Why do 75% IT Projects fail?

Why do 75% IT Projects fail?

It is an accepted and well documented fact that over 75% Projects in Information Technology fail . Reasons are partly due to our own creation and some due to external factors like funding, change of management, Technology change etc., but the effects are serious ... ever changing (escalating) costs, dissatisfied customers and stakeholders, attrition in workplace and loss of reputation in market.

When you are doing a business expansion, it is highly unlikely that you can do it without Information Technology enablement. IT & Information systems are today the spine of any business .. Information systems are needed at every level, transaction, users, functional and management. To support all Information systems , we need sound IT Infrastructure. Businesses invest a large amount of time and money to get this running , but generally follow a " me too " approach just because a competitor is doing it this way and has  shown results, they also want to try doing the same way .. 

We need to understand that Information systems are like building a house .. you need a good architect to understand and prepare the blueprints, specifications, monitor the progress with vendors and ensure you get a good return on investments after the house is built , whether you sell it or lease it to someone or stay in it yourself..

In Information Technology too, it is the same.. never try to do it all by yourself, (i.e, in case you do not have the IT Architects in house) . Do not follow a "me too" approach, it does not work in IT. 

The Information Technology Architect is the Consultant who defines the scope of work, does a risk analysis of where things could go wrong, prepares the specifications, project plan , monitors the Project with a lens on the activities (specially the critical activities), ensures no scope , resource or time over runs at any stage, communicates with the stake holders with formal reports and controls the Team working on the Project . Most important, he prepares a dashboard of metrics which show the lead or lag at different stages, problems and risks which could arise ( and solutions too ) , Tests and ensures Quality to the stake holders expectations. He works in a defined manner on the project and takes more than one project if needed. The consultant is also business savy, i.e, he prepares the budget, understands and ensures a good ROI on the budget and in the end , ensures the customers delight . 

This article is written by Mr. Anil Oberai, C.E.O Of OberaiITConsultancy, with more than 2 decades of experience in managing and Consulting for IT Projects. To know more, Pl visit http://aniloberai.branded.me