What's a project failure?

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Is it totally wrong if you've ever failed a project?


Posted: Mar 22, 2017 2:08 AM

When did you fail it? Where you inexperienced? Maybe you did not follow PMI standards before? What happened?




Posted: Mar 22, 2017 2:11 AM

Were you do owner of the original project from start to finish? or you just took on the project long ahead in execution?



Posted: Mar 22, 2017 2:13 AM

Maybe the sponsor agreed that there was a high risk for failure, but wanted you to go ahead anyway.

Posted: Mar 22, 2017 2:13 AM

Adding to your point is it totally wrong if you have a failed project,
Failure is the stepping stone for success, so failures and reasons for failures with Root Cause Analysis can serve as Lesson Learned for Future Projects.


Posted: Mar 22, 2017 7:38 AM

The delivery of a project sometimes overruns time and budget and does not satisfy the requirements for which it was undertaken.

The failure is based on the Acceptance criteria agreed with the sponsor and the customer.

On scope, on time , on budget is just a blanket assumption of a successful project and if a project doesn't stick to scope, time or budget, it cannot be considered a failed project especially if it results in achieving the business objectives and is still profitable for the customer within reasonable limits of cost, time and budget blowouts

Posted: Mar 23, 2017 1:14 AM

The delivery of a project sometimes overruns time and budget and does not satisfy the requirements for which it was undertaken.

The failure is based on the Acceptance criteria agreed with the sponsor and the customer.

On scope, on time , on budget is just a blanket assumption of a successful project and if a project doesn't stick to scope, time or budget, it cannot be considered a failed project especially if it results in achieving the business objectives and is still profitable for the customer within reasonable limits of cost, time and budget blowouts

in my experience delayed projects with cost blowouts and scope creep have still delivered a majority of what the customer expected. They simply kept changing Project Managers



Posted: Mar 23, 2017 1:17 AM

1.Failure to understand the why behind the what results in a project delivering something that fails to meet the real needs of the organization (i.e. failure to ask or answer the question “what are we really trying to achieve?”)

from http://calleam.com/WTPF/?page_id=2338

Posted: Mar 23, 2017 6:11 AM

Thanks, i like it a project failure

Posted: Mar 23, 2017 1:21 PM

As per Juran - 'A project is a problem scheduled to be solved'

Posted: Mar 23, 2017 11:59 PM

Do You Understand the Power of Failure?


Posted: Mar 25, 2017 12:53 AM

Very interesting webinar...
https://www.ProjectManagement.com/webinars/368421/Do-You-Understand-the-Power-of-Failure-.

Posted: Mar 25, 2017 12:54 AM

Thanks Lewis for this topic,
My point of view is the same as We can measure failure based on acceptance criteria.

It is clear that quality, time and cost and the business case will determine the failure or success of a project.

I believe that the business case is the most important as every project is unique and success of a particular project if you are managing a project of delivering Christmas trees and deliver them in January or February you can say this project is a failure. But suppose some one like the quality and buy them to stock them for the next season, this can be a success.

I believe as a businessman that as long as a project is profitable in terms of money (and lightly with time) forget the cost forget the quality, this project is a success

Posted: Sep 28, 2018 2:21 PM