2. Potential problems

It should be realised that creating a non-trivial computer system is no easy task.

A survey of over 14,000 organisations showed that where new IT systems were being developed*

80-90% of systems fail to meet performance goals
80% of systems are late and over budget
40% of systems fail or are abandoned
Just 10-20% of businesses meet all their success criteria.

Only a small minority of the IT projects in the survey were successful.

Read the following BBC news stories:

Offender IT failure 'a shambles'

IT failure 'causes £130m arrears'

IT delays 'put patients at risk'

What could have been done better?

What could reduce the chances of failure?

Many of these projects failed because the problem was not defined accurately in the first place or worse still - the problem to be solved kept changing as the project was underway. The SLC method is robust in theory, but it is very much down to the quality and expertise of the people involved as to the final outcome, as well as consistent financial and management support for the project.

Challenge see if you can find out one extra fact on this topic that we haven't already told you

Click on this link: Project planning

*OASIG 1995 study