Lesson learned: Maximizing project throughput.
Category: Resource management / Portfolio management.
The following post is a "Lesson Learned" that comes from the analysis of the failed projects documented in the "Catalogue of Catastrophe" or from the experiences the editorial team have had working with clients around the world. The post is published here to spark discussion and help individuals and organizations think about what it takes to improve project success rates.
Given the rap...
More
Marin County
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Marin County - California, USA
Project type : Enterprise Resource Planning system - Accounting package
Project name : MERIT (Marin Enterprise Resource Integrated Technology)
Date : Jan 2013 court case settled Cost :$33M
Synopsis :
Marin County (Marin) is an affluent county of about 250,000 inhabitants located just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San ...
More
State of California
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
State of California - California, USA
Project type : Payroll and benefits system
Project name : 21st Century Project (MyCalPAYS)
Date : Feb 2013 Cost :$254M
Synopsis :
As with many large organizations, the state of California has over the years built up a complex interconnected set of IT systems to support their daily operations. Managing multiple syst...
More
What is Project Success?
"As Project Manager, juggling all of the balls is important, but keeping your eye on the right ball is the key to delivering truly successful projects" - RG
While understanding the causes of project failure is important, without a common definition of "success", there is no clear basis for differentiating a success from a failure. Clearly none of the projects in the Catalogue of Catastrophe can be regarded as great successes (some resulted in bankruptcies, many were cancelled before completio...
More
US Department of Defense – U.S. Air Force
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Department of Defense - USA
Project type : Integrated supply chain and logistics system
Project name : Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS)
Date : Nov 2012 Cost :$1B
Synopsis :
When you have 5,400 high-tech aircraft to deploy and maintain, plus 330,000 active personnel to coordinate, you have a major logistics problem on your hands! To manage those...
More
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 ...
More
Attitudes for Altitude
Lesson learned: Hire for attitude and potential, not just experience.
Category: Person skills development / hiring.
The following post is a "Lesson Learned" that comes from the analysis of the failed projects documented in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” or from the experiences the editorial team have had working with clients around the world. The post is published here to spark discussion and help individuals and organizations think about what it takes to improve project success rates.
...
More
The Bean Counter’s Blind Spot
Lesson learned: Be careful what you measure and how you measure it.
Category: Project objectives / Decision making.
The following post is a “Lesson Learned” that comes from the analysis of the failed projects documented in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” or from the experiences the editorial team have had working with clients around the world. The post is published here to spark discussion and help individuals and organizations think about what it takes to improve project success rates.
I can...
More
And now – A Message TO our Sponsors
The Sponsorship role is perhaps the most important in a project. The Sponsor owns the project and has a direct responsibility for ensuring that the desired business outcomes are achieved. In discussing project failures with people, one of the common complaints I hear is that the Sponsorship role is either non-existent or weak in their organizations. Ownership of projects is often unclear and no one really champions the project within the organization. Project Managers are left holding the baby a...
More
Northern Rock Asset Management
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Northern Rock Asset Management - UK
Date : Dec 2012
Cost : £270M
Synopsis :
Sometimes, the devil really is in the details!
With a history dating back to the 1850's, Northern Rock Bank became part of the international news story when in late 2007 the company was engulfed in the sub-prime mortgage debacle. Triggering a "bank-run", panicked custome...
More