Software Development Failures

280 Pages·2003·2.294 MB·English

by  Kweku Ewusi-Mensah

SoftwaDreev elopmFeanitl ures

SoftwaDreev elopmFeanitl ures
AnatoomfyA bandonPerdo jects
KwekuE wusi-Mensah
TheM ITP ress
CambridMgaes,s achusetts
LondonE,n gland
©2003M assachusIentsttsi toufTt eec hnology
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electroornm iecc hanimceaaln (si nclupdhiontgo copyriencgo,r dionrig n,f orma­
tiosnt oraagnedr etriewviatlh)o puetr missiinwo rni tifnrgo mt hep ublis.h er
Thibso okw ass eitn S abobny S NPB est-Tsyepte setLttedr.H ,o ngK ong.
Printaenddb oundi nt heU niteSdt atoefsA merica.
LibraorfyC ongreCsast aloging-in-PDuabtlai cation
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Softwadreev elopmfeanitl u:r aensatomoyfa bandonperdo je/cK twse ku
Ewusi-Mensah.
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Includbeisbl iograrpehfiecraelan ncdei sn dex.
ISBN0 -262-050(7h2c:-. 2a lkp.a per)
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Contents
PrefacIeX
I ConceptIusaslu es1
1 SoftwaDreev elopmPernotj eFcati lure3s
2 SoftwaPrreo jeCchta racteris2t9i cs
3 FactoCrrsi titcoaA lb andonSedo ftwaPrreo ject4s7
IIE mpiriFcaaclt ors7 1
4 SocioorganizFaatcitoonaransld A bandonPerdo ject7s3
5 TechniFcaaclt oarnsd A bandonPerdo ject1s0 7
6 EconomiFca ctoarnsd A bandonPerdo ject1s3 7
7 UserP erspectoinvS eosf twaDreev elopmFeanitl ure1s5 3
IILI earnifnrgo mF ailure1s8 7
8 PostabandonRmeevnite Lwe:a rnifnrgo mA bandonPerdo ject1s8 9
9 SoftwaDreev elopmeAn Stt:r atePgairca digm2 21
10P rojeFcati luarnedsA ftermat2h3 9
Referenc2e5s5
Index 265

Preface
Softwadreev elopmfeanitl uirsae p ersisptreonbtl eimns oftwadreev el­
opmenptr acttihcaeht a sc onsistdeenfitelsdyo lutiTohnii.ss s op rimarily
becausdee,s pittheee normouesx penditoufrr ees ouricnet sh ea reoaf
softwadreev elopmeonrtg,a nizathiaovnebs e enr elucttaond te vote
resourtcoes st udyitnhger oocta useosfs oftwadreev elopmfeanitl ure
ande vemno rer elucttaosn hta rteh eeixrp eriefnocrte hseb enefiotft he
softwairned us.tS reycontdh,es tudoyf t hep robleimsr elatirveecleyn t
becaursees earclhiekroesr ,g anizathiaovnaesl ,sf oa ilteosd h owt her eq­
uisiitnet erTehsuts.t hep roblehma sp ersisotfetde,wn i thd evastating
consequetnoco ersg anizaatnidoi nnsd ivipdruoafle ssicoanreaelGr isv.e n
theb illioofnd so llaorfps u blaincd p rivaftuen dtsh aatr es penatn nu­
alloyn s oftwadreev elopmpernotj etchtaset n du pa sf ailuirtei sss, u r­
prisitnhgal ti tetflfeo irsdt i recttoewda rsdt udyitnhgep robleimno rder
tor ecouspo meo ft hei nvestmmeandtesa ndt om inimirzeec urreonfc e
thep roblem.
We charactseroifztew daervee lopfmaeinlatust rhee" perceiivneadb il­
itoyf t hed evelopmpernotj etcomt e ett her equiremoerne txsp ectations
ofv ariocuosm binatoifoo nrsg anizatsitoankaelh oldAe srts.a"k eholder
isa ny" claimwaintth itnh ep rojedcetv elopmoerngta nizawtiitohan
vestiendt erienst th ep rojeacntdi tssu ccescsofmupll etoirot ne rmina­
tioinfn ecessa(rEyw"u si-MeannsdaP hr zasny1s9k9i4 S)o.f twadreev el­
opmenfta iluirsle i ketloyo ccuwrh enevaenry g rouopf s takeholders
perceimvaejsop ro tentpiraolb leimnts h ep rojedcetv'esl opmtehnamtta y
prevetnhtep rojefcrto mb einsgu ccesscfoumlpllye taenddi mplemented.
A softwadreev elopmpernotj eicsat c ollecotfi" oinn terrealcattievdi ties
undertaiknes ne quenacned /oirn p aralblye slo mem emberosf t he
x Preface
stakehoglrdoeurpw si tthh eo bjectoifpv reo ducai nsgof twasryes tetmo
satissofmye o rganizatrieoqnuailr emeTnhtesb .o"o k'fso cuisse ntirely
onp rojdeecvte lopfmaeinltut hruensso ;a t tentiispo ani tdo t hei ssoufe
implemenftaaitliaufotrnsee or f twahraesb eedne ployweidt htihneo rga­
nizatiTohne.r ies a ni mportadnits tincbteitowne esno ftwadreev elop­
mentf ailaunrdei mplementfaatiilounAr let.h outghhel attperro blheams
receiavneddc ontintuoer se ceiwvied espraetatde ntiinot nh eI nforma­
tioSny stelmist erastoufrtew,a dreev elopmfeanitl huarsen otb eeand e­
quaterleys earcdhueetd ot her eluctoafnm caen agemetnoat c knowledge
thee xisteonfct eh ep roblewmi thitnh eiorr ganizaatnidoa nlss too t he
difficulftaiceebsdy r esearcihneg rasi niancgc etsost her elevdaantta
fromt hesoer ganizations.
Thibso oki si ntendteohd e lipm protvhees cienacnedp ractoifcs eo ft­
wared evelopmbeyn mta kincgo nspicutohueps r obleomf s oftware
developmpernotj efcati luirnbe ost phu blaincd p rivaotreg anizaotfi ons
altly peIsn.s pitoeft her emarkapbrloeg remsasd ei ns oftwaerneg i­
neeriinntg h el astth iryteya rwse,s tiflalci en tractparbolbel eimnss o ft­
wared evelopmbeencta uwseeh avneo td evotaedde quartees ouracneds
attenttioor ne seartchhef actors matyhb aeta tt her oootf t hes oft­
warec risSiosf.t wadreev elopmaesan lta bor-intcernesaitveienv dee avor
requircionlgl aboraamtoinogdn i sparsattaek ehoglrdoeurpi sna no rga­
nizatpiroens esnptesc icahla llenAgletsh.o utghhe sceh alleanrgeue nsl ike
thosfea cebdy e ngineetreianmgis nt hed esiogfnp hysisctarlu ctuwree s,
int hes oftwadreev elopmpernotf esscioounlw de lble nefiftr oma dopt­
ingt hee ngineperrasc't oifcs et udyianngdp ublishtihnegfi ari luirnae ns
effotrotu nderstwahnadth asg onew rongo na projeacntdw hy,a nd,
evemno res ignifichaonwtt h,e cyo ulpdr eveintrtse curreinntc heef uture.
Softwadreev elopaenrdts h eimra nagehrasv ed evotleidt attltee ntion
orr esourtcose tsu dsyo ftwadreev elopmfeanitl uarnedst ,h ehya vseh ied
awayf romm akinpgu bltihce r esulotfas n ys ucihn quirTiheisss.t atus
quoh asp ersisitnpe adr bte causieno, u ri ncreasliintgilgysi oocuise ties,
partiiensv olviendf ailseodf twadreev elopmpernotj ecltoso kt ot he
courttoss etttlhee idri sputienss teoafdt urnitnogt hes oftwaerneg i­
neeripnrgo fessfioorann u nderstanodfti hnerg o octa usoefst hef ailure.
Availablteh epi unb ldiocm aianr eo nltyh osfee ws pectaccualsaetrsh at
attratchtea ttentoifoi nn vestigjaotuirvnea lwihsotssei ntereusntdse,r -