Why do Software Projects Fail - panel discussion topics

Who defines success?
- Different actors have different views on success.
- Buyer, product owner, user, developer, architect, operations, support
When to determine success or failure?
- When in production?
- After 1 year? 5 years? 30 years?
- After end of life?
Was the Mongstad project a success?
- Almost 10 billion (milliarder) NOK in profits in 2004-2008.
- 9,2 billion NOK devaluations (nedskrivninger) in 2009-2011
- Statoil is considering all options for the future of Mongstad oil refinery
- src: aftenposten

“The highest-level breakdown of a system into its parts; the decisions that are hard to change; there are multiple architectures in a system; what is architecturally significant can change over a system's lifetime; and, in the end, architecture boils down to whatever the important stuff is.” Src: Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, Martin Fowler
- Decisions that are hard to change... Poor architecture - certain failure?
What are the the main factors to put in place early in the project?
- What are the key mechanisms which tip the balance towards success?
- Feedback loops? Customer involvement? Methodology? Size? Technology? Architecture? The Project Management Triangle?
How to determine which projects to cancel?
- Early warning signs?