IT Project Lessons from Titanic (Part 11)

 

In recapping Titanic's situation, following the collision (Part 8) the ship was restarted and limped off the ice shelf with the objective of sailing back to Halifax. Everything appeared to be in good shape, but after 20 minutes of sailing at 8 knots it was apparent that the initial determination was grossly inaccurate. The forward motion had taken its toll and the ship had taken on more water. Parts of the ship initially unaffected under the strain of the water had started to spring leaks and the increase in flooding was becoming catastrophic.

In today's world, getting service back online is a top priority by applying a temporary fix whilst a permanent fix is created. However, in such a situation it is essential the service delivery environment is closely monitored to whether the fix is holding.

The second search party, with the architect Thomas Andrews and the carpenter John Hutchinson, reported major flooding in five compartments and recognized that Titanic was not designed for this. The grinding along the bottom had badly ruptured the outer skin and damaged the double hull. The different rates of flooding in the six primary compartments indicated the top hull or tank top was damaged. It was beyond the expectations of the designer that something in nature could inflict so much damage.

In today's IT projects, it is vital that the project team plan for such an …

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