In putting together the "Agility is Sensible" presentation for the IQPC Shared Services week, the project success rate stats really hit home -

• In 2004, the Standish Group did a survey and found that 87% of integration initiatives do not deliver on their justification. 38% fail outright, and 49% underperformed;
• In 2005, PMI study found that 72% of all projects underperformed in three critical categories: functionality, time, and budget. Of the 28% that weren't in that category, 62% are late, and 45% are over budget.
• In 2006, KPMG study found that 65% of all mergers and acquisitions underperformed;

The key takeaway on my part here is not that projects fail. It's why they fail. In my mind, it comes down to the following four categories:

• Doing the right thing
• Doing the right thing in proper sequence
• Doing the right thing with right resources
• Doing the right thing the right way

In my experience, we focus almost all of our energies on the last bullet point. There are a bevy of methodologies out there. There are plenty of ardent supporters of each of them. But it is striking that with all the effort the industry has put forth to solving that bullet point, the first three remain more an art than a science.

Aleks