Over the past decade, IT failures have cost the global economy billions of pounds and have led to countless hours of wasted time. A deep dive into the causes of these failures reveals recurring themes, with the most common culprits being poor project management, lack of user involvement, and inadequate testing.
Poor project management often stems from a lack of clear goals or a failure to stick to the agreed plan. In many cases, projects start without a clear understanding of what they are meant to achieve, leading to confusion, wasted resources, and ultimately failure.
Lack of user involvement is another common problem. IT projects often fail to meet user needs because the end-users are not involved in the development process. This results in systems that are difficult to use or do not meet the needs of the people who will be using them.
Inadequate testing is the third major cause of IT failures. In an effort to save time and money, some organisations skimp on testing, leading to systems that are full of bugs and glitches. This not only frustrates users but can also lead to significant financial losses.
To avoid these pitfalls, organisations should invest in good project management, involve end-users in the development process, and ensure thorough testing before a system goes live.
Go to source article: http://spectrum.ieee.org/static/lessons-from-a-decade-of-it-failures