How Much Does a Troubled IT Project Cost?

June 19, 2009 Leave a comment

Added costs, sure .. but it’s more than dollars. There are also human costs that are hard to estimate:

  • Wear and tear on your employees; those working on the project, as well as those in the organizations into which the project is upgrading / integrating.
  • Friction between managers, through escalations, downtime and defects.
  • Added stress to YOU .. even if you’re not hands on, or in the line of fire.

What happens?

  • Lack of QC at the project level.
  • Project management that, well, doesn’t.
  • Runaway scope (aka ‘feature creep’) or increasing complexity within projects.

What can you do?

  • Focus on project management: this is critical to completing projects on time and within budget .. it’s important to spot (and early) if things are going wrong.
  • Stress requirements and collecting use cases collection prior to cutting code.
  • Engage your integration teams early in the project; ensure that your output reflects the required input for current systems and that your required inputs can be acquired without disrupting existing systems beyond reason.

Yes: I used to do big projects. Now, I just remember the good old days.

Baseline provides us a great look into challenges like these in “The Cost of Troubled IT Projects”.

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About Michael Coates
I am a pragmatic evangelist. The products, services and solutions I write about fulfill real-world expectations and use cases. I stay up-to-date on real products I use and review, and share my thoughts here. I apply the same lens when designing an architecture, product or when writing papers. I am always looking for ways that technology can create or enhance a business opportunity .. not just technology for technology's sake. My CV says: Seasoned technology executive, leveraging years of experience with enterprise and integration architectural patterns, executed with healthy doses of business acumen and pragmatism. That's me. My web site says: Technology innovations provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses. That said, having the "latest and greatest" for its own sake isn't always a recipe for success. Business successes gained through exploiting innovation relies on analysis of how the new features will enhance your business followed by effective implementation. Goals vary far and wide: streamlining operations, improving customer experience, extending brand, and many more. In all cases, you must identify and collect the metrics you can apply to measure your success. Analysis must be holistic and balanced: business and operational needs must be considered when capitalizing on a new technology asset or opportunity.

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