Less IT is more

Less is more is an old truism, but what happens if we apply this to IT? 

How would the enterprise work if we took away all IT systems that doesn't give benefits to your customers, with the exception for legal requirements?

The benefits are clear. A less complicated IT solution is easier to maintain and far easier to change fast when the business gets disrupted. But what are the drawbacks, if there are any?

The most obvious functionality to take away are internal reporting of KPI's. The issues with KPI's are often that they are easy to measure, but doesn't improve the behavior in the organisation. In worst cases they are counter productive and foster a silo thinking between different parts of the organisation. In addition to being incorrect, they are to presented to late and nobody really cares.

Then there is the whole BI-area. You collect everything in a huge data store, but is the information relevant and/or useful for your customers?

Two examples where the ambition is good, but in reality it's like buying a gym-membership after New Years Eve. It cost a lot, but ain't getting used.