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 Airlines 78...
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Sanctuary of Mercy Church – Borja, Spain
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Sanctuary of Mercy Church - Borja, Spain
Date : Aug 2012
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
Granted, this is the smallest project in the catalogue, but it is a good illustration of one of the most basic building blocks of a successful project: the need for people with the right knowledge, skills and experience! Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) by Elias Garcia Martinez was painte...
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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 of their e...
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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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De Havilland Comet
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
De Havilland Aircraft - UK
Project name : Comet
Project type : Commercial aircraft design and development
Date : 1949-1954 (filed under historical failures)
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
Developed in the late 1940's, the de Havilland Comet was the first jet airliner to enter commercial service. A technological leap forward, the Comet ushered in the jet ...
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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 : $60M Management fee
Synopsis :
3,500 British military personnel are called in at the last minute to plug gaps in the 2012 Olympic Games security after G4S Ltd failed to deliver on their contract to provide...
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American LaFrance
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
American LaFrance – USA
Project : ERP (counting, purchasing, inventory, production, payroll and finance services)
Date : Jun 2007
Cost :$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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