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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Failed private sector project
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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Microsoft
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Microsoft - USA
Project type : Mobile phone (Kin)
Date : Jun 2010 Cost :Unconfirmed reports of $1B USD
Synopsis :
Microsoft's "Kin" phones (Kin one and Kin two) are withdrawn from the market after just two months. The phones were designed for the younger market and those who are heavy users of social networking sites. Despite the the price being cut in half...
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West Jet – Canada
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
West Jet - Canada
Project type : New passenger Reservations System
Date : Jan 2007 Cost : $34M USD
Updated: 2 Dec 2009
Synopsis :
Efforts to implement a new customized reservations system cancelled amid delays and quality concerns.
Update 2 Dec 2009 - Following the cancellation of the original project in 2007, Westjet moved their reservations systems to t...
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Canadian Payments Association
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Canadian Payments Association – Canada
Project : Truncation and Electronic Cheque Presentment (TECP)|
Date : Jan 2009
Cost : $undisclosed, but web search indicates project to have been a $300M initiative
Synopsis :
The TCEP system was a system designed to simplify the clearing of checks by scanning and transmitting check data between banks rather than transf...
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London Stock Exchange – TradElect
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 : TradElect
Date : Sep 2009 Cost :$68M
Synopsis :
After four years of development, but just two years of use the London Stock Exchange's flagship trading platform (TradElect) is to be decommissioned and replaced. Lending credence to allegations that recent outages at the exchange were caused by the TradElect, the announcemen...
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Air Canada
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Air Canada
Date : Aug 2009 Cost :$67M
Synopsis :
Following more than 3 years of development effort, Air Canada suspends its efforts to implement a next-generation air reservation and departure control system. Citing capital cost issues the airline announces a $67M write down related to the development. Originally planned to start deployment in 2007, the implem...
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Foundation for Student life (Oslo) – Laundry system
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
The foundation for student life (Oslo) – Norway
Date : May 2009 Cost :$14M + some dirty laundry
Synopsis :
As part of a move to SAP the Oslo based Foundation for Student Life elected to tie the laundry facilities in the student village into their accounting systems. Integrating the laundry machines into the accounting systems meant that students had to pay fo...
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Qantas
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Qantas - Australian airline
Project name : Jetsmart
Date : Feb 2008 Cost :$40M
Synopsis :
"Jetsmart" engineering parts management system is renamed "Dumbjet" by aircraft engineers because the system is so difficult to use. Failure to engage the engineers who would be the eventual users of the system into the requirements and design processes resulted in a...
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