Software Project Failures: 4 Common Pitfalls to Watch Out For

Software Project Failures 4 Common Pitfalls To Watch Out For

Software project management is a complex field with obvious and hidden pitfalls at every step. Invisible at first, but sooner or later they may cause devastating problems. So much has been said and written about software project management that it seems like there should be fewer and fewer problems for managers, but in reality software projects continue to fail.

#1 Inadequate planning

Some say that the business world is always full of chaos. Can a good software solution come out of chaos? Poor planning can cause a lot of chaos, along with many problems:

Unclear scope of work

It is not surprising that management one day realizes that the project is more complex than expected and cannot be completed on time or within budget. Key players do not understand what actually needs to be done, requirements and objectives are vaguely described – what more confusion do you need?

Unrealistic time estimates

When the scope of work is unclear, it is impossible to determine how long the project will take. Unrealistic time estimates also create imbalances between project phases (for example, too little time spent on development or testing).

Sometimes clients (and project managers too) do not have a clear insight into the technical aspect of the project and therefore require that a lot be done in a short time. Due to the tight delivery framework, project participants work overtime, are busy and more likely to make mistakes.

Inaccurate cost estimation

It should be noted that some projects are initially underfunded due to the excessive emphasis on cost reduction. 

The saying “buy cheap, buy twice” fits well with a policy of infinite cost reduction in IT projects. Economic efficiency can be confused and in-efficient here. Consequently, planned resources are exhausted before the project is completed and project costs may exceed expectations.

Poor risk assessment

If you do not analyze and account in advance what can happen in the project, even thorough project planning activities can be useless. Thus, it’s essential that you adequately assess potential risks and develop action plans to resolve them. 

Risks in software projects could involve time estimates, cost estimates such as incorrect allocation of costs and unexpected cutbacks on funding, project staffing (a key employee is sick for a long time or leaves the company and the team unable to find a new replacement to join and continue the project), selection of technologies stack (this is especially important if you decide to use innovative technologies), etc.

Unforeseen risks can significantly delay a project, because they have to be analyzed and risk mitigation activities have to be planned and implemented. Risk therefore steals a lot of time and money from planned project activities and also reduces the job satisfaction of project participants.

#2 Wrong Technical Direction

Technical approaches a software development project includes development methodologies, platforms, frameworks, libraries, tools, and programming language choices. This selection depends on, for example, the objectives, scope, complexity, and cost of the project, as well as the number of participants in the project and their skills.

Over the years, a company may overly rely on certain development models and certain types of projects. New challenges may change the direction of the companies into the unknown and leave project managers confused about the right development options to meet project requirements. Be prepared for missed deadlines, costs that are out of scope and control, and unhappy outcomes.

#3 Unqualified Software Development Team

Insufficient project management experience

Even best practices and good programming habits are useless if the software project manager does not know how to apply them in the project.

Project managers are only human, and humans do make mistakes. Software project managers need time and practice to improve their skills. In some cases, managers are not interested in the project at all and leave it entirely to the technical team. Whatever the cause, the consequences of poor management can be serious:

  • There is no control over performance and progress.
  • The team’s workload is uneven.
  • Roles are not properly distributed.
  • Warning signs are ignored.

Lack of management knowledge and skills is not always a problem – even senior managers responsible for dozens of projects can get lost in the new environment.

On the other hand, oversteering cannot steer the ship: messages and instructions are sent via the “steering ladder” and can be misinterpreted. 

Weak technical team

The success of a software project is the shared responsibility of all participants, including developers, testers, and business analysts, etc. If the software development team members do not understand their work, the projects will fail. Project managers are not the only ones responsible for the failure of software projects.

Investing more resources does not save time: a project with a handful of skilled developers led by an experienced technical manager is more likely to succeed than a project with a group of half-baked engineers.

We all make mistakes, but when mistakes happen too often, the team gets into trouble and the risk of failure is greater than expected.

#4 Communication Issues 

Of course, project teams need to communicate with clients and discuss projects thoroughly. However, communication gaps still exist and can cause even a well-planned software project to delay (not to mention poor planning.) There are many reasons why poor communication can cause confusion: from technical errors (from things like slow and unresponsive company internet, poor internet connectivity, and bad audio quality) to personal-related issues (conflicts, personal issues, office environment problems). 

In addition, preferred communication channels may not be clear: team members don’t know which channel to communicate with the person they need via email, Slack, phone or other messaging apps? As a result, project participants may not be able to work together to achieve project goals. Therefore, due to the incorrect specification, the project team misunderstood the client’s vision and ideas and solved the wrong problem. Also:

  • Team members are unclear about their roles, their responsibilities and scope of work
  • Team members do not inform each other of progress and milestones.
  • Client does not notify the development team of updates and issues. 
  • Managers don’t tell their team about requirement updates.

On the contrary, too much communication will not contribute to the success of the project but is a waste of productivity.

It’s important to find a balance between insufficient communication and too much communication. 

Final Thoughts

Software projects fail for several reasons: Inadequate planning, underestimating the complexity of the project, participants are not qualified, improper tools stack, lack of accountability and so on. The sooner you recognize and accept that something is (or could be) wrong, the better you will have a chance of saving time, money and reputation and working out the desired solution.

In many cases, getting a new, external perspective and additional support in project planning and management (e.g., with software project management consulting) can be highly beneficial. You may also find interesting ideas in project management books and articles, but effective IT project management is more than theory. Success comes from years of practical experience and logical conclusions from past failed software development projects.