Failed IT Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Failed IT Project - Research Paper Example IT project teams emphasize on developing software using unsophisticated codes that would facilitate its functionality. Simplicity facilitates the ease of implementation of the project. In addition, monitoring the functionality of the project is far much easier (Smite, Agerfalk & Moe, 1998). Thus, a project that emphasizes on the complexity from the outset will ultimately faces many difficulties in its design and implementation. It was evident that the complexity of the baggage handling system would lead to enormous problems in implementation and design. The system was too complex that the programmers had to develop it in two years. In fact, it was the most complex baggage handling system ever developed. This was because the system would serve a mammoth airport that was twice the size of Manhattan that had more than 20 major airlines. In designing complex systems, it is vital that the complexity of the systems is manageable during the not only during its development but also in its ma intenance. However, the BAE engineers designed a system that had high coupling and had widespread and inconsistent points of failure (Kerzner, 2004). This led to many problems during the testing of the system. In designing complex IT projects, the engineers must ensure that there is modularity in the operations. Modularity makes complexity of the projects manageable. In addition, it facilitates the undertaking of parallel work and accommodates future uncertainties. In projects with modular architecture, substitution of new designs with older ones is relatively cheap. (Liso, 2009). However, in undertaking the automation of the DIA ABS there was not modularity in the activities of the project. Lack of modularity posed serious problems especially after DIA and BAE changed the design of the system to accommodate the requests made by the airline companies. Lack of modularity led to faults that were evident during the testing of the system in the media's presence. Telecars crushed into each other and flung the baggage spewing out the contents of the baggage (Kock, 2006). In