Tuc - even you would agree there has to be a balance between retaining certain ways of doing things and modernisation. There are many cases of organisations "staying with what they had" and it resulting in catastrophe (think the Crimean War), the reluctance of the UK Admiralty to adopt a convoy system in WW 1 or the complete inability of the system to handle expensive complex acquisition of the TSR2.
It's a matter of balance - but I think it often comes down to leadership in all spheres. A good leader and his team seem to be able to navigate the shoals that others come ashore on - hence the (odd) project delivered on time and on spec and the majority which are neither