Avoiding IT project failure

Last week we published an article by Andrea Maritan on the importance of fixing your processes before implementing new software.  His opening sentence – i.e. “New software implementations are a risky task” – describes an all too common scenario.

We’ve all heard of major IT projects failing … or being cancelled, bungled, delayed, or running over budget. Just this week the AFR reported that the West Australian government is junking a payroll system on which it has already spent $400 million. And last year, the Queensland government ran into major issues with a payroll implementation. But they’re not alone in suffering these unfortunate outcomes.

According to ZDNet, a recent survey revealed that 75% of people closely involved in IT projects believe they are always or usually “doomed from the start”. This is a staggering result and one that business owners and software vendors alike should be very concerned about.

One of the reasons highlighted by ZDNet for IT failures is that “almost 50 percent of projects do not have defined end criteria”. Or, as author Lawrence J Peter once put it: “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else”.

So if you’re about to embark on the selection and implementation of a new software system for your organization, make sure you start with a shared understanding of what you are trying to achieve and why, and invest plenty of resources in ironing out key organizational and process issues before you start!

Migrating from MYOB UK?

The end of 2011 is an important deadline for thousands of MYOB customers in the UK – that’s when their accounting software will be deactivated and they’ll need to have migrated to a new accounting system. This should come as no surprise: the cutoff date was set back in 2008 when the UK arm of MYOB was bought by Mamut.

Moving to a new accounting system is a critical task! If you’re one of the potentially thousands of companies affected by this change, you’d be well-advised not to wait any longer. Accounting software is the backbone of your business systems, and it will take time to properly evaluate and select a replacement and manage the migration process. Make sure you factor in budget not just for the software itself, but also for any required consulting support in managing the setup and migration.

A good place to start is by looking at our accounting software directory – this will help you understand some of the options available. If you have  a budget of £3000 or more, then it’s worth considering our free Get A Shortlist service. We’ll talk to you about your requirements on the phone, and can match you up with a shortlist of 2-3 vendors that are well suited to your business needs. For smaller budgets, our review pack and online comparisons provides a good overview of suitable options.