An IT failure unicorn: Endless 19-year project in Massachusetts
On a regular basis, I receive calls from reporters and researchers writing about IT failures. Most often, they want context on how often these problems occur and who is to blame. However, recently, I got a different kind of call. Todd Wallack, a reporter for the Boston Globe, got in touch with a strange question. […]
Analysis: IBM and Pennsylvania share blame in massive IT train wreck
After significant delays and cost overruns, Pennsylvania has terminated a contract with IBM to provide new software for the state’s unemployment compensation system. Photo credit: Michael Krigsman The state’s Secretary of Labor and Industry, Julia Hearthway, made the decision following an $800,000 independent study [pdf download], conducted by Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, that blames both […]
Who’s accountable for IT failure? (part one)
IT failures are a management crisis of serious proportions that have been largely ignored. Here’s what senior executives need to know – and do – right now.
Marin County claims racketeering against Deloitte and SAP, part one
Marin County’s ongoing lawsuit against Deloitte Consulting and SAP represents a milestone in the analysis and history of IT project failures.
Minnesota HealthMatch: A perfect storm for IT failure
When poor judgment and lousy communication meet genuinely bad technology, it creates an awful perfect storm where IT failure is almost certain. Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) just closed out such a project.
CIO analysis: Audio interview on IT success and failure
Recorded audio interview discussing IT success and failure from a CIO perspective. Includes discussion of collaboration and knowledge sharing.
CIO analysis: Defining IT project ‘success’ and ‘failure’
Difficulty defining IT success is one reason that failure statistics are all over the map. For example, when I compiled CRM failure stats from various sources, for 2001 to 2009, the numbers ranged from 18 percent to 70 percent. The most simplistic definition of project success and failure views looks merely schedule and budget – […]
Twelve early warning signs of IT project failure
Managers often express surprise upon learning their project will run late or over-budget. Nonetheless, we frequently ignore early warnings signs that indicate a project faces trouble.
Blame the Customer?
Who is to blame for IT project failures? My colleague, Michael Krigsman, argues that when IT projects wander into the “IT Devils Triangle,” all three participants–the vendor, the integrator, and the customer–are to blame. Michael is very insistent about this; in a recent post on Marin County v. Deloitte, he says, “In my view, it […]
Can open source software stop IT failure?
ZDNet open source blogger, Dana Blankenhorn, says open source software offers at least a partial solution to the problem of IT failures. Let’s examine that view.
