How to Avoid Delays in Projects?

These days, the project management has become quite challenging especially in the IT field. You may have come across reading or hearing about the struggles one faces to meet the deadlines. According to some statistics, 50% of the IT projects fail and some even say that this figure is around 70%. You may get discouraged by hearing about several statistics regarding the failure of IT projects. But remember, the key here is to have a well-planned IT project avoiding any delays. Because, in the end, the goal is one—success  

No doubt, the IT industry is very flourishing and successful, but the project management is a serious and threatening problem to the success of any business. The IT projects are among the most challenging ones to manage. A number of factors can influence the outcome as all the available industry studies indicate that the problem is massive. Here are some interesting facts that will help you better understand the threats:

1. On average, IT projects’ budget exceed by 27% of the initial estimation.
2. Budget exceeds for 1 of 6 IT projects by up to 200%.
3. In a survey, about 55% of managers think that the leading cause for failures in IT projects is overrunning the budget.
4. Only 28% of companies uses special project management techniques to implement an IT project.
5. Consequently, 77% of high-performance IT projects are accomplished with the support of project management software.
6. Only 64% of IT projects actually succeed to achieve the targets at the beginning.
7. Managers who apply any project management technique can deal better with the implementation of the budget, meetings management, coordination of the team’s work, and compliance with the schedule.
8. 71% of IT projects are implemented using agile project management methodologies.
9. 57% of IT projects fail due to a defective communication system.

Most common reasons for delays in implementing IT projects

You probably already see some of the typical mistakes here at the first glance which are the most common reasons for delays in implementing IT projects. Below, I will explain them in detail so that you have a full picture of the most common threats:

Budget

One of the key factors is wrong estimation of budget. This is really the most significant challenge within the whole IT industry. What do I mean by this? Let me explain through an example here. The client contacts a software house to discuss a potential collaboration. He puts forward his goals, project assumptions and budget affordability before the project manager. However, the scope of work often doesn’t align with the budget. That’s where the problem arises.

That’s why I support a different option. Such as the client and software house can agree to assumptions at the initial stage but they must not ignore that it may change as the project develops. I would like to emphasize that opting for this approach does not mean the significant budget overruns inevitably. In one of our projects we did for a client from Norway, we made an assumption that X days will be required to implement the project. As a result, we were able to deliver the project 20% faster than the assumed duration. It shows that the exact prediction of time is difficult sometimes and so is with the size of a budget.

Project Assumptions

The wrong budget estimation is just one aspect of the project assumptions. There are many others such as the client’s expectations do not meet the reality both in terms of functionality and deadline. The work done in a hurry due to the time pressure will always result in negative effects. The key to successful implementation is proper planning which involves both the client and the software house. It is necessary to mutually understand the importance of accepting the assumptions. 

Bad Work Organization

In the statistics I mentioned above, you might notice that the lack of a proper project management approach can lead to serious consequences. An appropriate project management approach helps to organize the work, assign tasks to related people and supervise the effectiveness of the whole process. Due to the complexity of IT projects, it is imperative to use project management tools and organize the work following Agile principles. 

Lack of Communication

The projects that involve both client and software house, require a proper communication plan. It is important to exchange messages that are fully understandable and do not slow down the process. The communication plan needs to be arranged beforehand. Both parties can set periodic checkpoints even on daily basis if necessary, 

Client changes

Let me share with you a short story that is very common in our industry. Often, a client comes to us with a ready to action plan. Great, we are happy to know that the customer is clear about the exact product he needs. However, the problem lies in the fact that some assumptions need time for verification and in the process, clients change their minds. They demand something different in the end. This shift of mind causes to review the delivery time and budget and thus, poses a threat to the entire project. 

Therefore, a balanced approach is the gradual development of the project. MVP meets these needs. This is a really effective method that can also work for your project.

Statistics are not everything! Your project does not have to be delayed

I am sure that a careful analysis of all the factors that I have described in this article, will help you reach the appropriate conclusions and carry out your project with 100% efficiency. 

In the end, I give you a small tip from my experience. Before you get into developing the product, go through the available and successful case studies of other projects especially similar to yours. Thankfully, it will give you an opportunity to analyze good practices that may be helpful for you. There are many resources to check other projects and products. My recommendation among others is the Clutch portal. 

That’s all from me. I wish you a successful project!