Why New Systems Fail: An Insider's Guide to Successful IT Projects - Softcover

Phil Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1435456440 ISBN 13: 9781435456440

Publisher: Cengage Learning PTR, 2010

Synopsis

A Fortune 500 manufacturing company spent millions attempting to implement a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Across the globe, a 150-employee marketing firm built and tried to implement a proprietary customer relationship management (CRM) system. For two very different companies doing two very different things, the outcomes were identical. In each case, the organization failed to activate and utilize its system as initially conceived by senior management. And these two organizations are hardly alone. On the contrary, research indicates that more than three in five new IT projects fail. Many miss their deadlines. Others exceed their initial budgets, often by ghastly amounts. Even systems activated on time and under budget often fail to produce their expected results and almost immediately experience major problems. Although the statistics are grim, there is at least some good news: these failures can be averted. Organizations often lack the necessary framework to minimize the chance of system failure before, during, and after beginning IT projects. 
Why New Systems Fail provides such a framework, with specific tools, tips, and insight from the perspective of a seasoned, independent consultant with more than a decade of related experience. The book examines in great detail the root causes of system failures. Detailed case studies, examples, and lessons from actual system implementations are presented in an informative, straightforward, and very readable manner. More than a theoretical or technical text, this book offers pragmatic advice for organizations both deploying new systems and maintaining existing ones.

About this title

About the Author

Phil Simon is a frequent keynote speaker and recognized technology authority. He is the award-winning author of eight management books, most recently Analytics: The Agile Way. He consults organizations on matters related to communications, strategy, data, and technology. His contributions have been featured on The Harvard Business Review, CNN, Wired, NBC, CNBC, Inc. Magazine, BusinessWeek, The Huffington Post, Quartz, The New York Times, Fox News, and many other sites. In the fall of 2016, he joined the faculty at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business.

Review

"Simon's book offers practical advice on why IT projects run late, over-budget, and do not achieve planned results. The framework is clear and the examples compelling, making this book a manifesto for success." -Michael Krigsman - CEO of Asuret, Inc., and ZDNet Blogger on IT Project Failures

"Projects are multidimensional. They're technical, political, financial, personal, emotional, logistical, and more. Great project leaders anticipate these dimensions before the project begins. Read Phil's book to recognize the pitfalls and minimize their impact on your organization and your career. You can't work the plan until you've really planned the work" - Brian Sommer, founder of TechVentive and Vital Analysis

"Simon's book honestly portrays the many small, but crucial, aspects of system failures that too many people in the industry don't want to admit." - Jim Harris, Founder of OCDQBlog, independent consultant, speaker, and writer.

"A good read and as insightful as any I have read about enterprise software project management and the obstacles to success." - David F. Carr, independent journalist and former writer for Baseline Magazine

Edition details

• Publisher: Cengage Learning PTR
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1435456440
• ISBN 13: 9781435456440
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320