Critical issues in abandoned information systems development projects

Reviewer: Peter G. Sassone

Why are ongoi<__?__Pub Caret>ng information systems (IS) development projects so frequently abandoned__?__ Ewusi-Mensah sets out to address this important question in this brief but well-written article. A good deal of useful information and insight is presented. IS managers should spend the time needed to read this article. The author identifies the causal factors that distinguish abandoned projects from successful ones, and illustrates those factors anecdotally. Based on a variety of information sources, his conclusion is that “cancellation of projects can be attributed to a combination of several factors.” These factors include the lack of well-articulated project goals; inappropriate staffing of project teams; poor manage<__?__Pub Fmt hyphen-point>ment; technically weak project teams; a weak or inappropriate technology infrastructure in the organization; lack of senior management involvement; and escalating project costs and time to completion. All of the factors mentioned are internal to a particular project or IS department. The author does not seem to acknowledge that project abandonment can also be affected by external forces. These forces can be internal to the company but external to the project (such as a change in the client department's needs) or external to the company (such as an unexpected move by a competitor). Another question the author does not address is that of how many abandoned projects are too many. One could easily make the case that if projects never fail, they are not ambitious enough. Finally, both the data sets and information used, and the methods of analysis, are poorly described. It is not clear whether the results are based on serious analysis of 5, 50, or 500 cases.