Why IT Projects Still Fail

IT failure today is frequently different than it was in the past, as agile, devops, continuous delivery and the fail-fast movement have changed the nature of how IT handles projects. These iterative management methodologies and philosophies are meant to minimize the chances of projects going spectacularly awry, but the fact of the matter is that IT projects still fail, just in new and sometimes more insidious ways.

While many organizations say they’ve adopted agile methodologies, most have yet to fully implement all its principles, including the use of feedback to shape development and end results, as well as a genuine willingness to pivot as that feedback is offered, veteran IT advisors say.

“Most organizations are still not doing agile well. They’ve embraced it in concept, but they haven’t embraced it in execution,” says Guidehouse's Robert McNamara, who leads the strategy practice. Without that embrace, McNamara says, finished projects won’t deliver all that users need and want.

This article further discusses factors that frequently contribute to IT projects falling short of objectives and how to learn from these mistakes.