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When Good Projects Go Bad

by Jason Hull
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Eventually, every business is going to encounter a failing or problematic software project. This can especially be true with a complex accounting system like Dynamics SL. The effects can be devastating: spiraling costs, lost income, overworked and disgruntled employees, and more. However, you can recover if you act quickly and take the right steps.

The first step is to recognize that there is a problem. Often business leaders don't recognize a project is in trouble until it's too late. If deadlines start slipping, costs start escalating, or your reseller is evasive or stops returning your phone calls, you may have a problem.

When you first suspect a problem, act quickly to make sure the project is on track. Schedule a meeting with management, your internal implementation team and your reseller as quickly as possible. Typically, short notice is best, this is going to give you the most raw and unfiltered assessment of the project and not give any parties time to work on their ‘stories'.

At the meeting, you've got to ask the tough questions: Why is the project behind schedule? Who's responsible, your business or the reseller? What's the plan to get the project back on track? What is the impact on the overall project cost and the ultimate go-live date?

Many projects can be brought back on track simply by asking the right questions and holding all of the involved parties responsible. For some projects, this won't be easy. At some point, you have to begin exploring the cause more deeply.

There are many problems that can derail your project. These problems can usually be grouped into a few basic causes:

  1. lack of resources or responsiveness from your internal team;
  2. lack of ...

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About Jason Hull
Jason Hull is President and CEO of Dynamics Source Inc., a Microsoft
Dynamics consultancy specializing in turning around troubled
implementations. Jason has been working with Microsoft Dynamics SL for
10 years and holds multiple certifications on Dynamics SL, SQL Server,
Windows, and Citrix. Jason is a member of the Society of Industry
Leaders and has been honored by Hewlett-Packard for his contributions to
the IT field.

More about Jason Hull