FAILED PROJECTSThe following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe”

DORY ABOU HAIDAR

Christmas Wonderland

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Project type : Temporary Christmas themed entertainment parkDate : Nov-Dec – 2008, 2013 and 2014 Cost : Unknown Expectation: Tress laid low with snow – Reality: A few hastily erected plastic

Christmas trees in a muddy field, Expectation: Elves working hard in the run up to Christmas – Reality: A

bunch of disinterested youths wearing poorly fitting costumes who were caught smoking round back of the tent,

Expectation: Interesting and exciting gifts – Reality: Cheap plastic toys inappropriate for the receiving child,

Expectation: Beauty and splendour – Reality: A grotty grotto, Expectation: A sled over laden with gifts pulled by reindeer – Reality: a

plastic loco borrowed from the local mall accompanied by a sad, solitary and soggy lama,

Expectation: A meeting with the jolly guy himself – Reality: a four hour long queue (in the rain)

Christmas WonderlandProject type : Temporary Christmas themed entertainment parkDate : Nov-Dec – 2008, 2013 and 2014 Cost : Unknown

Contributing factors as reported:Poorly managed expectations.Lack of quality controls (allowing the events to open despite

significant quality issues in the underlying product and its delivery)False advertising.

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British Home Office British Home Office - UK

Project type : Immigration controlsProject name : e-BordersDate : Mar 2014 Cost : £224M

Contributing factors as reported in the press:Lack of control over procurements.

Failure to establish appropriate benchmarks against which to track project progress and vendor performance.

Failure to engage appropriate Subject Matter Experts during procurements.

Failure to define and stabilize requirements. Under-estimation of complexity.

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Avon Products Avon Products - Canada

Project type : Product sales and ordering systemProject name : The “Promise” projectDate : Dec 2013 Cost : $100 to $125M

Although the “Promise” project did not live up to its promise, Avon should have at least reduce risk by testing the product in a smaller market before going global. That decision may have saved the business.

Contributing factors as reported :Quality flaws. Lack of stakeholder analysis and the failure to understand the sale’s agents

expectations of an app.

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And the list goes on…and on

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http://calleam.com/WTPF/?page_id=3

Disasters 2014SNCF / RFF – France – $68MIBM – WorldwideBritish Home Office – UK – £224MBerlin’s Brandenburg airport – Germany – 5B EuroState of Oregon – USA – $254MState of Minnesota – USA – $150M estimated

Disasters 2013Avon ProductsDepartment of Health and Human Services – USABritish Broadcasting Corporation – £100MJ.C. Penny – USA – $1BNew Zealand – Ministry of Education – $30MMarin County – $33MBoeing Commercial Aeroplanes – up to $18B

And the list goes on…and on

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Disasters 2012Northern Rock Asset Management – $400MU.S. Air Force – $1BMitt Romney 2012 Presidential CampaignDepartment of Transport – UK – £40M to £100M (estimated)Knight Capital – $400M Sanctuary of Mercy Church – Borja, SpainG4S Security – £60MVictoria Health Authority – $566MUS Army – $5BBritish Home Office – UK – £105MDept. Homeland Security – USA – $45M

And the list goes on…and on

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Disasters 2010-2011Victoria Police Department – Australia – $100MJ.P Morgan Chase – $6BDepartment of Defence – Australia – $40MBSkyB/EDS – £200M GBPCity of New York – USA – $540M cost overrunUK Fire Services – £650 GBPQueensland Health – Australia – $64.5MDept. Homeland Security – USA – $1BMicrosoft – USA – UndisclosedDepartment of Primary Industry – Australia – $2.25B AUDNational Health Service – UK – $24B……etc….etc…

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Why they failed ? http://calleam.com/WTPF/?page_id=799

Lack of Senior Management InvolvementUnrealistic ExpectationsScope CreepOver Ambitious CommitmentInexperienced Project ManagersIgnoring Trivial ProblemsPoor RequirementsPoor Time ManagementLack of User InvolvementLack of ResourcesLack of People ManagementLack of Communication 10

Why they failed ?

• The underestimation of complexityNational Health – UKTransit Ticketing Authority – AustraliaDenver airport baggage handling system (full case study) – USAState of Wisconsin – USADepartment of Environment Food and Rural Affairs – UKWaste Management – USA

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Failure to establish appropriate control / requirements and/or scopeFBI Virtual Case File system – USACensus Bureau – USANorthern Island Rate Collection Agency – UKWestjet – Canada

Why they failed ?

• Lack of communicationsDepartment of homeland security – USACensus Bureau – USA

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Failure to engage stakeholdersQantas airlines – AustraliaCriminal Justice Enhancement Program – Australia

Failure to address culture change issuesFBI – Virtual Case File – USADepartment of Transport – UKDepartment of Homeland Security – USANew South Wales – AustraliaUniversity of Wisconsin – USALos Angeles Unified School District – USA

Why they failed ?

• Poor quality implementationsHer Majesty’s Revenue Collection Agency – UKNew South Wales – AustraliaLufthansa Systems – Germany

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Lack of risk managementCensus Bureau – USA

Failure to address performance requirementsGeneral Registry Office – UKJunior Doctors Online Recruiting System – UKEdinburgh Fringe Festival – UKCentrica PLC – UK

Poorly planned / managed transitionsNational Health – UKBritish Airways Terminal 5 transition – UK

Lessons Learned Even if you don't meet your project's main goals, you may be able to salvage something of lasting

value from the wreckage.

Sometimes you can be so far ahead of the curve that you fall right off the edge.

Regulations are there for a reason, especially ones that keep you from doing things like placing your future in the hands of one supplier.

When a project is obviously doomed to failure, get out sooner rather than later.

No one plans to fail, but even so, make sure your operation can survive the failure of a project.

Project creep is a killer. Keep your project's goals focused.

A square peg in a round hole won't fit any better as time goes on. Put another way -- problems that go unaddressed at rollout will only get worse, not better, over time.

Define your project scope and freeze specifications before the requests for changes get out of hand.

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Conclusion

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Projects have successes and failures at different points in the project lifespan, which is why we follow an issue and risk management process.

The key to successful projects is to learn from past project failures and to put those lessons learned into action.

Conclusion