Smartcard Project Checklist

'Many failed projects have been due to over ambitious plans,' said Perkins. 'Remember to be focused and start on a single targeted area.'

Maintain tight control on distribution. This falls into two categories: you need to establish a system for tracking what's happening with a card and what transactions are being performed on it; and secondly, there needs to be a system in place for replacing or restoring cards when things go wrong.

Be sure not to run afoul of regulatory concerns regarding privacy and security. 'This is a major issue within the EU, so it's crucial to establish that the programme you're establishing doesn't infringe on regulations.'

Manage expectations. 'There's a very common problem of people over-promising and then under-delivering. People need to realise that it's going to be a long time before smartcards become ubiquitous, so the public's expectations need to be managed.'

Don't forget the human factor. Programme managers should review any existing materials that discusses how people have reacted to different types of cards, such as credit cards and access cards, and taking those lessons into consideration.