7 min read
For many IT leaders, customization feels like a no-brainer. After all, why wouldn’t you tweak and reshape your ITSM platform to do exactly what you want, exactly how you want it done? If you’re investing in a tool, it should work the way you work, right?
This argument is seductive, but depending on how it’s done, it can quickly become a trap.
There’s no point in denying that heavy personalization leads to a better IT experience. Solutions should adapt to business needs and not the other way around. However, the subtle but crucial difference lies in the method.
I've seen countless organizations fall into over-customization. At first, everything seems great – customizations make adoption easier because they match existing workflows.
But over time, these modifications become technical debt. Each update threatens to break your system. Maintenance costs skyrocket. The very thing that was supposed to empower your business ends up restricting it.
That’s why I rather talk about configuration as a smart opposition. Let’s dive deeper into the difference, the challenges of customization, and the way configuration stands as a healthy alternative.
ITSM software
4.5
Gartner
Customization vs. configuration: Where’s the catch?
Wanting for something to adapt to us and not vice versa is almost human nature. We feel more comfortable with (and are more prone to adopt) things if they fit perfectly in our ways.
In the case of business processes, they typically precede tools, so we tend to find software that can be adapted to our needs. This way, we don’t have to change our habits and procedures.
Over the years, the market has labeled the ability of adapting platforms to company needs as customization.
With customizable software, you get a unique platform, specifically tailored to your needs. But you also fall into a trap because the more you tweak and modify a tool to fit your current processes, the more you lock yourself into a fragile, high-maintenance system that will eventually slow you down.
In the search for flexibility, you end up with a customized system that can’t be updated because of incompatibilities with your adjustments and that requires a dedicated team to maintain it.
In contrast, configuration arises as the option to benefit from personalization but without the drawbacks of customization.
Configuration provides enough flexibility to adapt software to business needs but it does so by avoiding the need to write code – and hence, frees you from costly development teams, long implementation times, and outdated systems.
The way it works is that software providers embed the configuration capabilities into the product, so you can opt to use them if relevant. This typically takes the form of UX/UI configurations, automation controls, drag-and-drop components, no-code developments, and available APIs, to name a few.
With them you have a flexible, scalable, and sustainable system ready to adapt and grow as you need it.
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The hidden cost of over-customization
Tool customization can still be desirable and the better option for some very complex enterprises. But as I mentioned before, it comes with downsides.
1. Vendor lock-in and breaking updates
Customizing an ITSM tool to perfectly fit your business often means tying yourself to a specific version of that tool. The moment the vendor releases an update, you’re at risk of breaking those customizations.
At that point, you have two choices: stay on an outdated version forever or pay consultants to rebuild your modifications after every update. Either way, you're stuck.
Worse still, if you’ve built custom integrations between tools, any changes to APIs, data structures, or third-party platforms could create a domino effect of failures. Instead of agility, you get fragility.
2. Security and maintenance risks
One of the biggest hidden dangers of over-customization is falling behind on security patches. When an ITSM system is too customized, updating becomes a risk, so businesses delay upgrades – sometimes for years.
This creates a perfect storm for security vulnerabilities. If a critical security fix is released, but installing it would break your custom workflows, what do you do? Too often, the answer is nothing – until it’s too late.
3. Knowledge silos and resource lock-in
Custom ITSM setups often rely on a handful of people who know how everything works. This means that if key personnel leave, your IT team could find themselves unable to maintain the system.
I’ve seen companies stuck on a decade-old version of their ITSM tool simply because they can’t untangle their customizations – or because the person who built them is long gone.
This isn't just an operational headache; it's a serious business risk.
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The alternative: Configuration over customization
Customization often feels like the "power user" option – it’s what big companies do when they want an ITSM tool that fits like a glove. But what many IT leaders don’t realize is that, over time, that glove can turn tight, uncomfortable, and constricting.
At InvGate, we take a different approach.
Instead of encouraging businesses to carve out a unique-but-fragile system, we prioritize configuration – a way of tailoring your ITSM experience without introducing unnecessary complexity or maintenance nightmares.
Here’s what that means in practice.
Flexible workflows without custom code
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is assuming that "customization" means "control." In reality, heavy customization often means you lose control – because every small tweak adds another layer of risk.
That’s why we’ve built no-code and low-code tools that let IT teams create workflows that work for them – without locking them into a rigid, brittle setup.
Instead of writing custom scripts that will inevitably break with the next update, teams can configure workflows using built-in tools that are designed to evolve with them.
When the system gets updated, your workflows still work. There’s no need to call in a consultant just to keep the lights on.
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InvGate Service Management's No-Code Workflow Builder
Built-in adaptability
The problem with most ITSM customizations is that they’re designed to solve an immediate need, not a long-term one.
Hardcoding a process into your ITSM platform might feel efficient in the short term, but what happens when that process needs to change? What happens when your business expands, restructures, or integrates new technologies?
Suddenly, what seemed like a perfect fit becomes an obstacle.
That’s why we design for adaptability from the start. Our platform isn’t just built to meet today’s needs – it’s designed to grow with you.
Instead of forcing businesses into static, one-off solutions, we prioritize modular, configurable features that allow teams to evolve without ripping everything apart every few years.
No vendor lock-in: Your system, your rules
One of the dirtiest secrets in enterprise IT is how customization is often used as a tool for vendor lock-in.
Once you’ve gone all-in on deep customizations, it becomes nearly impossible to migrate to another platform without a painful, expensive rebuild.
IT teams don’t just get locked into a specific tool – they get locked into a specific version of that tool, because upgrading would break everything they’ve built.
At InvGate, we don’t believe in quick fixes that turn into long-term traps.
Instead of forcing businesses into a tangled web of custom scripts, proprietary integrations, and consultant-reliant patches, we adhere to open standards. That means:
- You’re not locked into a single version of our platform.
- You’re not dependent on outside consultants who charge a fortune just to keep things running.
- You’re not forced to choose between stability and innovation – you get both.
Ultimately, this comes down to a mindset shift.
Many IT leaders have been trained to think that customization equals sophistication, when in reality, the most sophisticated IT teams are the ones who plan for sustainability.
Already stuck with an over-customized ITSM?
If you’re already deep in ITSM customization debt, pulling yourself out won’t happen overnight. But the worst thing you can do is keep digging the hole deeper.
Here’s what IT leaders can do to regain control:
- Stop building more customizations. No more short-term fixes that only add to the problem.
- Embrace industry standards. Even if it requires some process adjustments, standardization reduces future risks.
- Plan a long-term migration strategy. Moving away from a highly customized tool may take time, but delaying it only increases the cost.
- Reduce reliance on custom APIs and integrations. The more you can standardize, the easier your future upgrades will be.
Customization isn’t the future – Sustainability is
The best ITSM systems aren’t the ones that let you customize endlessly. They’re the ones that give you the flexibility you need without sacrificing long-term maintainability.
That’s why configuration is the future.
It’s the difference between a short-term workaround and a sustainable IT strategy.
For IT leaders making decisions today, the question isn’t just "Can we make this system fit our needs right now?" – it’s "Will this system still work for us five years from now?"
The companies that get this right will build agile, resilient IT operations. The ones that don’t will be stuck in a cycle of break, fix, repeat – until they’re forced to start over from scratch.
Which path do you want to take?
