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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Why projects fail
British Home Office
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
British Home Office - UK
Project type : Mobile computing implementation
Project name : Mobile Information Programme (MIP)
Date : May 2012
Cost : £103M
Synopsis :
Equipping 41,000 British Police Officers with Blackberry devises was intended to cut down on paperwork, improve efficiency and allow officers to spend more time on the beat. Savings from the plan ...
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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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Tacoma Narrows
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Washington State - USA
Project name : Tacoma Narrows
Project type : Suspension bridge
Date : 1940 (filed under historical failures)
Cost : $6.4M in 1940 - $105M adjusted to 2012 costs
Synopsis :
If you are putting together a list of failed projects from the history books it would be hard to ignore the Tacoma Narrows bridge. At the time of its opening in sum...
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UK – FireControl
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Fire Services - UK
Project type : Centralize control over fire dispatch functions
Project name : FiReControl
Date : Dec 2010 Cost :£650 GBP
Synopsis :
The United Kingdom abandons 9 newly constructed regional fire control centers and scraps plans to reorganize by centralizing fire dispatch functions. In attempt to streamline processes, 46 centers that handle...
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US Army – Army Uniforms
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
US Army - USA
Project type : Design and deploy new uniforms
Project name : Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP)
Date : Jun 2012 Cost :$5B
Synopsis :
After several years of use the US Army elects to ditch its Universal Camouflage Pattern uniforms because they make troops easier to see rather than less easy to see. Designed to be a standard uniform that would pr...
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Department of Homeland Security – Cook Country
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Department of Homeland Security - USA
Project type : Integrated security system
Project name : Project Shield
Date : Jan 2012 Cost :$45M
Synopsis :
A project aimed at providing live camera links from police cars and other fixed locations to a central command location fails to achieve the desired results. Equipment failures, poor planning and poor training me...
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The Fast Forward Freeze-Out
The following entry is a part of the Pattern Library. The library records samples of the common patterns of behaviour that set the context within which the chances of project failure are increased.
Name : The Fast Forward Freeze Out
In brief :
A sponsor accelerates progress in the planning of a project by freezing out the stakeholders. Failure to engage and understand stakeholder requirements however results in products being produced that fail to meet the needs of the stakeholders....
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BC Ferries
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
BC Ferries - Government of British Columbia - Canada
Project : Fast ferries
Project type : Design, build, deploy high speed ferries
Date : Jun 2002 Cost :$460M CAD
Synopsis :
Driven in part by congestion problems being experienced at one of the main ferry terminals in Vancouver British Columbia, the government of British Columbia decided that a new fleet o...
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Victoria Police Department
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Victoria Police Department - Australia
Project : LINK
Project type : Law enforcement assistance program
Date : Apr 2011 Cost :$100M AUD
Synopsis :
Project aimed at implementing a new Law Enforcement Assistance Program to replace an 18 year old system are suspended for 6 months due to technical and cost related issues. The implementation of a package sys...
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