Gartner: Half of All Projects Are Doomed

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Half of all projects involving outside consultants fail to deliver what companies expect, according to another survey by the Gartner consulting firm.

Gartner released the results of its study on Monday at its Spring 2003 Symposium and IT Expo. The study found that, through the end of 2003, 50 percent of projects involving “external service providers” will be considered unsuccessful.

The causes for failure derive from a lack of groundwork set at the outset; and communications to follow up during the project, said Gartner managing vice president Linda Cohen.

“The service receiver and service provider should commit to regularly scheduled, formal meetings to review the progress and achievement of objectives to ensure mutual benefit,” she said. “Failing to do this, the relationship can be seriously compromised because corrections are not made in a timely fashion.”

Companies also must face increasing complexity, in managing “external providers.” While a single contract with a single consultant may be easiest to manage, very often a single consultant can’t supply all the expertise a company needs for a sizable information systems project.