10 reasons IT projects fail

10 reasons IT projects fail

IT projects have a major role in most businesses nowadays. It is a significant challenge to complete an IT project because it is a very complex process with numerous risk factors to consider. 

A project is considered a failure if it fails to achieve its goal, provide the desired deliverable, or meet its deadlines. Other than the ones mentioned, many other reasons may cause a project to fail.

Failures in implementing IT projects can sometimes be frustrating, and avoiding them at all costs is critical because many businesses rely on them. 

Taking the time to learn the reasons for IT project failures, which is inevitable in any type of IT project, can help you prepare ahead of time. This article will help you understand them.

Why do they fail?

So, let’s start with the ten major reasons why IT projects tend to fail. The definition of failure may vary according to the type of project and the organisation that undertakes the project. Even though it varies, you should remember some common reasons for failure if you are a client or a software development company. 

On a more positive note, you can work on each reason for project failure to ensure the success of your next project. 

• Vague goals and objectives
• Inadequate resource planning
• Nonsensical timelines
• Failure in communication
• Project scope not clearly defined
• Developer skills vs. project requirements
• Scope Stretching/Gold Plating
• Miscalculations of costs and time
• Project managers with no experience
• Being unprepared for risk

1. Vague goals and objectives

One of the first important failures in a project is the lack of clarity on the goals and objectives. You cannot expect your project to succeed unless you establish clear goals and objectives for your team. The efforts and time invested in the project will be wasted if you fail to set clear goals and objectives.

2. Inadequate resource planning

Here, by resource, it means the people, money, and materials used for a project. Not having adequate resource planning will eventually mess up the IT project. Human resources should be managed using good task management tools. Otherwise, they may be underutilised or overworked when working on a project. 

There should also be proper resource planning in the case of financial resources. Otherwise, poor cost estimation and erratic tracking will almost certainly cause the project to exceed budget, pushing it to the brink of failure. Therefore, project managers who cannot monitor and manage finances are more likely to cause the project to fail.

3. Nonsensical timelines

Another reason software projects don’t work out is that project managers agree to unrealistic time frames without honest discussions and project analysis. It’s like paving the road to failure when they don’t do this and don’t consider whether enough resources are available to take over the project. After all, meeting a deadline that cannot be met is the least motivating thing you can do.

4. Failure in communication

Poor communication is one of the other reasons most software projects fail since it results in trust and transparency issues. Suppose the developers or the organisation are unaware of the project’s requirements or budget. In that case, it will harm the development process, task allocation, budget allocation, loss of time and money, project delivery delay, etc. 

5. Project scope not clearly defined

Defining the project scope is essential to dealing with an IT project. It means outlining what should and should not be done in a project. 

If you don’t, you’ll encounter several issues, including not living up to client expectations, constant requests for changes throughout the project, the need for significant changes throughout the project’s lifespan, budget overruns, and deadline violations.

6. Developer skills vs. project requirements

Team leads occasionally assign developers tasks beyond their current expertise to quickly get things done. The developer may be reluctant to share their difficulties, which could result in false starts and production delays. 

It can be averted by establishing open, transparent communication channels between team leaders, project managers, and team members. Additionally, motivate team members to share their struggles when they do. 

7. Scope stretching/ Gold plating

Sometimes developers deliver more than expected to go beyond what is planned to delight the customer. It is commonly called scope stretching or gold plating. Doing it is not a good idea because you might waste resources that would be better used to improve the MVP. So making everyone involved in the project understand the dangers of gold plating is important so as not to affect the project. 

8. Miscalculations of costs and time

The calculations on the costs and time required for the project can be accurate but also inaccurate at times. When tasks are assigned to employees, and they are expected to finish them within the allotted time, these errors can result in various issues. 

Employees have to deal with the wrath of senior management when tasks aren’t finished in the allotted amount of time, even though it’s not their fault. 

9. Project managers with no experience

Another reason is the inexperience of the project managers who are expected to handle the project. If they are newbies and not experienced enough to take charge and ensure your project is executed and delivered successfully, what else should be expected other than the project’s failure? There are project managers who take the projects seriously and are capable of doing them.  

10. Being unprepared for risk

Another reason is not being able to handle the risks that may arise during the project. If these risks are not properly managed, the project schedule will be pushed back, users won’t adopt it, projects will take longer than expected, budgets will be overspent, and the project will fail. No project is guaranteed to succeed, and mistakes can happen. The likelihood that your project will be finished on time can be increased while reducing the uncertainty associated with it by developing a risk management plan.

So, here are the reasons why IT projects fail, which can be avoided by carefully considering them in advance. Make use of the common mistakes mentioned so that you can plan ahead and focus on completing the projects successfully and delivering them on time. The key to project management success is to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. It will benefit you, your project, your team, and the entire company more quickly than later when you realise this. 

Interesting Links:

What is IT Project Management?

Some of the Software Development Project Ideas

Pictures: Canva

The author: Sascha Thattil works at Software-Developer-India.com which is a part of the YUHIRO Group. YUHIRO is a German-Indian enterprise which provides programmers to IT companies, agencies and IT departments.