Information Systems
Chapter One
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR LEARNING
Introduction
Millions of pounds are wasted on information system projects that fail and millions
more are lost due to malfunctions of systems that have progressed beyond the implementation
stage. The horror stories are easy to find, at least where large projects in the
public sector are concerned. For example:
In 1996 the Integrated Justice Project was set up in Ontario, Canada, with the
aim of building an information system for Ontario's entire justice sector. In March
1998 the investment required was estimated to be $180 million and the benefits
as $326 million. By March 2001 the figures had become an investment of $312
(of which $159 million had already been spent) and benefits of $238. Thus the
benefit-investment ratio had changed from 1.81:1 to 0.76:1.
Also in 1996 the Benefits Agency of the UK government's Department of Social
Security and Post Office Counters Ltd awarded a contract to Pathway, a subsidiary
of the ICL computer services group, to provide recipients of social security benefits
with magnetic stripe payment cards. The project was abandoned exactly three years
later. The National Audit Office estimated that the cancellation cost over £1 bil ... read full excerpt from Information Systems: Achieving Success by Avoiding Failure ebook
