Why do software deliveries fail?
Paul Meredith
Building a start-up fintech in the SRT space | Programme Director | Operations Director | SaaS | Blockchain | Building smarter digital workflows for capital risk management
C-Suite leaders in FinTech and financial services - have you wondered why so many software deliveries fail?
What do I mean by “fail?"
I use the “Has it enabled the delivery of the benefits predicted in the business case?” test. Other tests are available.
In a commercial business there are only 3 reasons to do anything:
1. Reduce costs
2. Increase revenues
3. Mitigate risk
If it doesn’t contribute to at least one of those, why would you do it? Other reasons can apply in the Public Sector and Not For Profit, but I’m focussing on commercial businesses.
I’ve been to a lot of businesses where previous software deliveries had failed to deliver the predicted benefits.
Why is that?
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The most common ones I’ve seen are:
?? Lack of clear requirements: The tech team is a supplier to the business. It’s the responsibility of the business units to specify requirements, including customer journeys and the user interface, that will facilitate the expected benefits
?? Poor programme management: Effective programme management is crucial for ensuring that a software project stays on track and on budget
?? Insufficient testing: Testing is a vital step in the software development process, but it's often overlooked or underfunded
?? Resistance to change: It’s vital that all affected are on board. Active or passive resistance can doom a project to failure. Change can be difficult for some people; good communication and influencing skills are critical for change leaders
?? Lack of training: Proper training is crucial to ensure that users can take full advantage of the software's capabilities
?? Lack of support: Software requires ongoing maintenance and support. If that’s not available then it may not function optimally. That will be difficult to realise the predicted benefits
?? Outdated technology: Technology that was cutting-edge recently may be outdated today
Avoiding these common pitfalls can help ensure that the predicted benefits are realised.
Please share your thoughts and experience on this, and let's learn from each other.
Another one is "Lack of baseline". If you do not have or cannot create a baseline to measure your success... difficult. It's a very common one in digital transformation, e.g. when gaining data transparency for the first time.