Top IT research firm identifies top five project management missteps

Nucleus Research, a global provider of IT research and advisory services, today announced the results of an independent study that reveals the top five IT mistakes that costs companies dearly. The research note provides businesses with practical advice for avoiding these common pitfalls.

For this study, Nucleus reviewed the results from thousands of IT projects in-depth in areas such as ERP, CRM, supply chain, integration, collaboration, and e-commerce and found technology is rarely the culprit of project failure. Key findings in the research include the following:

• Too much customization rarely increases usability but will increase both initial and ongoing costs.
• Skimping on training often reduces user adoption, limiting ROI.
• While initial management support of a project is important, management's enthusiastic use of a new technology is critical to achieving success after the deployment.
• Keep an even tighter reign on consulting costs, which can quickly turn a project with a positive ROI towards the negative.
• The end of a project is not when it's deployed but rather when it's being effectively used, which can be months or years later.

"Striking the right balance between business requirements, technology capabilities, and realistic employee adoption rates goes a long way toward ensuring the success of any IT project," said Kathy Quirk, research manager at Nucleus Research.

With this research note, IT and business managers gain objective, insightful advice on how to avoid project management and planning missteps. Nucleus analysts clearly outline how companies can drive effective adoption, rein in costs, and take advantage of additional ROI opportunities.

"Selecting the right solution is only the first step to achieving a positive ROI from technology," said Ian Campbell, CEO of Nucleus Research. "In analyzing the lessons learned from thousands of companies about how best to achieve project success we've found five common mistakes companies make."

About Nucleus Research

Nucleus Research is a global provider of IT advisory and research services that provides CFOs, CIOs and their staffs with the real-world information they need to maximize the business returns from their technology investments. Its analysts blend financial analysis and case-based investigations with comprehensive technology expertise to deliver factual return-on-investment (ROI) data to organizations worldwide. The company uses an uncompromising set of processes and tools to evaluate the financial return on IT assets and is the only firm to gain certification by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Nucleus Research has analyst experts across the entire enterprise software and hardware space and provides clients with ongoing advice to help with both short-term technology decisions and long-term strategic plans. For more information, visit nucleusresearch.com