The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Airbus SAS - France
Project name : A380
Project type : Commercial aircraft development
Date : Dec 2000 - Oct 2007
Cost : $6.1B in additional costs due to project delays*1
Synopsis :
I've often written about decision-making in the project environment and how the decisions made in a project shape the outcomes the project achieves. Often when a project ...
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Failed private sector project
Boeing Commercial Aeroplanes
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Boeing Commercial Aeroplanes - USA
Project name : 787 Dreamliner
Project type : Commercial aircraft development
Date : Jan 2003 - Jan 2013
Cost : Additional $12B to $18B on top of original $5B cost estimate
Synopsis :
For Boeing Commercial Aeroplanes the week of January 14, 2013 has been a bad one. Images of firefighters tackling a fire onboard a Japan ...
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Project Orca – 2012 US Presidential Campaign
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
2012 Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign - USA
Project name : Orca
Project type : Political campaign - Operations management system
Date : Nov 2012
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
The 2012 US Presidential election illustrates how the failure to properly test a key system can cause an embarrassing failure at a critical point in time. To help manage the logistics...
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Sinclair C5
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Sinclair Vehicles - UK
Project name : C5
Project type : Personal transportation device
Date : 1985 (filed under historical failures)
Cost : $12M, plus significant damage to the reputation of the Sinclair brand
Synopsis :
Sir Clive Sinclair was one of the visionaries who made personal computing a reality. Launched in 1980, his ZX-80 PC helped usher i...
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Bristol Aeroplane Company
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Bristol Aeroplane Company - UK
Project name : Bristol Brabazon
Project type : Aircraft design and development
Date : 1949 (filed under historical failures)
Cost : £12M (1949 costs) - £350M (2012 inflation adjusted cost)
Synopsis :
Project failure is by no means a new phenomena. The mistakes that lead to today's failed projects are mistakes than have been ma...
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Fox-Meyer Drugs
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Fox-Meyer Drug - USA
Project type : Enterprise Resource Planning
Date : Aug 1996 (filed under golden oldies)
Cost : $40B write down in share value - company bankrupt
Synopsis :
A $65M investment in an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) and new warehousing facilities results in the destruction of a $40B business. A project aimed at improving busine...
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London Stock Exchange – Taurus
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
London Stock Exchange - UK
Project : Taurus (Transfer and Automated Registration of Uncertificated Stock)
Project type : Share trading system
Date : Mar 1993 (filed under golden oldies)
Cost : £75M lost by the London Stock Exchange and as much as £400M by other stakeholders
Synopsis :
Efforts to move form paper based stock trading to a computerized system b...
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G4S – Olympics Security Shambles
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
G4S Security Services - UK
Project type : Provision of security personnel for the 2012 London Olympic games
Project name : Olympic games
Date : Aug 2012 Cost : $60M Management fee
Synopsis :
3,500 British military personnel are called in at the last minute to plug gaps in the 2012 Olympic Games security after G4S Ltd failed to deliver on their contract t...
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Knight Capital
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Knight Capital - USA
Project type : Share trading system
Project name : Unknown
Date : Aug 2012 Cost :$440 USD
Synopsis :
In a story that reminds us of the need for proper testing standards, a software "glitch" at Knight Capital resulted in a $400M lose in just 30 minutes! According to press reports the lose amounted to 3 times Knight's annual earnings. Alt...
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American LaFrance
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
American LaFrance – USA
Project : ERP (counting, purchasing, inventory, production, payroll and finance services)
Date : Jun 2007
Cost :$Undisclosed, but ALF blames Chapter-11 bankruptcy on the failure of the project
Synopsis :
ALF (the world's largest builder of customized fire fighting trucks and equipment) files for chapter-11 bankruptcy following a botch...
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