Frank WintersPhotographer and ConservationistSandwich, Ma, United States
In your experience, what are the primary causes of project failure? I have my personal top ten list, what's yours? In particular, what can be done to improve the abysmal success rate of IT projects? If we solve this conundrum, let's move on to world peace! Saving Changes...
Paul NaybourFounder and Director| Parallel Project TrainingNailsworth, United Kingdom
This is a very interesting and active post. Well done to Frank for starting it off.
An interesting complementary question might be “Why project succeed?” and quite a few do, Eden Project in Cornwall UK, Millennium eye in London, Dartford Second Crossing (M25) bridge and lots of other around the world. What do these projects have in common?
Someone should write up the conclusions from the thread. Good idea for a book?
I would suggest.
1) Outstanding vision and business case (it was a really good idea)
2) Fantastic leadership linked to the vision
3) Simple governance structure i.e. one person is the driving force..
4) Focus on quality (above time). Many of the projects finish late, but still make a huge return for the organisations investing in them.
Alice AshPhD student| Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Brisbane, AustraliaBrisbane, Australia
Could it be due to ethical issues arises in project management? Saving Changes...
Alice AshPhD student| Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Brisbane, AustraliaBrisbane, Australia
For me the main reason of praoject failure is becaues of the people, the project team members. Anything that is related to human behabiour - culture, communication, ethics could cause project failure. Good communication between, senior management, project manager, stakeholder, team members wtih good ethics could prevent project failure. Saving Changes...
projects fail when the team spirit is not solid Saving Changes...
Ravi AnandProject Manager| Fujitsu ConsultingPune, India
There are variuor reason why a project fails,
1. If the requirement are getting correctly.
2. Do we have enough capalibility to do the project.
3. Have we did correct estimation ( Both Cost and delivery ).
4. Do we have a good Team leader / Project Manager who can drive the project in right direction ( Good Project Management Plan with on time delivery capability, Good Team management Etc.).
5. Are client / stakeholders really want this project, are they responding actively........
and the most important is Lack of Positive Attitude..........
Saving Changes...
Lidia IstocNational Director of Training Department| Romanian Union of StudentsBucharest, Romania
maybe a bad Leadership - When we see this word, leader, we usually think, the project manager. However, the people at each management-level have a responsible to ensure that the project is successful. Management should not micromanage but provide support to ensure that the PM can follow through with the expectations placed upon them. Saving Changes...
I echo with most of the responses on this forum. There is no perfect definition for success and failure. It is all about having the clear vision, clear requirements and how soon you can deliver. If you have a great project manager who is well qualified understood all the requirements and engaged stake holders, planned on time.
Identified risks and risk responses and with in the budget and time in all parameters.
What if our competitor launch the same product with advanced features then still the project is failure as our project becomes obsolete in the market. Agree with me? Saving Changes...
From my experience one of the main reasons why projects fail is improperly defined scope, unclear requirements, ineffective communications.
I would say that these are the top 3.
I cannot count with the amount of fingers in my hands (I have 10 :-) ) how many times I have been given the mandate for a project which did not have a clear scope, requirements were fuzzy and stakeholders and project sponsor where not in agreement of what was to be delivered. Project management is not a very precise science, it takes persistence and resilience to move a project forward. You need to be comfortable with challenging stakeholders on their "definition of done" and what they will accept as a deliverable and signoff on. Saving Changes...
As such project vary so failure is very subjective. When we talk failure it is very broad term but if we control CTQ and communication then chances of failure will definitley reduce. Saving Changes...
