Top 10 Major Causes of Project Failure
Preventing project failure demands advanced planning and stopping common project pitfalls in their tracks. Review the ten most agreed-upon causes of project failures are brace up for difficult situations:
1. Lack of Planning
Benjamin Franklin rightly said that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Poor planning is the root cause of project failures. A project's success relies heavily on defining in detail the scope, each member's role, and the time frame. Lack of concrete planning exposes a project to unprecedented risks and issues. Wastage of quality time is bound to occur when you try to figure out ways of solving challenges after you kickstart the project.
Solution: With every detail laid down, keeping a realistic approach, the chances of meeting a failure are considerably reduced.
2. Kitchen Sink Syndrome
When project deliverables change as the work progresses and exceed the project scope, you end up with more tasks and responsibilities than you bargained for. Such a situation is termed scope creep or requirement creep, or kitchen sink syndrome. While requirement creep can be as blatant as an unexpected list of requests, it usually doesn't happen all at once; it slowly creeps in.
For instance, you planned five advertisements for your new product launch. The stakeholder then requests you to add two additional online blogs to support a different product. This new addition stretches your present resources and can delay the initial assignment. Changes in the scope of the project are a major cause of missed deadlines and, thus, project failures.
Solution: It is crucial to define, circulate, and obtain mutual agreement on the scope of your project before you begin.
3. Inconsistently Defined Resources
Planning should not be limited to timetables, meetings, and responsibilities. Rather human, financial, intellectual, and structural resources are crucial too. When these factors aren't consistently determined, deadlines are missed, jeopardising a project's conclusion.
Often enterprises embark on a project without having the resources needed to get the job done, such as budget, tools, staff, time, or space.
Solution: Making a resource management plan in advance is a promising approach to avoiding project failures.
4. Unrealistic Deadlines
Project failures are bound to occur when you plan complex tasks for short due dates. It is vital to carefully look through all the aspects of a project and consider how long every phase would take. Additionally, keeping room for unexpected events is a realistic approach that helps develop a quality project.
Solution: Considering every aspect before determining the deadline is a must. It is better to consult your team and the team leader before making a commitment.
5. Lack of Transparency
Complete project visibility for every person related to its completion is a must to avoid failures. You must maintain transparency not just with the project manager but with other team members too.
Solution: Clear guidelines, effective communication, timely meetings, good document management, and honesty in commitments help maintain the much-needed transparency. Project management software has stood the test of time for transparency maintenance.
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