Rediscovering the Old to Unlock the New: The Overlooked ROI of Mature Tools

Every once in a while, it’s worth polishing up old skills with tools you’ve been using for years or maybe even decades. You never know how the experience and wisdom you’ve gained since the last time you touched them might completely change what you can do with them.

I recently experienced this when I revisited VBA Macros in PowerPoint and suddenly saw it as an entirely different beast, capable of things I never thought possible. At first glance, it seems insignificant. But the experience revealed a bigger truth.

Sometimes innovation doesn’t come from adopting the latest tool. It comes from re-examining the ones you already have.

Efficiency Gains Hiding in Plain Sight

In technology, we’re conditioned to look forward to the next release, the new platform, the latest buzzword. But that bias often blinds us to untapped potential in what’s already in our stacks.

Revisiting “mature” tools like macros, scripting, or productivity tools can expose opportunities to:

• Automate repetitive work that’s still being done manually
• Streamline processes by connecting systems that lack direct integrations
• Simplify adoption since everyone’s already familiar with the platforms

The result? Less friction, more output, without expanding budgets.

ROI Without New Spend

Every budget conversation eventually comes back to ROI. New solutions bring new costs: licensing, training, onboarding, integration, and ongoing support. But rediscovering what you already own offers:

• High returns, low costs: The tools are already licensed, already deployed, already known.
• Faster adoption: You’re not asking people to learn from scratch. You’re asking them to see old capabilities in a new light.
• Deferred capital spend: Stretching more value out of existing tools delays or even avoids costly new investments.

It’s the difference between buying a new machine and realizing the one you already own can run twice as fast if you just tune it properly.

Creativity in Constraint

There’s also a creative spark in rediscovery. Mature tools come with boundaries, and working within those boundaries forces inventive problem-solving. Instead of asking, “What’s the best tool I can buy for this?”, the question becomes, “What can I build with what I already have?”

That mindset often uncovers solutions that are:

• More elegant than expected because they fit naturally into existing workflows
• More resilient since they’re based on stable, time-tested platforms
• More empowering because you discover you already had the power to solve the problem

Problem-Solving as a Competitive Advantage

Revisiting old skills isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about sharpening adaptability. In fast-moving environments, the people who thrive are those who can extract new value from familiar ground. That adaptability becomes a competitive advantage.

When you can solve problems creatively with existing tools, you move faster than those waiting for the “next big platform.”

When you squeeze more value out of what you already own, you’re less vulnerable to budget cuts or shifting market conditions.

When you re-skill on “old” technologies, you add layers of depth to your expertise, making you more versatile and harder to replace.

Building a Culture of Rediscovery

Sometimes innovation isn’t about discovering something brand new it’s about rediscovering something old with fresh eyes.

But here’s the real opportunity. When you make this a regular practice and not just a one-time exercise you build something more valuable than any single solution. You create a culture where teams naturally look for untapped potential before looking for new purchases. Where the first question isn’t “What do we need to buy?” but “What can we already do that we haven’t tried yet?”

This mindset becomes especially powerful when you lead others. Teams take their cues from how you approach problems. When they see you revisiting mature tools with curiosity rather than writing them off as “old technology,” they start doing the same. When they watch you solve problems creatively within existing constraints, they develop that muscle too.

If you manage systems, lead teams, or guide strategy, ask yourself:

• When was the last time you revisited the tools you take for granted?
• Where could a “mature” technology, paired with today’s challenges, deliver unexpected ROI?
• How much untapped efficiency is hiding in plain sight in your environment?

The answers may not just surprise you – they may change the way you think about innovation altogether.

Lewis Pope is the Head Security Nerd at N‑able. You can follow him on

LinkedIn: thesecuritypope

Twitch: cybersec_nerd