Troubled It Projects: Prevention And Turnaround

Description:
There is no mystery surrounding the reasons for IT project failure but the key issue is that IT services vendors and buyers make the same mistakes again and again, and again. This manual offers systematic guidance on how to sense and avoid the causes of IT project failure at every step; from project conception to the disposal of the system after a long and beneficial operational life. It includes a detailed analysis of the 40 root causes of troubled IT projects - drawing on research and the author's experience and common sense. The text covers the entire project life cycle from both sides of the buyer-vendor relationship and should be useful handbook for software engineering and IT services professionals.

Table of Contents:
Foreword, Preface, Part 1 Why Projects Fail; 1: What is a Troubled Project?; 2: Root Causes of Troubled Projects; 3: A Troubled Project Case Study - The SS Great Eastern; Part 2 Preventing Troubled Projects at the Bid Stage; 4: A Professional Services Sales Primer; 5: Opportunity Qualification and Selection; 6: Engaging the Potential Buyer - and Bid Planning; 7: Shaping the Solution; 8: Defining and Refining the Solution; 9: Project Estimating. Planning, Contract Negotiation and Pricing; 10: Managing Quality and Risk; 11: Writing and Presenting the Proposal, Part 3, Preventing Troubled Projects in Delivery; 12: Project Delivery Reviews; 13: Review Planning and Preparation; 14: Conducting the Review and Preparing the Report; 15: Requirements and Design Baselines; 16: Project Planning and Progress against Plans; 17: The Development Life-cycle; 18: Project Organisation; 19: Project Management System; Part 4 Project Turnaround and Organisational Learning; 20: Turning Around a Troubled Project; 21: Individual and Organisational Learning; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.