A still-loading screen on the internal learning system shows the progress bar stuck at 12 percent while the vendor app on the phone opens without delay. Role redesigns now route every skills allocation straight into that vendor environment.
The new titles carry fancy wording yet tie every measurable outcome to the vendor's certification track. Internal troubleshooting knowledge stops accruing because the only recognised fix requires opening a ticket in their system.
Change fatigue sets in when each redesign cycle repeats the same pattern: budget moves from salary lines to subscription seats, then the next redesign claims the internal team lacks the very skills the seats were meant to create.
Procurement signs off because the vendor supplies neat completion reports. Those reports never record how many domain-specific decisions now sit behind the vendor's paywall or how long it takes to regain access after a contract dispute.
Teams stop investing in undocumented workarounds because they no longer count toward promotion. The only currency left is the vendor badge, which expires the moment the next platform update arrives.
Boards see rising capability spend and assume progress. The actual capability stays locked in the vendor's instance, accessible only while the invoice stays current and the contract terms remain favourable.
The next redesign will promise to fix the dependency. It will simply create another set of roles whose primary documented responsibility is managing the vendor relationship.