A project can be only said successfully made when it has a good quality, made on time, within scope and within the budget and most of all is the high-quality planning about the project. It is said that without a serious plan of action, fundamental feature or part may be left out of the project. This can cause the project to fail because it may not accomplish what the project was designed to achieve and it suppose to be. Pitiable project planning can cause the goals of the project to be left half-finished or the worst thing is unfinished. From my experiences, the failing grades I have in the prelim stage of my Systems Analysis and Design subject. I think I was wrong when I don’t merely study the first chapter test. My mind is not aware of the circumstances that might come when I will not study the lessons. I made it wrongly because I just think that it would be easy but I was wrong. That’s why I failed.
Between the discussions about the essence of project management, it was once asked by my instructor why does project or projects fail. Mine and most of my classmates answered the same reason – that is the time management. I can see discontentment from the eyes of my professor that all of our answer was not the answer he was expected for. Though I’m not saying that he does not agreed on what we shared, but somehow he was longing for the most definite answer. Then he shared that projects fail because we plan to fail. We planned for failure while doing the project, so nevertheless the result is also failure.
Apparently not all the project planned to be done is not intended to be successful. Both organizations and individuals have studied a number of projects that have been succeeded and failed and some factors emerge. These are factors affects the particular project failure. Rendered from the article entitled Information and Advice for Software Testing, here are some of the most important reasons for project failure. First, Lack of Team Involvement. This reason proved fatal for many projects. It says that without the involvement, nobody in the project feels committed and can be even hostile to it. The people themselves in the project must do attachment of oneself in making the project. This reason affects clearly because a project can only be successful when it does have the people who are willing to take the risk of working. Second, Long or Unrealistic Time Scale. Long timescales for a project have led to projects being delivered for products and services no longer in use at the present time. any project is intended not to took so long to be made because it has a timeframe when it is badly needed that’s why you do so the project. There are always problems with these long-time projects approaches, but the benefits of doing so are considerable. The only key to avoid this failure is to review all project plans to see if they are realistic. Lastly, Poor or No Requirements. Many projects have high level, vague, and generally unhelpful requirements. So to avoid these circumstances, the project must define the scope of its description and requirements; it must be definite, consistent, specific and reliable ones. It also relies on a restricted budget can cause many problems that lead to the failure of a project. Of course, every project has some type of budget restraint, but too tight of a budget is a plan for failure. Because of making restrictions in terms of budgeting, the project may lead to hard up situations of the project requirements.
So much for my own opinion and results from the searches I have, here are the reasons why do project/projects fail from book of Project Management. The reasons behind are as follows:
Poor Estimates. This reason follows the idea of having an inaccurate estimation about the project. It only says that it might be poor in managing time or in any other aspects of the project development.
Scope Changes. This reason tags the reality of not defining definite scope of the project on what it should be that could definitely give an idea of changes. It might because it’s the reason of lack of resources or any other means and possessions.
Work Breakdown Failures. This is the result of having a work of inefficiency while or during the process of development of the projects/project.
Not enough time/resources allocated. This is made when the time are resources is insufficient. The reason might be time management, time that is allocated in a project that is big and broad and inappropriate resources that can be apply to the project.
Incompetent project management. A project must have a competent project management to manage the project. The management must do the task and accordingly and equally. It is the reason mostly why do project fails is because of inept project management that is implemented during the period of developing the project.
To deeply understand why a project fails, I define here the meaning of the word FAIL in accordance to the context of the projects; depending on what kind of project environment it does belong. Below are some of the definitions that the Ezine Article stressed. Fail is considered as:
Project Cancellation. This failure is in terms of budget, delays, relevance, strategy changes and many more. A project will not be able to be continuing when it comes to a point that the project budgets have experience difficulties and complicatedness. This includes delays in time, applications and unexpected changes.
The project cost more than anticipated. The project has always it’s always project cost expectations. It may cause failures when the budget has not met the expected portion. This may cause crucial conversation between the people that worked on the project.
When we say project, it doesn’t only mean that it always preferring to paper work project/projects. Anywhere in our place now, all comprises of establishments or building are also considered as project because it undergoes serious plans and applications of those plans to be finished the proposed project plans. Anywhere we visit places of today; we see different type of constructions taking place. Like of business establishments, network establishment and even as the governmental establishments. Not just building but also the constructions of highways, houses, roads, bridges, shopping center and malls and same as the school institutions and business firms. All of these are can be considered as projects, especially when it needs different education and expertise which might think through as complex projects. Apparently, not all of these projects can be completed; this means that it always has the great number of failure projects. The people who are involved in the project must be ready to work around the clock because of delays, hectic schedules and project deadlines. A project like this must have a project construction management which applied the technique of managing the various designs and construction processes of a building project.
Additionally, a project does also have a circumstance of failure on account of the team leadership that was applied during the session of project advancement. Leadership once defined by John Mellecker, a financial services executive in Ohio, and gives his personal definition on what leadership is by stating, he quote leadership as the creation of an environment in which others are able to self-actualize in the process of completing the job. Another definition of leadership can be found in the Cambridge Dictionary, the word leadership is defined there as “the set of characteristics that make a good leader”. There are many definitions of the word leadership in this generation of ours, but many leaders would agree that the word leadership is defined through the qualities of a person, a deeper characteristic of a person who wanted to lead with.
According to the Cambrigde Dictionary, preparedness of the project leader does have a great help. It’s says that leader must be prepare on the any upcoming situations that may interfere with the mission, objective and goals of the project. We can only consider a true project leader is the one who has already thought of the necessary actions or plans in order if something wrong were to occur. This is where the true sense of leadership is tested. Alternatively, it is always better to be prepared ahead of time even if the circumstances do not occur, so that the time comes that if they do, project leaders have already the ideas and knowledge on what alternatives solutions must be taken. A great example of a leader that is being prepared are own soldiers, before they go on rivals they see to it that they are all prepared on what to do and how to accomplish the mission, but are also prepared on what to do if their plan goes the wrong way. Another thing that suits to the characteristic of being prepared anytime is the school teachers; they must come to class prepared by knowing what is going to be discussed to the class and how to explain the new lesson to his or her students. The act of being prepared in project management is like forecasting new news of today, because when the time comes that terrify circumstances occur, the people whose working on a project will not be left clueless and somehow knows what to do.
One more important quality of a project leader that must be possessed is the emotional stability in order to carry out his or her duties. According to the author of the “leadership great factors”, he emphasized that no matter how good or bad of a leader someone maybe, there will always be time when a leader’s emotion will come into effect. This involves jealousy of the members of the project to their project leader; they might throw criticisms unto their leader. To be a true leader must not let what other people think of one get in the way of accomplishing the job. If a leader allows the negative thoughts of other people get in the way, one is letting their emotions take over, which could lead to the road of failure for the team. This certain circumstances might cause disarray of the project team that will be probably cause failure to the project.
Also I have read some articles that say communication is still a part of the process of project management. In that fact, organizations nowadays are lacking the aspects of communications, ineffective communications and downright confusing communications. This is because in organizational viewpoint, only few who are involved in the project is taking the constraints of it on head. It’s just the same as having an intelligent mind but then again does not have the ability to apply what’s on his/her mind. We may also spot the reason of failure or cancellations of the project because of cost overruns, or the project were launched with essential errors mistakes.
Most of us define project failure when it has delays and unsatisfactory results. Then and there, we conclude that it still considered as failure of the project. What we really don’t know is the true definition of project failure. According to it.toolbox.com that a project is considered a failure when it’s not delivered what is required, in line with expectations. Therefore, they clinched that in order to succeed, a project must deliver to cost, to quality, and on time; and it must deliver the benefits presented in the business case. The conditions of project management are just so simple and yet we cannot apply at simply as it said. It is because of one of the conditions that have stated – the “in line with expectations” requirement. The expectations that has been settled ahead are the basis of the project, so if does not fit on it, it will be mull over as failure of project. The project success and failure isn't just about the facts, nor is it simply about what was the resulting product. It is also about how the project is taken in. The said article also presented their list of primary reasons why do project/projects fail. Inferior to the topic, here are some of the main reasons why projects fail:
The wrong project requirements have been addressed. In this matter, making a project requirement analysis is very much important. Since, the one of the definition of the project failure is not delivered on time. If the project is set up to deliver the "wrong thing," it may be considered a failure even if everything is delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality because it does not suit to the expectation of the client of what they really want to have with. For if the project does not delivered what the client really wants or needs, it will be unavoidably perceived as failure to the client’s part. This only means that a project must not only focus on when to finish the project, what’s the important is quality that will going to deliver to. On other instances, sometimes the failure to pass on time will be vanished when the project delivered what is expected to have for. It may be considered nothing less on when it had ended.
It's not possible to deliver the project case. The project case must be delivered properly. This case that was talking here are the promises you had lied down to your respected clients or to whom you give your projects. For example is in business firms, you have the task and promised to deliver the project system that they needed to have it launch was impossible to meet with. Without you knowing that the business firm is very much expected to have the system and already given new news to their investors. The failure of the project comes when you delivered it with the span time that was given but then again the system that you were developing was collapsed and needs time to settle it rightly before the business’ investors take back the agreements. In this case, you must be sure of what the project you launch or delivered to somebody. And somehow do have the allotted time for testing coz’ if the error occurs, you do have the chance to make it right and work out. In this matter, it is very important to right a project case. It is very imperative how much sure you are in analyzing the project requirements. The key is to make sure you think through the project requirements in detail, and identify what's needed to ensure that you can deliver those requirements. Avoid the act of JUST LISTING THE EXPECTATIONS – make sure that you go into the project requirements thoroughly. In facilitating implementations of the project, make sure that had review every inch of the process, this also include sufficient contingency resources such as people, scope, budget and time. Just be reminded of the things that should be within the project, always be remembering that implementing changes in the project is hard.
Implementation is poor. The answer to avoid the poor implementations, you need to deliver your projects competently. Unfortunately, it’s that easy. Implementations and delivery is naturally complicated, you need to manage risks, issues, and scope; manage your team; and communicate with whom you will deliver the project. changes during delivery is hard and you will never be expect it in your control , so as being competent doesn’t just enough for good, on time implementations of projects but it can be consider as a good start of having a successful project.
Enable a project to be successful, it's not enough simply to manage your project competently, and deliver a good quality product. To avoid failure, make sure you have identified the right business requirements, created an achievable business case, managed a high-quality implementation, and monitored changes. Above all, be sure to manage the expectations of your client/investor of your project, so that they stay supportive and continue give their trust unto your hands. After all, these are the only people who will declare or conclude your project to be successful – or otherwise.
Finally, failure projects will never be easy to avoid of. So if the time comes that you experience such difficulties, just be reconcile to be ready to have some difficult conversations with the clients whom you have given your services. Of course, be realistic that nobody will be happy when project fail especially when it’s badly needed.
As per the PMBOK Guide 4th Edition, “A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.” and the project management is the “application of knowledge, skill, tool, and technique to project activities to meet the project requirements.”
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