Introduction

One wrong step will cause your entire hard work to fail when establishing a successful IT project. Even after executing the robust plan by involving a number of IT professionals, surprisingly, IT projects fail, and it tarnishes not just your reputation but also puts you under heavy financial loss. You will be surprised to know that according to the latest survey conducted by Gartner, more than 65% of IT projects experience failures every year. To avoid IT project failures in this blog, we will explore five famous IT project failures to avoid certain pitfalls.

When is a project considered a failure?

It is important to know what leads an IT project to failure or when it is considered a failure. Usually, when an IT project does not meet the deadlines or deliver the expected outcome, it is considered a failure. Here are the five most famous IT projects that fail drastically. Analysing their failure can help you avoid certain pitfalls that may lead to project failure.

• Sainsbury's Warehouse Automation

You must know that Sainsbury's is a renowned supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. They have invested over 100 million in an IT project to enhance their supply chain. Unfortunately, the technology fails to meet the expected outcome. It was such a crucial project for Sainsbury as it would have automated their warehouse operations to improve the supply chain. The project deadline was 18 months; however, the project failed to meet deadlines and did not deliver the expected result.

• Apple's Copland Operating System

The failure of the Copland operating system is a horrifying example of an ambitious project that didn't meet its objectives. Through this specific project, Copland wanted to renew Apple's entire operating system. Their aim was to implement multitasking and other advanced technology that can provide a new user interface along with other latest features. Such expectations from an IT project involve several complexities in the mid-90s. Ultimately, due to a lack of expertise and execution, they had to abandon the project, which was a massive failure for them.

• FozMeyer's ERP Project

Fozmeyer's ERP project failure was a result of unclear objectives, technical problems, integration issues and a lack of expertise. All these factors led them to terminate their project, resulting in substantial financial losses. One should know that preparation is the key when it comes to implementing a successful IT project.

• Nest's Software Refresh

Nest's software IT project failed due to an attempt to update the software across Nest devices. They have not performed prior testing, leading them to experience an entire system failure during the updation. Their failure also indicates that their software did not meet the required standards.

• US Census Bureau's Remote Devices

Due to less technical implementation and poor planning, it was a more than 2 billion failure. They tried to replace the paper-based data process with an automated IT process. It is considered a high-profile mega IT failure in the history of the IT technology industry. It is essential to have robust planning and tremendous expertise before implementing any IT procedure.

The most common causes of project failure

• Unclear Objectives
• Lack of Communication
• Lack of risk management
• Lack of technological challenges
• Non-Involvement of Stakeholders
• Non-effective project management

How Can You Avoid Project Failures?

IT project failures can be avoided with essential planning and mindful strategies. Here, we have mentioned some of the ways that can help you to avoid project failures.

• The first way to avoid project failures is to set clear goals and implement strategic planning.
• A clear communication is the key to avoiding project failures. Your project objectives and goals should be openly discussed with your team.
• Before implementing a project, discussing and analysing its associated risks is essential. Early identification of risks can help to avoid project failures.
• A successful IT project asks for robust technologies and upgraded tools. To avoid project failures, it is crucial that the right tools accompany you.

By following these steps, you can definitely avoid IT project failures. Always keep in mind that IT project failure is not just one person's responsibility; it depends upon the entire project team and set-up. To avoid failures, it is essential that you must analyse every step before implementing them.

Conclusion

After a close analysis of five famous IT project failures, you must have understood that implementing the right step at the right time is imperative to avoid failures. Along with it, you must be aware of the latest technologies that may suit your project. Always be specific when selecting a technology along with a suitable team. An intelligent and robust team is the key to success, so it's essential to have experienced and knowledgeable tech experts in your team. You can seek help from an expert IT service providers such as Tristar.

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FAQs of IT Project Failure

Ques: What are the five main causes of IT project failure?

Ans: The five main causes of IT project failure are Unclear Objectives, Lack of Communication,Lack of risk management, Lack of technological challenges and Non-Involvement of Stakeholders.

Ques: What is an example of a failed IT project?

Ans: Sainsbury's Warehouse Automation failure is one of the most famous examples of a failed IT project. You must analyse their case before implementing the steps of your project.

Ques: How do you save a failing IT project?

Ans: To save a failing IT project, it is essential to have clear objectives, direct communication with all the stakeholders, implement risk management and always be ready with a plan B.

Ques: Why do 70% of projects fail?

Ans: 70% of IT projects fail due to various reasons, which can include unclear goals, less communication between the project teams, unsure about the outcome, etc. Apart from these, there are a lot more reasons for IT project failures.

Ques: How many IT projects fail, according to Gartner?

Ans: According to the latest report of Gartner, every year, more than 65% of IT projects fail due to specific reasons.