Why did custom-designed systems struggle to provide enterprise-level support?

Custom-designed systems often struggled to provide enterprise-level support primarily because they were very organization-specific. These systems were tailored to meet the unique needs and processes of a particular organization, which made them less flexible and adaptable to the broader requirements of an enterprise environment. As organizations grow and evolve, their needs change, and a system that was specifically designed for one context may not be able to accommodate new functionalities or integrate seamlessly with other systems used across different departments or within a larger corporate structure.

In a large enterprise, the diversity of processes, departments, and user requirements means that a one-size-fits-all approach is often necessary. A custom system focused solely on the specific needs of a single organization can become a barrier rather than a benefit when trying to achieve cohesion and efficiency across the entire organization. This specificity can limit the system's scalability, making it difficult to support the enterprise as a whole over time.