Simplify first: a practical approach to systems
Before adding new tools, ask what you can remove. A framework for reducing complexity.
December 2025
Every business accumulates complexity over time. New tools, workarounds, manual processes that were meant to be temporary. The instinct is usually to add something new to fix it. But the better first step is almost always to remove.
Why simplification matters
Complexity has a cost. Every tool requires maintenance, integration, training, and decision-making overhead. When systems are fragmented, information gets lost, handoffs break, and simple tasks take longer than they should. Simplification isn't about doing less, it's about removing friction.
The simplify-first framework
Before adding anything new, ask: What can we remove? What processes can we consolidate? What tools overlap? What manual steps are no longer necessary? Map your current workflow honestly, including all the workarounds. You'll find more waste than you expect.
Start with the handoffs
The biggest inefficiencies usually live in the gaps between systems and teams. Data entry that happens twice. Information passed through Slack instead of stored properly. Reports built manually because systems don't connect. Focus here first.
Consolidate before you build
If you have three tools doing similar things, pick one and retire the others. If you have five sources of truth for customer data, consolidate to one. Simplification often means making hard choices about what to keep and what to let go.
Simplification isn't sexy, but it's often the highest-leverage work you can do. Remove before you add. Always.