“Titanic Lessons for IT Projects”

IT Projects from Hell

Titanic

Titanic Screws

White Star invested in ship-builder’s model (IT pilot).Used to analyze all exposures to the possibility of loss.

Titanic’s construction stage integrated many complextechnologies and selected safety features to reduce

risks

By end of construction Titanic’s safety compromisedseverely. But White Star believed it safest ship ever

built.

Decisions with esthetic factors compromised individualsafety features and escalated the level of risk

Two assessment groups surveyed for damage. Bruce Ismaymade fateful decision to prove Titanic could save herself.

Lessons learned - what can you take from all this. YourIT project is little different to Titanic’s project.

Therac-25

Joke• Apparently the computer giant IBM decided to have some

parts manufactured in Japan as a trial project. In the specifications, they set out that they will accept three defective parts per 10,000. When the delivery came in there was an accompanying letter. "We, Japanese people, had a hard time understanding North American business practices. But the three defective parts per 10,000 have been separately manufactured and have been included in the consignment. Hope this pleases you."

http://www.ccnr.org/fatal_dose.html

http://www.pmiwlec.org/Presentation/ITLessonsTitanic.pdf

http://www.4pm.com/articles/hell.htmlOngoing Saga of the Project From Hell

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/Connections/connections2.htm