# Structural Constraints Structural constraints occur when a constraint on a system can be traced to several nodes with interlocking dependencies. By definition you can’t fix it by just “swapping out the pieces” otherwise you could consider those pieces a module, ie one piece. Fixing structural constraints is relatively easy in software because you can leave the old system running, replicate the whole system, rip out all the pieces that need replacing and then swap it out. Fixing structural constraints in a physical system ### Related * [[Modularization allows different groups to work on different pieces]] * [[Modularization enables the higher level technology to improve continuously even if pieces improve discretely]] - - - ### References [[mokyrLeverRichesTechnological1992]] <!-- #mental-model --> [Web URL for this note](http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Structural+Constraints) [Comment on this note](http://via.hypothes.is/http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Structural+Constraints)