The IT department is no stranger to high-profile project failure. And as economic conditions tighten, we can expect projects to come under greater scrutiny as companies pursue every avenue to ensure returns. So, how can you keep technology projects on the right track?

A successful project needs smart design. This is particularly true of IT-based initiatives, where the results are often invisible to the naked eye. But be warned ¬ you cannot tell whether your project has been a success if you do not define the anticipated result.

To avoid a lurch from goal to goal in a constant search for justification, all IT projects need a clearly articulated vision, a sound business case and an overall aim. The vision should describe the business it is going to be ¬ not the company it is now. Otherwise you are investing to simply remain fossilised in the business processes of your past.

Forward-looking strategy should be one of the key skills ¬ and, therefore, one of the major attractions ¬ of a business consultant or systems integrator. The choices you make regarding external partners will have a significant impact on project outcome. And the draw of the big-brand firms is obvious ¬ the trusted name and track record appear reassuringly risk free.

But you really need to concentrate on your partner’s people, rather than their marketing skills. Quality flows from the top, so you need to know the executive level at least. You should also check out the people on the front line who will be sharing your office space for the next few years. Finally, you will need to make sure the partner’s incentives are aligned to the specific goals and success indicators of the project as a whole.

Clients in the lead

Achievement requires strong leadership on the IT management side, because successful projects should be driven by clients, rather than pushed on to the business by your partners. IT leaders should also act as project champions, working alongside consultants and in-house executives.

Strong leadership ensures that people remain aligned to the project until its conclusion. In a lengthy project, it is all too easy to lose sight of the goal when surrounded by day-to-day operational detail. Workers who understand the contribution of their own role are less likely to give attention to unprofitable distractions and diversions.

Projects also benefit from maintaining a balance of staff. New starters can offer a much-needed impetus, while experienced staffers keep a firm rein.

For the same reason it is useful to have mid-project goals and measurement points. The scale and complexity of major IT projects can be overwhelming and your initiative should feel more like a relay race than a cross-country slog. Breaking a project into manageable and easily identifiable deliverables is the only way to stay on course.

Such an approach requires all interested parties to have a degree of flexibility, starting with procurement processes. Rigid contract management can produce negative outcomes as partners scramble to deliver against unrealistic plans. Many projects have been doomed to fail as soon as the procurement terms were set ¬ and then ruthlessly enforced.

Finally, flexibility has to be extended to the technology itself. Your new systems must support specific business goals. Excessive configuration leads to cost and complexity, and raises questions about the business case.

Significant changes will almost certainly divert you away from project objectives, if you have already selected a software provider. But companies that bend a little to the technological capabilities being introduced will enjoy a far higher success rate.

Darren Pass is senior consultant at management consultancy The Structure Group