Centrica PLC – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Centrica PLC – UK Project name : Jupiter Date : Feb 2007 Cost :$6340M USD Synopsis : Efforts to combine billing systems for electrical and gas supply into a single system dissolve into a shambles.   Level of manual intervention required to handle billings exceeds ability of staff to keep up with the system. Additional 2,500 recruited to try to restore order. ...
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Social Insurance Agency – Japan

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Social Insurance Agency – Japan Date : Jun 2007 Cost :Undisclosed Synopsis : Japanese government admits they can no longer identify the true owners of 50,000,000 pension accounts. Social Insurance Agency Director General Kiyoshi Murase himself stands outside government buildings handing out fliers apologizing for the mistakes. Contributing factors as report...
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Lufthansa Systems – Germany

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Lufthansa Systems – Germany Project name : FACE (Future Airline Core Environment) Date : Sep 2007 Cost : Undisclosed Synopsis : New airline passenger reservation system cancelled after 2 years of work. Little information provided, but press release quotes problems with supplier performance. Contributing factors as reported in the press: Press release note...
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Service Personnel and Veterans Agency – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) – UK Project name : JPA (Joint Payroll Administration) Date : Oct 2007 Cost :$100 Project (but cost due to failures not disclosed) Synopsis : New system to unify Army, Navy and Air Force payrolls results in a deluge of complaints about missing pay, incorrect pay and bungled allowances. Although system apparently wo...
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New South Wales Government – Australia

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. New South Wales Government - Australia Project name : TCARD Date : Nov 2007  Project Cost : $370M AUD  Writeoff Cost : $95M AUD (estimated) Synopsis : Smart card transit project to allow single ticket across train, ferry and bus transit cancelled after years of delays and cost overruns. Project originally intended for delivery in time for Sydney Olympics (Jul...
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Waste Management Inc – USA

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Waste Management Inc - USA Project : Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation Date : Mar 2008 Cost :$100M USD Synopsis : Enterprise Resource Planning system implementation fails to meet needs. Waste Management claim vendor used a dummy prototype for pre-sale demo while asserting that the solution was an out-of-the-box solution that would requi...
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British Airways – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. British Airways PLC. / British Airports Authority Project: Move of operations into Heathrow Terminal 5 Date: Apr 2008 Cost: $32M USD Synopsis : Opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 labeled a fiasco after 28,000 bags get lost and hundreds of flights are cancelled.  Problems resulted in British Airways having to cease accepting passengers with bags to check-in while a backlog...
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Transit Ticketing Authority – Melbourne Australia

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Transit Ticketing Authority - Melbourne Australia Project name : MYKI Date : May 2008 Cost :up to $350M AUD Synopsis : Smart card system to allow bus, rail and tram travel on a single ticket delayed by as much as 5 years and over budget by between $200M and $350M depending on press reports. Contributing factors as reported in the press : Underestimation o...
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Justice Department – Australia

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Justice Department -Australia Project name : Criminal Justice Enhancements Program (CJEP) Date : Jun 2008 Cost :$54M USD Synopsis : Lack of planning and underestimation cited as a primary contributors to a 9 year delay in the full deployment of the Criminal Justice Enhancement Program (CJEP) for use by the Australian Justice department. Costs balloon by 400%....
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Ministry of Defense – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Ministry of Defense - UK Project : Chinook Helicopter upgrade Date : Jun 2008 Cost : $1,000M USD Synopsis : Problems with cockpit software leave 8 Chinook helicopters intended for “specials ops” grounded after 7 years of effort.  Maintained in special air conditioned hangers, the aircraft have never seen operational use.  Although the helicopters can fly, the...
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