IT (yes, really) built a returns processing tool

“We just need it until SAP is updated.”— Head of Operations

Reason:

Mainly because someone said "can't ChatGPT do this?". With 41 users and zero documentation.

Built by:

Elena, an analyst

Build time:

5 evenings

Built with:

plain HTML and 1,900 lines of jQuery

Database:

a JSON file in Git called production-data.json

Authentication:

the temporary firewall rule has existed for 13 months

Deployment:

deployed by emailing copy of copy of Budget2026_v2.xlsm to Chen

Responsible:

Elena, who left 2 months ago

Documentation:

a PowerPoint from 2019 labelled FINAL

Security situation:

CSRF protection was temporarily disabled

Future disaster:

It will be replaced by a second version of itself.

Age: 34 days · originally expected to last 7 days · 1 owner so far · survived 1 reorganisation · last meaningful change 19 days ago · original builder left 56 days ago

Rated common mostly because: €40k per year, the builder has left, alive 5x longer than intended.