Successful System Development

Question 1

What are the signs of a failing IT project?

Answer 1

Late, poor data quality, poor usability, not reaching requirements, crashes, poor reviews, over budget

Question 2

why are IT systems important?

Answer 2

Organisations depend on IS.
IT penetration and sophistication increasing.
Half of global investment in IT.
Developed countries rely on IT and IS.

Question 3

Give some current IT/IS deficits with examples.

Answer 3

Implementation success rate below 30% with 19% a total failure (Standish Group).
37% of projects delivered less than half the expected benefits(Panorama).
One in six projects had costs overrun by almost 200% (Oxford Business School).

Question 4

How has the NHS failed with IT implementation?

Answer 4

The attempt to implement a ‘one size fits all system’ for a fully integrated care system proved unworkable with £2.7bn already spent.

Question 5

Draw Lyytinen and Hirschheim’s reasons for failure:

Answer 5

Business environmental, Organisational 
                                ^
                                |
Development------------->Use
                                |
                                ^
 User, Data, Technical

Question 6

Adding to the diagram, what are Lyytinen and Hirschheim’s 5 reasons for failure?

Answer 6

Technical: Failure of hardware, software and communications.
Data: Poor design, analysis and validation.
User: Failing to use the system to its full capability.
Organisational: Failure to deliver the expected benefits to efficiency or effectiveness.
Business Environment: Change in environment causing partial or complete obsoleteness e.g. Legislation.

Question 7

Give examples of system failures:

Answer 7

HSBC payment software failed meaning thousands of people in the UK did not receive their wage just before a bank holiday (2015).
RBS had a system failure that meant 600,000 transactions went missing; they were fined £56mil (2015).
NYSE trading was suspened for nearly 4 hours in 2015 after a ‘technical configuration’ problem.
Heathrow Terminal 5 (2008).

Question 8

What were the main reasons for the failure at Heathrow Terminal 5?

Answer 8

Lack of staff parking, poor terminal signage, delayed flights, staff inadequately trained (baggage), poor communication between desk staff and baggage.

Question 9

What were the impacts of HT5 delays?

Answer 9

Incoming passengers had 4 hour delays, huge queues, 500 cancelled flights, ‘national embarrassment’, cost BA £25 million

Question 10

How can we evaluate IT failure?

Answer 10

Functionality: Does the system do what is required?
Usability: Can the intended population use the system?
Utility: Is the system producing the expected benefits?

Question 11

How can failure be avoided?

Answer 11

User involvement, Education and training, Testing, Management commitment, Evaluation.

Question 12

Why do systems still fail despite hindsight?

Answer 12

System development highly complex; a balance between the following points is needed:
User requirements.
Tech requirements.
System development method.
Organisational characteristics.
Resource constraints.
Expertise of development team.