Is Your IT Project Failing?

The scenario is all too familiar: after months of negotiations, the contract for a new IT system is signed but months later, the project is already behind schedule, the customer has rejected some of the deliverables, and both sides disagree about the causes. What can you do to move forward? Find out the typical issues that arise and what you can do to mitigate your risks and optimise your position.

Assessing the current position

First, both customer and supplier should assess the technical and contractual framework to understand their rights and options – common issues include:

1. What are the requirements and specification for the system, and in what form were they agreed? Just because a contract states the supplier will deliver "reporting" does not necessarily mean that the 80 specific reports the customer requires are a contractual deliverable.