procedures that it literally cannot be maintained and also cannot be replaced without an extensive redesign.