The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: US Military
Project type : Development of a multirole fighter aircraft and associated systems
Project name : F-35 Lightening II
Date : Jan 2021
Cost : $1.7T
Synopsis :
When procuring defence systems one of the key strategic decisions needing to be made comes down to 'quantity' versus 'quality'. Should you buy a smaller number of super h...
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The Dyson Electric Car
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Dyson Ltd – UK
Project type : Development of an electric car
Project name : The Dyson
Date : Oct 2019
Cost : £500M
Synopsis :
The future of transportation is here to see and it is of course electric! As a result, the development of electric cars has been a growth area for the past ten years and the pace of change continues to grow.
That...
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Great Western Mainline Electrification
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Network Rail – UK
Project type : Rail infrastructure upgrade
Project name : Great Western Mainline electrification project
Date : Jan 2020
Cost : £2B cost overrun, plus reduced scope
Synopsis :
The electrification of the world's transportation infrastructure is a growing focus in many countries. Electrification allows the energy intensive i...
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Police Scotland
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Scottish Police Authority – UK
Project type : Policing information management system
Project name : i6
Date : Mar 2017
Cost : £200m lost opportunity
Synopsis :
While I often write about the direct impacts failed projects have on an organization it is also worth remember that each failed project is an investment that failed to yield its inte...
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Iowa Caucus
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Democratic Party of Iowa – USA
Project type : Election vote tally system
Date : Feb 2020
Cost : A major embarrassment
Synopsis :
Looking for a way to embarrass yourself on election night - There's an app for that!
With the world watching, the first tentative steps towards America's November 2020 Presidential election were taken in the school hall...
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London City – Garden Bridge
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Garden Bridge Trust – UK
Project type : Bridge design & construction
Date : Apr 2017
Cost : £53M (including £43M of public funds)
Synopsis :
New York has its 'High Line', Seoul has its 'Sky Garden', Paris has its 'Promenade Plantée' and London nearly had it's 'Garden Bridge'. Elevated, elongated city parks are a draw for both tourists and locals alike...
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UK Government – The Poll Tax
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed or troubled projects from around the word.
British Government - Prime Minister's Office
Project : The Community Charge (the Poll Tax)
Project type: Changes to the taxation system
Date : Mar 1990
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
With politics likely to be a big part of the 2020 story, I thought I'd touch on how projects are sometimes the demise of politicians (even the highest and mightiest). As a case in poi...
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Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG - Germany
Project name : eLWIS (apparently pronounced “Elvis” in German)
Project type : Merchandise management system - Grocery stores
Date : Aug 2018
Cost : €500m
Synopsis :
When it comes to selling the basic commodities of life you have to be lean and efficient. The grocery industry runs on thin margins and reli...
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Customs and Border Protection
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Department of Homeland Security – USA
Project type : Staff recruitment
Date : Apr 2019
Cost : $23M to hire 22 new staff
Synopsis :
In 2016, as part of the USA's renewed focus on border security, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was charged with increasing the number of border agents who secure the nation's points of entry. The goal was to ...
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Texas Child Support Enforcement System 2.0
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
State of Texas – USA
Project name: T2 - Texas Child Support Enforcement System 2.0
Project type: Government policy implementation using IT
Date: Apr 2019
Cost $367.5 million
Synopsis:
At times failed projects do throw up some great quotes. Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of the Texas state senate has contributed to that legacy with this week’s quip about t...
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