1. May 2017

Failure doesn’t have to happen! How to make your IT project a success

We took Christian Schaller's joining our team as an opportunity to find out why many IT projects fail.

Christian Schaller, our expert in the field of IT consulting, was on hand to answer our questions. He joined our consulting team in March 2017.

Blog editorial team: Dear Christian, time and again, studies are published in the media that show astonishingly high failure rates in IT projects. Just think of the failed, ambitious major IT project at Deutsche Post in October 2015, which cost the freight division DHL millions. Why do you think many IT projects fail?

Christian Schaller: I have often experienced that it is simply due to the lack of a clear definition of requirements and objectives at the start of every IT project. Unnecessary things are often implemented or essential things are forgotten. The key stakeholders are not always on board right from the start. Communication problems do the rest and there is usually a lot of frustration at the end. Prioritisation according to the MoSCoW principle, for example, can help here.

Blog editorial team: Could you perhaps briefly explain what the MoSCoW principle is?

Christian Schaller: With pleasure, of course. This is an efficient method from project management that enables the project manager to prioritise the implementation of requirements based on their importance and impact. The project manager makes a ‘must, should, could and won’t’ decision for each requirement.

Blog editorial team: Thank you, Christian. Would you say that the failure of IT projects also depends on the size of the project and the industry?

Christian Schaller: I think there are definitely differences depending on the type of project. And yes, I would definitely attest to an industry dependency. There are many industries in which there are numerous standard solutions. But there are also others in which there are no established standards and their own project solutions have to be created or existing solutions have to be supplemented by customised programming. I like the fact that our solutions do not require any additional programming and can be flexibly customised through configuration alone. In my opinion, the individual sectors also differ in terms of the complexity of the processes to be mapped. The construction industry in particular is characterised by a large number of processes with a wide range of requirements that vary from company to company. This naturally also increases the project risk.

Blog editorial team: What would you say is the main advantage of a standard solution?

Christian Schaller: A versatile standard solution offers the customer a reliable and solid basis that can be used to cover a large number of customer requirements cost-effectively and efficiently without major development effort. Complex and cost-intensive new developments for customers give way to a pragmatic and variable configuration of the software on the customer side. This means that processes – even complex ones – can be optimised quickly and easily with IT support, without any great risk.

Blog editorial team: If I as a customer use a standard solution, do I still need consulting at all?

Christian Schaller: Of course. In my opinion, any software only realises its full potential with the right advice. Because even a standard solution needs to be customised to meet specific customer requirements. And this brings us back to the initial question. IT projects often fail at precisely this point. What is important, what is unimportant? A simple question that usually cannot be answered clearly by those involved in the project. This is where consulting comes in and helps to separate the wheat from the chaff. Defining clear objectives, understanding complex processes and bringing the right people on board.

Blog editorial team: Couldn’t the customisation to specific customer requirements also be carried out by the customer themselves?

Christian Schaller: Of course. But the prerequisite is that knowledge is shared. We therefore teach our customers everything they need to know about customised configuration in admin training courses on request. From my own experience, however, I would still recommend relying on an external expert who is experienced and able to carry out the ideal customisation. At least for smaller companies with just a few projects.

Blog editorial team: Christian, would you say that there is another critical success factor besides solid planning of an IT project with clearly defined goals, requirements and responsibilities?

Christian Schaller: In my opinion, the two important factors of people and corporate culture are often neglected. Behind every project, not just IT projects, there are people with their individual needs. And every project is significantly influenced by the attitudes and interactions between these people. How well do they work together as a team? How willingly do they share their knowledge? How far can they look beyond their own horizons? This is precisely where I see another important role for consulting. It’s not just about understanding complex processes and deriving strategic goals, but also about interpersonal relationships. Being open and sensitive to your customers and recognising when and how to build communicative bridges between all project participants for the joint success of the project. The technology takes a back seat. What remains is the fun of the joint project.

Blog editorial team: Thank you, Christian, for your assessment of the topic. We hope you continue to have fun in our team and enjoy realising many successful IT projects.

About Christian Schaller

Before joining us, Christian Schaller worked as a civil engineer on behalf of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, as an IT manager at Avantgarde and FIHM AG and as an IT consultant at Edcom. He brings with him a passion for construction and, as a certified ITIL expert, expertise in IT service management. This enables him to ensure the greatest possible benefit/added value for our customers.