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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Why projects fail
Firearms Registry
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Canadian Federal Government - Canada
Project name : Canadian Firearms program
Date : Jun 2006 Project Cost :$1,000M CAD
Synopsis :
In what may be the worst budget overrun in history, the costs to implement a registry of firearms balloons from $2M to $860M. Original plan called for the program to cost $119M of which all but $2M would be covered by license ap...
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State of Wisconsin
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
State of Wisconsin
Project name : EnABLES (Enhanced Automated Benefits Legal Enterprise Services)
Project type : Unemployment claims tracking
Date : Feb 2007 Cost :$23M USD
Synopsis :
Replacement for a 1970's system used for tracking unemployment claims cancelled after only 1 of 7 phases is successfully completed. Project plan called for an existing package...
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University of Wisconsin
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
University of Wisconsin
Project type : Payroll and benefits system
Date : May 2006 Cost :$28M USD
Synopsis :
Payroll and benefits system project is abandoned after 5 years of effort. Board of governors (regents) had not received a single report on the project in its 5 years and was unaware that the University was facing a large scale project failure.
Cont...
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FBI Virtual Case File
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) - USA
Project : Virtual Case File - Project Trilogy
Date : Apr 2005 Cost : $170M USD
Synopsis :
Ambitious program to replace paper based reporting of crimes and investigations with an online system is scrapped. System was intended to aid efficiencies and allow pieces of information gathered through different channels at...
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National Health Service – UK
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
National Health Service - UK
Project name : NHS Care Records Service
Date : Oct 2008 - UPDATED Sep 2010 Cost :$24B project (World's largest civil IT project)
Synopsis :
Rollout of the Care Records Service component of the UK's National Program for IT grinds to a halt after pilot sites report significant problems. Already 4 years behind schedule, the initial ...
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Rural Payments Agency
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - UK
Project name: Single Payment Scheme
Date : Jan-Dec 2006 Cost :$610M USD
Synopsis :
Following an European Union agreement to standardize subsidy payments to farmers, DEFRA develops systems to enable payments to UK farms. Lack of management and poor decision making cause DEFRA to miss implementati...
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Dept. Homeland Security
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 - Emerge2 Project - USA
Date : Sep 2006 Cost : $20M
Synopsis :
Plans for the Emerge2 system (Electronically Managing Enterprise Resources for Government Efficiency and Effectiveness ) are scuttled after it becomes clear the project has headed off in the wrong direction. Original plan called for the development of an Enterp...
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Junior Doctors Online Recruitment System
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Medical Training Application System - UK
Date : May 2007 Cost :$12M
Synopsis :
Junior doctors forced to reapply directly to hospitals after a new centralized system for matching doctors and postings disintegrates. System left many of the UK's most qualified junior doctors without training posts. Publicity of the problems resulted in journalists identifyin...
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General Register Office
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Registry Office System - UK
Date : Mar 2007 Cost :$12M
Synopsis :
New system to register births, marriages and deaths across the UK purchased from a US company and adapted for use in the UK. Implementation results in chaos when system cannot handle volume of data being processed. Registry offices officially told to abandon the system after just 2 months o...
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