Handled correctly, a Code and Configuration Assessment can be more than a technical exercise. It is a business initiative that uncovers hidden risks, improves billing reliability, and prepares BRM for future growth. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority recently highlighted how widespread the problem is, reporting that 92% of financial services firms still rely on legacy technology, and 78% of their data remains tied up in on-premise infrastructure (FCA, Transforming Data Collection, 2023).
These improvements can be applied to both on-premise and cloud-hosted BRM environments. Many industries including financial services, media, insurance, airlines, and travel still run large portions of their billing infrastructure on-prem. The reasons are clear:
- High costs of cloud migration for complex, high-volume systems.
- Dependence on COBOL and other older code that is not cloud-compatible.
A Code & Configuration Assessment helps stabilise BRM wherever it runs. It reduces leakage, simplifies customisations, and ensures billing accuracy whether your system is on-prem or in the cloud. For organisations considering modernisation, it also creates a cleaner foundation that can make a future transition smoother when the timing and economics align.
Why Code and Configuration Go Wrong
Many BRM environments carry years of patches, quick fixes, and customisations layered on top of the core product. This often results in:
- Delayed product launches because every update requires workarounds and high coordination.
- Billing errors and disputes caused by fragile code and configuration drift.
- Revenue recognition delays when billing data is inconsistent or inaccurate.
- High cost of ownership as more effort goes into keeping the lights on rather than enabling growth.
- Lack of documentation that leaves teams without design or high-level system records, making it difficult to understand code behaviour without deep analysis.
In one recent client case, a legacy BRM system caused both delays and billing errors that directly impacted revenue recognition. The complexity of customisations had reached the point where every change introduced risk, and teams struggled to respond quickly to business needs. Our review uncovered more than $280,000 in leakage in a single month, a figure that shows how small errors can quickly escalate into major losses.
The BRM Code & Configuration Assessment Your Business Actually Needs
The right assessment does not stop at listing issues. It provides a roadmap to stabilise operations, reduce costs, and create a platform for innovation. A successful BRM Code and Configuration Assessment requires:
- Structured methodology with clear phases of assessment, analysis, and remediation.
- Well-maintained documentation so developers can quickly understand code behaviour and enhance it accurately.
- Adherence to coding standards with clear comments that improve maintainability and reduce risk during enhancements.
- Thorough impact analysis across data models, APIs, integrations, and custom code to anticipate ripple effects.
- Comprehensive regression testing that covers real production scenarios, not just high-level cases. Broader coverage helps identify issues earlier and prevents operational incidents.
- Parallel cutover environments that allow fixes and optimisations to be validated at scale without disrupting production.
This disciplined approach shifts the focus from reacting to problems toward proactively strengthening the foundation. The urgency is underscored by recent research which found that 70% of software in Fortune 500 companies is more than 20 years old, with technical debt in the U.S. alone now estimated at $1.52 trillion and poor software quality costing the economy $2.41 trillion annually (CISQ, The Cost of Poor Software Quality in the US, 2022).
The Payoff
When applied with precision, a BRM Code and Configuration Assessment delivers measurable outcomes:
- Faster billing cycles that speed revenue recognition.
- Reduced billing errors and fewer disputes with customers.
- Lower operational costs by simplifying and standardising code.
- Minimal downtime during transition, protecting both business continuity and customer experience.
In our client engagements, we have seen assessments lead to predictable timelines, reduced errors, and clear ROI through both cost savings and improved revenue flow. Reducing BRM fragility is not just an IT exercise, it is a business imperative.
From Complexity to Future-Readiness
The lesson from real-world cases is clear. The problem is not Oracle BRM itself, but the legacy customisations and configurations that have built up over time. With a structured assessment, organisations can identify risks, simplify their environment, and prepare for new revenue models and scalable growth through BRM.
At Synthesis Systems, we bring proven methodologies, automation frameworks, and deep BRM expertise to ensure that every Code and Configuration Assessment delivers both immediate stability and long-term value.