1. Lack of clear requirements definition
2. Poor project management:Inappropriate resource allocation,Communication breakdown,Inadequate risk management.
3. Technical issues:Inappropriate technology selection,System complexity
4. During the project, if change management is not handled properly, it can lead to scope creep, eventually exceeding the project budget and timeline.
5. Lack of user involvement in the project can result in the final system not meeting user needs. Insufficient user participation can also lead to low acceptance of the system after implementation.
6. Lack of senior management support
7. If system testing is inadequate, it can lead to issues after implementation, affecting the system’s stability and reliability.
8. Data conversion issues
Design and Definition Failures: Lack of clear objectives and requirements definition at the initial stage, leading to unreasonable system design or misalignment with actual business needs.
Decision Making Failures: Management makes critical decisions such as technology selection and change control without sufficient information or expertise, resulting in inappropriate solutions or failure to adjust strategies in a timely manner.
Project Discipline Failures: Inadequate project management and monitoring mechanisms, causing delays, budget overruns, and frequent unauthorized changes, which disrupt the smooth progress of the project.
Supplier Management Failures: Quality of services provided by third-party suppliers cannot be effectively ensured, lacking strict management and oversight of suppliers, thus increasing risks within business processes.
People Failures: Team members lack necessary skills or experience communication issues, leading to poor task execution or misunderstandings, which impact overall project efficiency and quality.
Lack of Governance and Clear Objectives: Poor project governance and misalignment with business strategies lead to wasted resources and misdirection.
2. Scope Creep and Uncontrolled Changes:
Poorly defined project scope or frequent changes without a formal change
management process ( missing a“Change Advisory Board”mechanism).
3. Poor Resource Management: Inaccurate allocation of budget, time, or human
resources, such as failing to use Function Point Analysis (FPA) or Critical Path Method (CPM) for workload estimation.
4. Inadequate Quality Control: Lack of rigorous testing and validation processes (ineffective“Data Validation Edits” and“Processing Controls”).
5. Insufficient Stakeholder Involvement:
Incomplete capture of user requirements or lack of user participation in acceptance testing (UAT not conducted alongside system testing).
6. Mismatch Between Technology and Processes: selecting unsuitable development tools ( CASE tools incompatible with existing methodologies or ignoring technical debt.
There are five main reasons for project failure: design and definition failures, decision making failures, project discipline failures, supplier management failures and people failure. Projects often experience difficulties due to insufficient planning, poor communication, a lack of clear accountability and leadership, weak project discipline and so on. —Sabrina_ ZHANG Ruizhen
1. Failure to make decisions
Responsibilities are scattered and there are no clear decision-makers.
Projects are decided by committees, leading to inefficiencies.
2. People management failure
The project team is disconnected from the business needs.
Project teams hide problems and risk builds up.
3. Design and requirement definition fail
The goal is too ambitious and not properly broken down.
Project requirements are unclear, resulting in frequent changes during development.
4. Project management failure
Failure to identify, track and mitigate key risks in a timely manner.
The change management mechanism is not sound, and the frequent change of requirements leads to the project getting out of control.
5. Supplier management failure
Improper supplier selection leads to project delays or cost overruns.
The unclear terms of the contract lead to unclear division of responsibilities.
I think the reasons for failure may be the following:
1. system complexity is too high, similar to the ERP system, these information systems are generally very complex, and it is difficult to complete the construction of the company’s internal staff, the cost will be high.
2. off-the-shelf software does not match the organization’s needs, the software on the market may not be able to fully adapt to the needs of each company in the small operation, which will result in the company’s staff to unnecessary learning Insufficient demand analysis and planning, communication problems during the development phase may lead to deficiencies in demand.
3. Improper management of the implementation process, even if there is no problem with the system design, poor management of the installation process (e.g., insufficient testing, insufficient user training) may lead to a large number of problems after the start of the use of the system.
4. Excessive maintenance costs or insufficient adaptability, when the system is unable to adapt to business changes or maintenance costs are beyond the affordability of the system. business changes or when maintenance costs are beyond affordability, the project may be forced to terminate
5. Risk of relying on external resources, the development process of an IT service company or cloud provider may differ from the organization’s internal processes, and insufficient coordination may result in deliverables that do not meet expectations.
Hello Professor, I’m Yufei ZHU, my English name is Anna.
I think there are many factors that can lead to the failure of an information systems development project. There can be problems with the definition and design of the project at the beginning, for example, may be the objectives are unclear, or there are too much goals that are ambitious to be realized.
In the middle of the project, Decision-Making Failures may occur, such as the lack of a single a individual to lead the project, or inconsistency and lack of implementation of key actions.
There may also be disciplinary failures, such as long periods between project milestones, failure to allow time to respond to changes in requirements, inadequate contingency planning, and may be the projects that are beyond the experience and capability of the project manager.
Supplier management failure issues can also happen, such as the parties do not trust each other, or the strategy for selecting a supplier is faulty, the parties also may have various types of problems with their cooperation.
Finally, there may be personnel failures, such as a lack of clarity in the responsibilities and division of labor between each member of the team, or a lack of technical staff. All these kinds of factors may lead to the failure of an information systems development project.
IS project failures rarely stem from a single cause. Instead, they result from a confluence of factors, such as unclear requirements, poor management, technical overreach, and organizational resistance. Proactive risk management, agile methodologies, stakeholder collaboration, and iterative development can mitigate these risks. Learning from past failures (e.g., NHS IT, IBM’s Stretch project) underscores the importance of alignment, flexibility, and user-centric design.
nadequate project management：In the article “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, it is mentioned that projects may lack proper governance structures, policies, and procedures. For example, without effective project governance, all aspects of a project may be compromised, such as not having clear ownership of IT risk, controls, and standards. Also, problems in project planning, like inaccurate estimation of resources, budget, and time, can lead to project failures. In “Modern systems analysis and design”, it is stated that traditional waterfall SDLC may lock users into requirements that have changed, as the focus on milestone deadlines leads to less focus on good analysis and design, resulting in systems that do not meet users’ needs and require extensive maintenance.
Poor requirements analysis：In “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, it is pointed out that if requirements are not properly defined, documented, and validated, it can cause problems. For instance, in the requirements definition phase, if user requirements are not accurately captured or conflicts are not resolved, the developed system may not meet the business needs. “Modern systems analysis and design” also emphasizes that in the traditional waterfall model, the role of system users was narrowly defined, and it was assumed that all requirements could be specified in advance, which often led to locking in requirements too early even when business conditions changed.
Lack of risk management：As described in “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, projects face various risks such as strategic risk, business risk, and project risk. If these risks are not properly identified, assessed, and mitigated, they can cause project failures. For example, strategic risk may arise when business goals are set without considering the enterprise strategy. In “Modern systems analysis and design”, although not specifically in the context of project failures, it can be inferred that in Agile Methodologies, the lack of predictability in traditional SDLC is considered a problem, which is related to risk management. If risks are not managed properly, projects may face issues like cost overruns and delays.
Inappropriate technology selection：According to “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, choosing the wrong technology can be a risk. For example, if the technology chosen for a project is suddenly displaced by a more cost – efficient one or has insufficient compatibility in the marketplace, it can cause problems for the project. In “Modern systems analysis and design”, when discussing software acquisition, it is mentioned that choosing the right software or technology is crucial. If an organization selects an inappropriate software package or technology solution, it may not meet the system requirements and lead to project failures.
1.Insufficient Risk Management
2.Data Migration Issues： Errors in data conversion, incomplete data cleansing, or lack of validation, leading to unreliable system outputs.
3.Resource Constraints：
Budget overruns, insufficient skilled personnel, or unexpected turnover disrupting project continuity.
1.Design and Definition Failures: Lack of clear objectives and requirements definition at the initial stage, leading to unreasonable system design or misalignment with actual business needs.
2.Decision Making Failures: Management makes critical decisions such as technology selection and change control without sufficient information or expertise, resulting in inappropriate solutions or failure to adjust strategies in a timely manner.
3.Project Discipline Failures: Inadequate project management and monitoring mechanisms, causing delays, budget overruns, and frequent unauthorized changes, which disrupt the smooth progress of the project.
4.Supplier Management Failures: Quality of services provided by third-party suppliers cannot be effectively ensured, lacking strict management and oversight of suppliers, thus increasing risks within business processes.
5.People Failures: Team members lack necessary skills or experience communication issues, leading to poor task execution or misunderstandings, which impact overall project efficiency and quality.
There are 5 reasons for the failure of information system development projects，including Design and Definition Failures, Decision Making Failures, Project Discipline Failures, Supplier Management Failures, and People Failure.
First, failures in design and definition occur when project outputs are inadequately described, often due to an overly ambitious scope that combines too many ideas, which can result in the misunderstand of the project as purely an IT initiative rather than part of a broader business process. Next, decision-making failures arise from reliance on committees for approvals and a lack of clear authority, causing project managers to act without adequate sponsorship. Additionally, project discipline suffers from an overemphasis on documentation, poorly managed milestones, insufficient risk assessment, and unrealistic contingency plans, particularly when the project manager lacks experience. What’s more, supplier management failures stem from a misunderstanding of supplier needs, inadequate selection processes, and the absence of contractual agreements, leading to reduced transparency in communications. Finally, people-related failures manifest through a disconnect between project and business owners, a culture of risk avoidance, a lack of clarity regarding user needs, and insufficient involvement of senior personnel with real decision-making power.
I believe it can be explained from the following five aspects.
1.Lack of project mangement discipline
2.Improper requirements mangement
3.Scope creep
4.Insufficient resources
5.Inappropriate technology selection
1、Improper management and methods.
2、Strategic planning failure.
3、Project activities are over budget.
4、Lack of effective communication between stakeholders and users.
5、Requirements change during development.
Poor communication and collaboration:
lack of effective communication between project teams, stakeholders, and users can lead to misunderstandings, inaccurate requirement collection, and inability to address user concerns. Insufficient stakersholder participation may also result in the system being unable to meet business needs.
The failure of information system development project is often the result of many factors. In order to avoid project failure, the organization needs to conduct sufficient demand analysis before the project starts, formulate a reasonable project plan, ensure sufficient and reasonable allocation of resources, strengthen project management and risk control, and ensure sufficient communication and collaboration between users and teams. In addition, maintenance and support later in the project are also key to ensuring the long-term success of the system.
As far as I am concerned, there may have four reasons causing as follows:
1.Lack of Planning and Project Management: not have a clear project plan, not clearly define the various stages and tasks of the project, and not allocate resources reasonably, which result in chaos in the project execution process and failure to meet the requirements of time and quality.
2.Technical Complexity: if the development team has insufficient knowledge of relevant technologies or encounters problems in technology selection, system integration, etc., it is likely to lead to problems such as system failures and poor performance, and ultimately result in project failure.
3.Poor Requirement Change Management: frequent requirement changes can disrupt the project plan, increase development costs, and delay the schedule. If the development team cannot respond to and handle requirement changes in a timely manner, or fails to conduct sufficient communication and coordination during the change process, it is likely to trigger conflicts and misunderstandings among all parties involved in the project, ultimately leading to project failure.
4.Neglect of Risk Assessment and Control: If risk assessment and control are neglected during the project development process, when risks occur, they may have a serious impact on the project, and even lead to project failure.
1. Inadequate Project Governance and Management
If an enterprise consistently fails to meet its return on investment objectives, it may indicate weaknesses in its system development life cycle and related project management practices.
2. Unclear Requirements Management
Difficulty in obtaining explicit user requirements, leading to iterations and conflicts later in the project.
3. Insufficient Change Control
Failure to manage the requirements baseline can lead to scope creep, where new requirements are added without formal review and approval.
4. Mismatch Between Development Methods and Tools
Prototyping may lead to excessive focus on user interfaces while neglecting critical controls, and change control becomes more complicated.
5. Inadequate Resource and Risk Management
Project risks that are not effectively identified and mitigated can directly lead to project failure.
6. Insufficient User Involvement
If users are not sufficiently involved in the requirements definition phase, the system may fail to meet actual business needs, leading to its eventual abandonment.
7. Inadequate Testing and Acceptance
If user acceptance testing does not cover real business scenarios or is not conducted in an environment close to production, functional defects may arise after system deployment.
Hello, professor. I’m Jiaxuan MA. My English name is Valya.
There are five reasons, which are design and definition failures, decision making failures, project discipline failures, supplier management failures, and people failure.
Design and definition failures refer to unclear project objectives and scope, leading to problems and failures during execution.
Decision making failures refer to the lack of clear responsibility and authority in the decision making process, leading to poor decisions.
Project discipline failures refer to unreasonable project management, unreasonable milestone setting, and insufficient risk control.
Supplier management failures refer to inappropriate selection and management of suppliers.
People failure refers to deviations between actual situations and user needs, a tendency of project teams to hide risks rather than address problems, and a lack of involvement from senior management.
In my opinion, below are some reasons for failure:
1. Inadequate project management: lack of planning, ineffective communication and poor risk management derailing the project.
2. Technical challenges: complexity of the system, insufficient testing and technology mismatches.
3.External factors: regulatory changes, market changes and vendor issues.
1. Risk supervision is not in place, and team members do not have the ability to face unexpected problems;
2, lack of reasonable plan, no project details planning;
3, responsibility distribution is not clear, members have no responsibility goals;
4. Insufficient follow-up funds.
There are many reasons for the failure of informatization system (IS) development projects, and the following are some common reasons:
1. Lack of clear business goals and requirements
2. Insufficient project planning and management
3. Improper technology selection
4. Lack of effective communication and coordination
5. Lack of personnel quality and equipment
6. Inadequate risk management
7. Lack of high-level support and decision-making
8. Improper change management
9. Lack of effective training and support
Firstly, the solutions to those enterprise problems are very complex, such as implementation, external specialist consultation.
Second, the development may cannot keep pace with users’ demand, which is probably change in daily operation.
Third, there are large amounts of difficulties in implementation, the lack of efficient governance or sufficient training may lead to frequency problems in systems running.
Besides, the maintenance costs may exceed enterprise’ budget or cannot apply to business development, then acceptance of system will decline.
Information system (IS) development projects fail due to poor requirements management, inadequate risk planning, misalignment with business goals, technical debt, weak governance, resource constraints, insufficient testing, and communication breakdowns.
1.Scope and goal issues: Vague output definition, over ambition, distant end goals with few reviews, and misperception as just an IT project.
2.Management and decision making problems: Committee centered responsibility, lack of clear authority, confusion between project documentation and management, and ineffective milestone management.
3.Risk and requirement management failures: Weak risk handling, unreflected requirements changes, unrealistic contingency planning, and project manager’s inexperience.
4.Supplier related problems: Poor understanding of suppliers, non value based selection, unclear contract terms, and lack of transparency.
5.Communication and understanding gaps: Separation from business needs, problem hiding culture, misunderstood user needs, few senior level involvements, and unclear success criteria.
6.Planning and direction problems: Unrealistic deadlines, early stage contractual disputes, staff’s self centered development, and unfeasible requirements.
The four phase of project management process is project planning, project execution, project controlling and monitoring, and project closing. I think execution phase is the most challenged. Because of the following reasons:
1. Lots of problems may arise during the execution phase, as it is the stage that the plannings meet the reality, those accidents did not consider in the planning phase occurred and may difficult to resolve, such as resource shortage, technical difficulty, and scope change, etc. There is no perfect plan can solve all the unpredictable problems.
2. Coordination can be difficult. There are members of diverse divisions gather to achieve the project objectives, while many conflicts and pressures appear and may influence the process of the project. In this case, leader’s decisions are always critical to ensure the project develop in a ideal direction.
3. Risk identified in the planning phase can become more serious real problems which is unpredictable. Divergent problems from the risk will probably appear and impact on the project process. Managing risks and other newly arising problems will be important and hard issues to deal with.
Information system (IS) development projects can fail for a variety of reasons, which generally include issues related to inadequate planning, poor management, technical challenges, and human factors.
The details are as follows:
Inadequate Planning -Insufficient Requirements Analysis:
If the project team fails to fully understand the business requirements and user needs, the developed information system may not meet the actual needs of the users. For example, if a company wants to develop an inventory management system but the development team doesn’t accurately capture the complexity of inventory tracking and accounting, the resulting system may be unable to handle the company’s specific inventory scenarios.
-Lack of Clear Goals and Objectives:
Without clear and specific goals and objectives, the project may lack direction, and the development process may become disorderly. The project team may not know what the final system should look like and what functions it should have, resulting in constant changes and adjustments during the development process, which can lead to delays and increased costs.
-Inaccurate Project Scheduling:
Unrealistic project schedules can put undue pressure on the development team. If the time allocated for each stage of the project is too short, it may lead to rushed work, resulting in poor quality and an increased likelihood of errors. For example, if the testing phase is compressed, many bugs may go undetected until the system is in use.
Poor Project Management-Ineffective Communication: Communication breakdowns among team members, stakeholders, and management can lead to misunderstandings and errors. For example, if the development team does not communicate effectively with the business users, they may develop features that are not needed or miss important requirements.
-Weak Leadership:
A project leader who lacks the necessary skills and experience may struggle to make sound decisions, manage resources effectively, and resolve conflicts. This can lead to a disorganized team, low morale, and poor project progress.
-Inadequate Risk Management:
Failing to identify and address potential risks in a timely manner can have serious consequences. For example, if a project relies on a specific technology that has compatibility issues with the company’s existing systems, and this risk is not identified and mitigated, it can lead to significant delays and additional costs.
Technical Challenges -Complex Technology Integration:
Integrating new information systems with existing systems can be extremely challenging. Compatibility issues between different software, hardware, and network environments may arise. For example, integrating a new customer relationship management (CRM) system with an existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system may encounter data transfer and format compatibility problems.
– Rapid Technological Change: The field of information technology is constantly evolving. If the project team fails to keep up with the latest technological trends and advancements, the developed system may become obsolete quickly. For example, if a project uses an outdated programming language or framework, it may be difficult to maintain and upgrade the system in the future.
-Technical Complexity: Some information systems are inherently complex, involving multiple layers of technology and a large amount of data. If the development team underestimates the technical complexity of the project, they may encounter difficulties during the development process that are difficult to overcome.
Human Factors -Lack of User Involvement:
If users are not involved in the development process, they may not feel a sense of ownership of the system and may be reluctant to use it. For example, if a new office automation system is developed without the input of the end-users, they may find it difficult to use and resist the change.
-Low Team Competence: If the project team members lack the necessary technical skills, domain knowledge, or experience, it will be difficult to complete the project successfully. For example, if the development team does not have enough experience in developing large-scale database systems, they may encounter problems in database design and optimization.
-Employee Resistance to Change: Implementing a new information system often requires changes in work processes and habits. Some employees may resist these changes, which can affect the smooth implementation of the project. For example, employees may be used to the old way of doing things and be reluctant to learn and adapt to the new system. In conclusion, the failure of information system development projects is often the result of a combination of multiple factors. To ensure the success of the project, it is necessary to conduct detailed planning, strengthen project management, address technical challenges, and pay attention to human factors.
1. Lack of clear requirements definition
2. Poor project management:Inappropriate resource allocation,Communication breakdown,Inadequate risk management.
3. Technical issues:Inappropriate technology selection,System complexity
4. During the project, if change management is not handled properly, it can lead to scope creep, eventually exceeding the project budget and timeline.
5. Lack of user involvement in the project can result in the final system not meeting user needs. Insufficient user participation can also lead to low acceptance of the system after implementation.
6. Lack of senior management support
7. If system testing is inadequate, it can lead to issues after implementation, affecting the system’s stability and reliability.
8. Data conversion issues
Camellia_HUANG Jianwei
Design and Definition Failures: Lack of clear objectives and requirements definition at the initial stage, leading to unreasonable system design or misalignment with actual business needs.
Decision Making Failures: Management makes critical decisions such as technology selection and change control without sufficient information or expertise, resulting in inappropriate solutions or failure to adjust strategies in a timely manner.
Project Discipline Failures: Inadequate project management and monitoring mechanisms, causing delays, budget overruns, and frequent unauthorized changes, which disrupt the smooth progress of the project.
Supplier Management Failures: Quality of services provided by third-party suppliers cannot be effectively ensured, lacking strict management and oversight of suppliers, thus increasing risks within business processes.
People Failures: Team members lack necessary skills or experience communication issues, leading to poor task execution or misunderstandings, which impact overall project efficiency and quality.
Lack of Governance and Clear Objectives: Poor project governance and misalignment with business strategies lead to wasted resources and misdirection.
2. Scope Creep and Uncontrolled Changes:
Poorly defined project scope or frequent changes without a formal change
management process ( missing a“Change Advisory Board”mechanism).
3. Poor Resource Management: Inaccurate allocation of budget, time, or human
resources, such as failing to use Function Point Analysis (FPA) or Critical Path Method (CPM) for workload estimation.
4. Inadequate Quality Control: Lack of rigorous testing and validation processes (ineffective“Data Validation Edits” and“Processing Controls”).
5. Insufficient Stakeholder Involvement:
Incomplete capture of user requirements or lack of user participation in acceptance testing (UAT not conducted alongside system testing).
6. Mismatch Between Technology and Processes: selecting unsuitable development tools ( CASE tools incompatible with existing methodologies or ignoring technical debt.
There are five main reasons for project failure: design and definition failures, decision making failures, project discipline failures, supplier management failures and people failure. Projects often experience difficulties due to insufficient planning, poor communication, a lack of clear accountability and leadership, weak project discipline and so on. —Sabrina_ ZHANG Ruizhen
1. Failure to make decisions
Responsibilities are scattered and there are no clear decision-makers.
Projects are decided by committees, leading to inefficiencies.
2. People management failure
The project team is disconnected from the business needs.
Project teams hide problems and risk builds up.
3. Design and requirement definition fail
The goal is too ambitious and not properly broken down.
Project requirements are unclear, resulting in frequent changes during development.
4. Project management failure
Failure to identify, track and mitigate key risks in a timely manner.
The change management mechanism is not sound, and the frequent change of requirements leads to the project getting out of control.
5. Supplier management failure
Improper supplier selection leads to project delays or cost overruns.
The unclear terms of the contract lead to unclear division of responsibilities.
I think the reasons for failure may be the following:
1. system complexity is too high, similar to the ERP system, these information systems are generally very complex, and it is difficult to complete the construction of the company’s internal staff, the cost will be high.
2. off-the-shelf software does not match the organization’s needs, the software on the market may not be able to fully adapt to the needs of each company in the small operation, which will result in the company’s staff to unnecessary learning Insufficient demand analysis and planning, communication problems during the development phase may lead to deficiencies in demand.
3. Improper management of the implementation process, even if there is no problem with the system design, poor management of the installation process (e.g., insufficient testing, insufficient user training) may lead to a large number of problems after the start of the use of the system.
4. Excessive maintenance costs or insufficient adaptability, when the system is unable to adapt to business changes or maintenance costs are beyond the affordability of the system. business changes or when maintenance costs are beyond affordability, the project may be forced to terminate
5. Risk of relying on external resources, the development process of an IT service company or cloud provider may differ from the organization’s internal processes, and insufficient coordination may result in deliverables that do not meet expectations.
Hello Professor, I’m Yufei ZHU, my English name is Anna.
I think there are many factors that can lead to the failure of an information systems development project. There can be problems with the definition and design of the project at the beginning, for example, may be the objectives are unclear, or there are too much goals that are ambitious to be realized.
In the middle of the project, Decision-Making Failures may occur, such as the lack of a single a individual to lead the project, or inconsistency and lack of implementation of key actions.
There may also be disciplinary failures, such as long periods between project milestones, failure to allow time to respond to changes in requirements, inadequate contingency planning, and may be the projects that are beyond the experience and capability of the project manager.
Supplier management failure issues can also happen, such as the parties do not trust each other, or the strategy for selecting a supplier is faulty, the parties also may have various types of problems with their cooperation.
Finally, there may be personnel failures, such as a lack of clarity in the responsibilities and division of labor between each member of the team, or a lack of technical staff. All these kinds of factors may lead to the failure of an information systems development project.
IS project failures rarely stem from a single cause. Instead, they result from a confluence of factors, such as unclear requirements, poor management, technical overreach, and organizational resistance. Proactive risk management, agile methodologies, stakeholder collaboration, and iterative development can mitigate these risks. Learning from past failures (e.g., NHS IT, IBM’s Stretch project) underscores the importance of alignment, flexibility, and user-centric design.
nadequate project management：In the article “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, it is mentioned that projects may lack proper governance structures, policies, and procedures. For example, without effective project governance, all aspects of a project may be compromised, such as not having clear ownership of IT risk, controls, and standards. Also, problems in project planning, like inaccurate estimation of resources, budget, and time, can lead to project failures. In “Modern systems analysis and design”, it is stated that traditional waterfall SDLC may lock users into requirements that have changed, as the focus on milestone deadlines leads to less focus on good analysis and design, resulting in systems that do not meet users’ needs and require extensive maintenance.
Poor requirements analysis：In “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, it is pointed out that if requirements are not properly defined, documented, and validated, it can cause problems. For instance, in the requirements definition phase, if user requirements are not accurately captured or conflicts are not resolved, the developed system may not meet the business needs. “Modern systems analysis and design” also emphasizes that in the traditional waterfall model, the role of system users was narrowly defined, and it was assumed that all requirements could be specified in advance, which often led to locking in requirements too early even when business conditions changed.
Lack of risk management：As described in “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, projects face various risks such as strategic risk, business risk, and project risk. If these risks are not properly identified, assessed, and mitigated, they can cause project failures. For example, strategic risk may arise when business goals are set without considering the enterprise strategy. In “Modern systems analysis and design”, although not specifically in the context of project failures, it can be inferred that in Agile Methodologies, the lack of predictability in traditional SDLC is considered a problem, which is related to risk management. If risks are not managed properly, projects may face issues like cost overruns and delays.
Inappropriate technology selection：According to “CISA® Official Review Manual 28th Edition”, choosing the wrong technology can be a risk. For example, if the technology chosen for a project is suddenly displaced by a more cost – efficient one or has insufficient compatibility in the marketplace, it can cause problems for the project. In “Modern systems analysis and design”, when discussing software acquisition, it is mentioned that choosing the right software or technology is crucial. If an organization selects an inappropriate software package or technology solution, it may not meet the system requirements and lead to project failures.
1.Insufficient Risk Management
2.Data Migration Issues： Errors in data conversion, incomplete data cleansing, or lack of validation, leading to unreliable system outputs.
3.Resource Constraints：
Budget overruns, insufficient skilled personnel, or unexpected turnover disrupting project continuity.
1.Design and Definition Failures: Lack of clear objectives and requirements definition at the initial stage, leading to unreasonable system design or misalignment with actual business needs.
2.Decision Making Failures: Management makes critical decisions such as technology selection and change control without sufficient information or expertise, resulting in inappropriate solutions or failure to adjust strategies in a timely manner.
3.Project Discipline Failures: Inadequate project management and monitoring mechanisms, causing delays, budget overruns, and frequent unauthorized changes, which disrupt the smooth progress of the project.
4.Supplier Management Failures: Quality of services provided by third-party suppliers cannot be effectively ensured, lacking strict management and oversight of suppliers, thus increasing risks within business processes.
5.People Failures: Team members lack necessary skills or experience communication issues, leading to poor task execution or misunderstandings, which impact overall project efficiency and quality.
1. Design and definition failures.
2. Decision making failures.
3. Project discipline failures.
4. Supplier managements failures.
5. People failure.
There are 5 reasons for the failure of information system development projects，including Design and Definition Failures, Decision Making Failures, Project Discipline Failures, Supplier Management Failures, and People Failure.
First, failures in design and definition occur when project outputs are inadequately described, often due to an overly ambitious scope that combines too many ideas, which can result in the misunderstand of the project as purely an IT initiative rather than part of a broader business process. Next, decision-making failures arise from reliance on committees for approvals and a lack of clear authority, causing project managers to act without adequate sponsorship. Additionally, project discipline suffers from an overemphasis on documentation, poorly managed milestones, insufficient risk assessment, and unrealistic contingency plans, particularly when the project manager lacks experience. What’s more, supplier management failures stem from a misunderstanding of supplier needs, inadequate selection processes, and the absence of contractual agreements, leading to reduced transparency in communications. Finally, people-related failures manifest through a disconnect between project and business owners, a culture of risk avoidance, a lack of clarity regarding user needs, and insufficient involvement of senior personnel with real decision-making power.
I believe it can be explained from the following five aspects.
1.Lack of project mangement discipline
2.Improper requirements mangement
3.Scope creep
4.Insufficient resources
5.Inappropriate technology selection
1、Improper management and methods.
2、Strategic planning failure.
3、Project activities are over budget.
4、Lack of effective communication between stakeholders and users.
5、Requirements change during development.
Poor communication and collaboration:
lack of effective communication between project teams, stakeholders, and users can lead to misunderstandings, inaccurate requirement collection, and inability to address user concerns. Insufficient stakersholder participation may also result in the system being unable to meet business needs.
The failure of information system development project is often the result of many factors. In order to avoid project failure, the organization needs to conduct sufficient demand analysis before the project starts, formulate a reasonable project plan, ensure sufficient and reasonable allocation of resources, strengthen project management and risk control, and ensure sufficient communication and collaboration between users and teams. In addition, maintenance and support later in the project are also key to ensuring the long-term success of the system.
As far as I am concerned, there may have four reasons causing as follows:
1.Lack of Planning and Project Management: not have a clear project plan, not clearly define the various stages and tasks of the project, and not allocate resources reasonably, which result in chaos in the project execution process and failure to meet the requirements of time and quality.
2.Technical Complexity: if the development team has insufficient knowledge of relevant technologies or encounters problems in technology selection, system integration, etc., it is likely to lead to problems such as system failures and poor performance, and ultimately result in project failure.
3.Poor Requirement Change Management: frequent requirement changes can disrupt the project plan, increase development costs, and delay the schedule. If the development team cannot respond to and handle requirement changes in a timely manner, or fails to conduct sufficient communication and coordination during the change process, it is likely to trigger conflicts and misunderstandings among all parties involved in the project, ultimately leading to project failure.
4.Neglect of Risk Assessment and Control: If risk assessment and control are neglected during the project development process, when risks occur, they may have a serious impact on the project, and even lead to project failure.
1. Inadequate Project Governance and Management
If an enterprise consistently fails to meet its return on investment objectives, it may indicate weaknesses in its system development life cycle and related project management practices.
2. Unclear Requirements Management
Difficulty in obtaining explicit user requirements, leading to iterations and conflicts later in the project.
3. Insufficient Change Control
Failure to manage the requirements baseline can lead to scope creep, where new requirements are added without formal review and approval.
4. Mismatch Between Development Methods and Tools
Prototyping may lead to excessive focus on user interfaces while neglecting critical controls, and change control becomes more complicated.
5. Inadequate Resource and Risk Management
Project risks that are not effectively identified and mitigated can directly lead to project failure.
6. Insufficient User Involvement
If users are not sufficiently involved in the requirements definition phase, the system may fail to meet actual business needs, leading to its eventual abandonment.
7. Inadequate Testing and Acceptance
If user acceptance testing does not cover real business scenarios or is not conducted in an environment close to production, functional defects may arise after system deployment.
Hello, professor. I’m Jiaxuan MA. My English name is Valya.
There are five reasons, which are design and definition failures, decision making failures, project discipline failures, supplier management failures, and people failure.
Design and definition failures refer to unclear project objectives and scope, leading to problems and failures during execution.
Decision making failures refer to the lack of clear responsibility and authority in the decision making process, leading to poor decisions.
Project discipline failures refer to unreasonable project management, unreasonable milestone setting, and insufficient risk control.
Supplier management failures refer to inappropriate selection and management of suppliers.
People failure refers to deviations between actual situations and user needs, a tendency of project teams to hide risks rather than address problems, and a lack of involvement from senior management.
In my opinion, below are some reasons for failure:
1. Inadequate project management: lack of planning, ineffective communication and poor risk management derailing the project.
2. Technical challenges: complexity of the system, insufficient testing and technology mismatches.
3.External factors: regulatory changes, market changes and vendor issues.
1. Risk supervision is not in place, and team members do not have the ability to face unexpected problems;
2, lack of reasonable plan, no project details planning;
3, responsibility distribution is not clear, members have no responsibility goals;
4. Insufficient follow-up funds.
Six Core Reasons for IS Project Failures
1. Uncontrolled Planning
· Vague objectives triggering frequent requirement changes (e.g., last-minute feature additions by business units)
· Lack of risk mitigation plans (e.g., unanticipated technical bottlenecks/regulatory shifts)
2. Resource Mismanagement
· Human resources: Skill mismatches (e.g., Java experts forced into Python refactoring)
· Budget: Hidden costs overlooked (e.g., unplanned data cleansing expenses)
3. Technical Pitfalls
· Overreliance on unproven technologies (e.g., blockchain projects abandoned due to immature technology)
· Integration failures (e.g., incompatible API protocols between legacy/new systems)
4. Execution Breakdown
· Communication distortion (e.g., client requirements distorted through hierarchical layers)
· Quality shortcuts (e.g., skipping stress tests to meet deadlines)
5. User Resistance
· Insufficient stakeholder engagement (e.g., finance systems deployed without end-user validation)
· Change aversion (e.g., employees insist on using Excel while rejecting new ERP systems)
6. Environmental Shocks
· Third-party dependency collapses (e.g., partner servers abruptly discontinued)
· Market disruptions (e.g., in-development apps abandoned due to competitor innovations)
There are many reasons for the failure of informatization system (IS) development projects, and the following are some common reasons:
1. Lack of clear business goals and requirements
2. Insufficient project planning and management
3. Improper technology selection
4. Lack of effective communication and coordination
5. Lack of personnel quality and equipment
6. Inadequate risk management
7. Lack of high-level support and decision-making
8. Improper change management
9. Lack of effective training and support
Firstly, the solutions to those enterprise problems are very complex, such as implementation, external specialist consultation.
Second, the development may cannot keep pace with users’ demand, which is probably change in daily operation.
Third, there are large amounts of difficulties in implementation, the lack of efficient governance or sufficient training may lead to frequency problems in systems running.
Besides, the maintenance costs may exceed enterprise’ budget or cannot apply to business development, then acceptance of system will decline.
Information system (IS) development projects fail due to poor requirements management, inadequate risk planning, misalignment with business goals, technical debt, weak governance, resource constraints, insufficient testing, and communication breakdowns.
1.Scope and goal issues: Vague output definition, over ambition, distant end goals with few reviews, and misperception as just an IT project.
2.Management and decision making problems: Committee centered responsibility, lack of clear authority, confusion between project documentation and management, and ineffective milestone management.
3.Risk and requirement management failures: Weak risk handling, unreflected requirements changes, unrealistic contingency planning, and project manager’s inexperience.
4.Supplier related problems: Poor understanding of suppliers, non value based selection, unclear contract terms, and lack of transparency.
5.Communication and understanding gaps: Separation from business needs, problem hiding culture, misunderstood user needs, few senior level involvements, and unclear success criteria.
6.Planning and direction problems: Unrealistic deadlines, early stage contractual disputes, staff’s self centered development, and unfeasible requirements.
Yujing Gao
The four phase of project management process is project planning, project execution, project controlling and monitoring, and project closing. I think execution phase is the most challenged. Because of the following reasons:
1. Lots of problems may arise during the execution phase, as it is the stage that the plannings meet the reality, those accidents did not consider in the planning phase occurred and may difficult to resolve, such as resource shortage, technical difficulty, and scope change, etc. There is no perfect plan can solve all the unpredictable problems.
2. Coordination can be difficult. There are members of diverse divisions gather to achieve the project objectives, while many conflicts and pressures appear and may influence the process of the project. In this case, leader’s decisions are always critical to ensure the project develop in a ideal direction.
3. Risk identified in the planning phase can become more serious real problems which is unpredictable. Divergent problems from the risk will probably appear and impact on the project process. Managing risks and other newly arising problems will be important and hard issues to deal with.
Information system (IS) development projects can fail for a variety of reasons, which generally include issues related to inadequate planning, poor management, technical challenges, and human factors.
The details are as follows:
Inadequate Planning -Insufficient Requirements Analysis:
If the project team fails to fully understand the business requirements and user needs, the developed information system may not meet the actual needs of the users. For example, if a company wants to develop an inventory management system but the development team doesn’t accurately capture the complexity of inventory tracking and accounting, the resulting system may be unable to handle the company’s specific inventory scenarios.
-Lack of Clear Goals and Objectives:
Without clear and specific goals and objectives, the project may lack direction, and the development process may become disorderly. The project team may not know what the final system should look like and what functions it should have, resulting in constant changes and adjustments during the development process, which can lead to delays and increased costs.
-Inaccurate Project Scheduling:
Unrealistic project schedules can put undue pressure on the development team. If the time allocated for each stage of the project is too short, it may lead to rushed work, resulting in poor quality and an increased likelihood of errors. For example, if the testing phase is compressed, many bugs may go undetected until the system is in use.
Poor Project Management-Ineffective Communication: Communication breakdowns among team members, stakeholders, and management can lead to misunderstandings and errors. For example, if the development team does not communicate effectively with the business users, they may develop features that are not needed or miss important requirements.
-Weak Leadership:
A project leader who lacks the necessary skills and experience may struggle to make sound decisions, manage resources effectively, and resolve conflicts. This can lead to a disorganized team, low morale, and poor project progress.
-Inadequate Risk Management:
Failing to identify and address potential risks in a timely manner can have serious consequences. For example, if a project relies on a specific technology that has compatibility issues with the company’s existing systems, and this risk is not identified and mitigated, it can lead to significant delays and additional costs.
Technical Challenges -Complex Technology Integration:
Integrating new information systems with existing systems can be extremely challenging. Compatibility issues between different software, hardware, and network environments may arise. For example, integrating a new customer relationship management (CRM) system with an existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system may encounter data transfer and format compatibility problems.
– Rapid Technological Change: The field of information technology is constantly evolving. If the project team fails to keep up with the latest technological trends and advancements, the developed system may become obsolete quickly. For example, if a project uses an outdated programming language or framework, it may be difficult to maintain and upgrade the system in the future.
-Technical Complexity: Some information systems are inherently complex, involving multiple layers of technology and a large amount of data. If the development team underestimates the technical complexity of the project, they may encounter difficulties during the development process that are difficult to overcome.
Human Factors -Lack of User Involvement:
If users are not involved in the development process, they may not feel a sense of ownership of the system and may be reluctant to use it. For example, if a new office automation system is developed without the input of the end-users, they may find it difficult to use and resist the change.
-Low Team Competence: If the project team members lack the necessary technical skills, domain knowledge, or experience, it will be difficult to complete the project successfully. For example, if the development team does not have enough experience in developing large-scale database systems, they may encounter problems in database design and optimization.
-Employee Resistance to Change: Implementing a new information system often requires changes in work processes and habits. Some employees may resist these changes, which can affect the smooth implementation of the project. For example, employees may be used to the old way of doing things and be reluctant to learn and adapt to the new system. In conclusion, the failure of information system development projects is often the result of a combination of multiple factors. To ensure the success of the project, it is necessary to conduct detailed planning, strengthen project management, address technical challenges, and pay attention to human factors.