Denver International Airport Automated Baggage Handling System Failure

Denver International Airport
Automated Baggage Handling
System Failure

Introduction
 The Denver International Airport baggage handling system proves to be
an excellent illustration of the need of appropriate decision making in
management of a project.
 The failure of Denver international Airport Baggage Handling system
was a main result of dysfunctional decision making.
 The ineffective decisions making and project management issues that
lead to the failure of the project will be discussed in this presentation.

Project Background
 The project of Denver Airport Baggage system was supposed to be the
largest of the time. Unfortunately this project proved to be one of the
greatest examples of how a technology can go wrong ,mainly because
of ineffective decision making and improper project management.
 The Denver International Airport wanted to increase the airport
capacity and thus planned to construct a transportation hub.
 The complexity of the project resulted in increase of problems. The
problems was mainly with the baggage system which delayed the
opening by 16 months.

Why Project failed?
 The project was originally billed to be
the advanced and modern systems
across the globe.
 It was suppose to automate the
baggage handling throughout the
airport.
 One of the major reasons behind the
failure of the system was that the
project did not have a feasible plan.
The project plan was too complex that
added to the failure of the project

Cont..
 The timeline of the project was short
compared to the complexity of the
project and therefore the project was
bound to fail and ended in a
spectacular failure.
 The bids that were submitted on the
new luggage project system never
mentioned that the project will be
completed on time.

Cont..
 A four years timeline was proposed
by the senior manager on basis of
the complexity of the project instead
of a 2 year timeline
 The goals of the project was needed
to be scaled back based on the
complexity which was not done.
 Furthermore, the key stakeholders
were not a part of decision making
thus giving rise to the condition of
improper project management.