| According to latest studies, and not exclusively in IT | | | | indicators like cost, schedule and resources |
| industry, only about one-third of all projects are total | | | | distribution. The resource diversion and depletion is |
| successes. The about one in five are entire fail - they | | | | one of the noticeable signs that project is in trouble. |
| were canceled before completion and produced no | | | | Taking out the workforce for other, more higher |
| value or positive outcome. The rest, almost every | | | | priorities, unplanned switching for non-project related, |
| second, are in gray area - they can be called | | | | "ad hoc" tasks are the big red flags that project is |
| "challenged" because they didn't meet the criteria of | | | | jeopardized. Another thing is overtime, that basically, |
| absolute success but still delivered expected result. | | | | should be close to zero if project is on track, on |
| These surveys can be considered an optimistic, as | | | | schedule and according to the plan. If there is rework |
| things have became better since nineties. The project | | | | or other kind of non-planned efforts, this is definitely |
| management became more centric and profession | | | | a time to have the close look. The reports can |
| specific, the customers learned to become more able | | | | indicate that as spikes of ratios in comparison of the |
| to articulate requirements and expectations. Yet, | | | | budgeted time and expenses against actual time and |
| fabulous tools and methodologies were adopted and | | | | money spent. Consider that the achievement of |
| became daily routine for everyone's use (like UML | | | | milestone's objective is, on the contrary, a major |
| and Gantt charts). However, the risk probability that | | | | indicator that expectations are met and there is no |
| project will have "challenges" is still more than 50 | | | | immediate problem for the project. And again, to |
| percent. | | | | make them more achievable, the guideline is to have |
| The good news is, that despite common practice, | | | | them small, very specific and been monitored often, |
| when management is the last who will know about | | | | as suggested in my another article, "How to Stay on |
| project is going to fail, the early signs of troubles can | | | | Track With Project". |
| be seen in advance. | | | | 3. The last and the least, indeed - the scope creep |
| 1. First of all, there are early signs that are hard to | | | | syndrome. Though, very often it looks like failing |
| measure objectively, but easy to recognize when | | | | project is going to be fixed by changing of scope or |
| you watch for them. Overall drop in communication, | | | | requirements, that can explain why it's so often used. |
| both formal and informal, delayed responses, | | | | And changing of requirements by itself is not a totally |
| dropping project meetings attendance and ignoring of | | | | bad thing, especially if it has been driven by |
| calls by team members and stakeholders - all those | | | | continuous customer feedback. However, the analysis |
| make rising flags for project associated problems, | | | | of which requirements are changing and why, can |
| existing or upcoming. The lack of interest in project | | | | give a good clue about health of the project. Still, the |
| success by team members can be easily noticed | | | | big and fundamental scope changes may show the |
| when people don't participate in project meetings and | | | | lack of planning and merely prove the one of |
| discussions, especially when they have conflicting | | | | cornerstone principles of project management - the |
| agendas. The lack of project velocity is usually driven | | | | projects are never failed during execution, they failed |
| by lack of buy-in from stakeholders. This can | | | | at the planning phase. |
| establish the "no-bad-news" environment where | | | | These signs are just signs and not necessarily |
| project team members say nothing in return where | | | | showing that project will definitely fail. However, they |
| their opinion was asked and stakeholders sign off | | | | can signal you that project needs more close |
| without real agreed to proposals. All above, as well as | | | | attention from project champions and possible |
| no active feedback from customers are the signs | | | | escalations to higher level of management. The very |
| that project success chances are poor. | | | | first sign appearance is not a reason to shout right |
| 2. The other signs are really tangible and can be | | | | away, but second one, for sure, is a flag, at least to |
| spotted easy through the reviewing of project | | | | start to talk about. |
| status, using reports or kind of dashboard with | | | | |