Software Failure: Management Failure

Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure Bill Gates Good judgement is usually the result of experience. And experience is frequently the result of bad judgement. But to learn from the experience of others requires those who have the experience to share the knowledge with those who follow Barry LePatner Many millions are wasted every year on building, extending and fixing information systems that either do not perform as expected, do not work at all or are abandoned before they are implemented. Details of the events that contribute are too often shrouded in non-disclosure contracts and confidentiality agreements, the causes of errors never to be aired and analysed by those in a position to prevent similar blunders in future. Newspaper reports of spectacular fiascos provide as much hard evidence as most are likely to hear, but what proportion of substandard and unwieldy IS developments come into being and continue in use simply because they are not so flawed as to be totally useless? The purpose of this book is to bring together material about a number of significant information systems which did not perform as originally envisaged and to provide a coherent account of the surrounding events. The author identifies major causal events and draws from them management lessons. In case after case critical factors point out strategic, organizational or resource problems rather than technical bugs. The value of comparing these woeful tales is to become aware of the way that organizations can become locked in a cycle of failure, condemned to repeat the mistakes of others. Read and be warned! Learn from the experiences of The Performing Right SocietyThe Confirm DevelopmentSocrates Reservation SystemCalifornias DMVThe London Ambulance ServiceDenver Airports Baggage SystemTAURUS at the London Stock ExchangeThe Pineapple GroupB of A MasternetThe IRSand, unfortunately, more

Table of Contents:
The Performing Right Society PROMS. Confirm Computerized Reservation System. The London Ambulance Service Computerized Despatch System. The London Stock Exchange TAURUS. Government Computer Projects. Conclusions--What Can Be Learned? Annotated Bibliography. Glossary. Index.