Why do so many technology projects fail?
This morning I came across a post on a British blog about software architecture. They cite an article from the Finacial Times, which talks about a failed project between a British broadcasting station and EDS. The following is a citation from the blog post:
The Pragmatic Architect in Why do so many technology projects fail?:
Iterative and agile techniques have revolutionized the way that software development is performed, but our industry needs to take a step back and look at the way in which software projects are engaged. Why, when you read about so many high profile big budget software failures, do businesses still initiate software projects with “we want this, tell me how much it will cost”? *We* know that they’ll change their mind. *They* know that they’ll change their mind. So let’s change the engagement model, stop hiding behind fixed price contracts and work *together* to solve problems.
So what is needed to make people understand that they are better off not dreaming up project plans and create contracts based on them? Or is Brian Marick right when he says (video) that we as software developers should forget about the naysayers and stop trying to convince them? Probably it’s not so wrong to just do good work and let time tell the story instead of seeking to revolutionize the world. Those who do not believe that agile practices – done right and with experienced developers on board – help to create better quality software will get their chance to compare.
