In the modern business world organisations are frequently adopting and planning new IT projects. While most of these projects are successful there are often ones that get declared as a failure. Large IT projects are expensive and can easily go wrong if the risks are not addressed and considered. The Integrated National Crime Information System (INCIS) was a project adopted by the New Zealand Police in 1991 and was promptly abandoned in 1999 due to its failure.
INCIS
The Integrated National Crime Information systems prime contractor was IBM. The concept of INCIS was developed to be consistent with police strategy. The system was assumed to be capable of achievement due to its conventional technology of the time and with appropriate …show more content…
The down fall of the Integrated National Crime Information System was due to numerous reasons that were interrelated and of a high level of complexity. However these problems were not new to the police and ultimately the failure of INCIS was caused by a combination of effects that were lethal to the systems future. The INCIS used technology that was not proven to operate properly. (Small, 2000)When working to develop a system the technology being used should ideally be proven to work well. If in a particular case, such as INCIS, using technology that has yet to be proven needs to be used its risk factors need to be recognised and analysed so that solutions and back up plans can be developed beforehand.
Factors to consider: Project Management
There needs to be a formal, logical approach to project management. Training and mentoring for staff allocated to work on the development of a large IT project may be an extra cost however it can reduce the risks involved, as opposed to working with staff that does not have the correct training and knowledge for the task at hand. Similarly, the management team skills need to be able to suit the level of difficulty involved in a project.
Risk …show more content…
(Small, 2000) Skills are important in any employment sector and for success the right level of skill is needed therefore it is important that people who are involved have expanded their skills to meet modern business IT expectations and professionalism.
Important Recommendations
• Outsourcing is a great strategy to be cost effective and avoid problems in the business world. Through outsourcing expertise in various relevant sectors can be obtained allowing for more diverse professional opinions. (Kroenke & Hooper, 2013)
• Fig.1.0 shows the levels involved in managing large IT projects. Whenever a new project is being considered it is important that those participating in the development of the concept understand their prospects and the levels they have to work through.
• Effectively addressing technology and risks.
• Unrealistic overly aspiring technology should be