Most organizations rely on IT systems to support their business functions and deliver outcomes for their clients. Such IT systems are large and complex and need to adapt continuously to an evolving marketplace, rapidly changing technology, and accelerating expectations and demands that accompany the new technology. Maintenance is therefore the key activity required to update and service systems to ensure they remain relevant. Software engineers know that less than 20% of the cost and effort are used up during the actual development of new systems, with the rest invested in maintenance and evolution. However, while development activities constitute projects in the traditional sense and are adequately covered in the literature, maintenance work counts as business as usual and is scarcely addressed.
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