It is easy to find articles with statistics regarding failed IT project implementations. Here are a few:
- 66% of software projects either exceed their original budget, miss deadlines, or fail to meet their original requirements (Standish Group’s Chaos Report)
- 59% of all IT projects are completed within budget, 47% are completed on time, and 44% deliver the intended benefits. (Unlocking the potential of public-sector IT projects
- Nearly half of companies completed their [ERP] projects within their expected timelines, 31% said the project took slightly longer than anticipated, about 12% said it was completed significantly later than expected. (60 Critical ERP Statistics: Market Trends, Data and Analysis)
First let me state these statistics can be argued. For example, “original requirements” can shift to “updated requirements” as a project progresses, especially if the project is embracing agile concepts. The metrics may be skewed due to large global organizations multi-year projects versus shorter-length IT implementations for small-medium sized organizations. I’ve not been part of a project that defined their timeline and budget at the start of a project and stayed with the same details throughout the project; you learn and shift as the project progresses.
Second and the salient point of all this is IT software implementations and upgrades can have better success if appropriately planned and managed, allowing you to mitigate the risk before, during and after the software implementation. Here are a few examples:
- Are you clear on your business requirements? I’ve seen organizations make assumptions that their requirements are known and move into a project implementation without documenting their requirements, which adds a large risk to your project.
- Do you have clear sponsorship? This is not simply stating a name, and instead means this person is actively involved in the project to help drive to success.
- Are you embracing agile concepts? At a high-level think of this as embraced flexibility (managed by the Project Manager) as the project progresses.
- Have you defined your ROI (return on investment)? Both short- and long-term metrics can be achieved via a phased approach with earlier business benefits, and effective project management.
If you’re considering, planning or in progress with an IT software implementation, I can help. Contact me to start the conversation or message me on LinkedIn.
This article was originally published October 2024 on LinkedIn.