Patterns of Software System Failure and Success

Software systems are now such major parts of every important human occupation including communication, manufacturing, education, transportation, government, medicine and more, yet software systems have often become one of the most troubling technologies of the century. Why is it that with the development of some software systems, there are often cancellations, delays, and cost overruns, while other software projects of basically the same magnitude are completely early, are within budget, and have few, if any, quality problems? Patterns of Software Systems Failure and Success helps answer this question within the context of organizations delivering software functions to clients or users.
Based on the author's firsthand experience of observing thousands of software projects within hundreds of organizations, this book targets the patterns which have contributed to a software project's ultimate outcome. Several factors including the software project's size and complexity, as well as the type of industry, company, and country of origin are considered. The author emphasizes the myriad of factors at play, ranging from the differences in the skills of the participating managers, developers and clients to the differences in the methodologies, programming languages, and tools used in a project.

Capers Jones is Chairman of Software Productivity Research.