PPMP20010: Project Failure Analysis - A Case Study of Microsoft Vista

This report provides a critical analysis of the Microsoft Vista project failure, comparing successful project management models against real-life failed situations to highlight discrepancies and areas of concern. It examines reasons for project failure, including inadequate scope appreciation, incorrect user requirement analysis, and misalignment between business users and IT departments. The report uses the case of Microsoft Vista to illustrate how poor scope management, missed schedules, and cost overruns contributed to the project's failure. It emphasizes the importance of change management, risk assessment, and stakeholder integration for project success. The document is available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and resources for students.

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Executing and closing projects

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Introduction
The investigation includes the comparison of the best models that goes against the
real-life failed situations. This type of contrast possibility reveal about the discrepancies
between the two and also highlight the concern areas. These type of differences can be easily
interpreted in the context of the failed situation as well as conclusions. Exploring whether the
failure can be avoided or either minimizing it to certain degree is basically worthwhile. Many
studies have recommended that most of the information system project disasters can be easily
avoided (Altuwaijri and Khorsheed, 2012). Many of the time, warning signals happen long
time back before projects of information system started to get failed. It can be seen in history
that software projects most likely to get successful if they are correctly emphasized as well as
constructed over the well-analysed technology. There are many different writers who had
discussed the reason why the project get failed. For example, Amoako-Gyampah and Salam
(2004) inform that plans get abandoned due to the scope of the project is not appreciated
entirely and requirement of the user are not analysed correctly.
Avison and Young (2007) mentions that MIS projects as well as related procurements
are conducted in environment featured through lack of continuity of management as well as
incentive system, which initiate the optimistic measurements about the advantages that can be
achieved through undertaking the project. Bernroider (2008) discusses that expectations of
high user can mainly considered as the reason for project failure. Avison and Young (2007)
mention that project get failed due to the wrong alignment among the business users and IT
departments. It is noted that project managers often act over the report compilers and process
cops and usually lose the sight of why they expect to do so that it can be ensured that project
is effectively running (Avison and Young, 2007).

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Bernroider (2008) discusses that project get failed, and that’s reality of life. Many
projects get been unable because the average project is known as iceberg, as 9/10th of it is
hidden. Nevertheless, there is no researcher that had ever mentioned about the research
reporting system of mechanism, which lead to success or failure of project (Bernroider,
2008). Along with this, there is no one that offers the insight about the rate of project failure.
As per the article published in Journal of Systems and software, challenges and struggles are
both part of the process of learning. ISDP (Information system development project) failure is
not something new in present time, nevertheless, the research on these projects mention about
the new factors required for analysis. In history, information system projects are featured
through the increased rate of failure (Bridgestone, 2014). A current report gathered outcomes
relates to five various surveys from different years, 2001, 1995 and 1997, shows that, IT
project most likely to get failed, instead of getting successful; Around 1 out of 5 projects of
IT are expected to come up with complete satisfaction; the larger the plan is, there are more
chances of its failure; and around 40% of the failed projects attain the business case, in which
they go live for only 1 years (Bridgestone, 2014).
As per Brehm, Heinzl and Markus (2001), it’s explored that projects related with e-
governments are created in developed countries. The outcome of the survey depicts the high
challenging state, in which 35% of the total projects get failed; 50% of the projects are
partially failed, as well as 15% of the projects get success (Brehm, Heinzl and Markus, 2001).
The failure of information system within the developing countries of the world are most
likely to poses the more significance for both investigation and learning of failure reasons, as
it not only waste the resources, but also try to disappoint the future investment. It is noted that
opportunity cost is high within the developing countries, due to the less resource availability
like skilled workforce and capital (Brehm, Heinzl and Markus, 2001). On the digital divide,
the failure usually keep the developing countries over the wrong side, which turns the

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information communication technology in the global inequality technology. For such reasons,
the failure in developing the information system within the developing countries highly poses
the vital research area (Brehm, Heinzl and Markus, 2001).
Failure project- Microsoft Vista
It is analysed that successful companies usually tend towards hold blind spots, and in
this kind of case, small businesses companies or either 500 companies are referred as
ingenuity and creativity. Microsoft that had revolutionized the operating systems on the
computer in these organizations (Coiera, 2007). Though such type of companies have tried to
record the astonishing success, it is noted that both had the projects that are failed due to
complete scope of the project was not considered. But the main point is that, what
particularly is project scope? As per Coiera (2007), it is explained that project scope is
considered as the core form, as well as the explanation of end results of specific product.
Project scope requires to include what authors try to dub as the project scope
statement. In a different context, explaining what the end user will achieve through this
project, is the statement that emphasizes over the success of the project on its successful
completion of set goals, as well as the report that can be applied like a measuring and
planning tool (Coiera, 2007). But to one’s surprise, as the necessary and essential scope
explanation looks, it's often overlooked by the leaders of the project for adequately managing
it within the corporations.
With the latest OS, Microsoft Corp, it’s optimistically known as VISTA. With the
availability all around the world in the year 2007, it was advertised that Vista includes some
neat features, like the new multimedia tools for creation, right graphical interface, right peer-
to-peer technology, and simplified file sharing system (Coiera, 2007). Other benefits related
with Vista is that it includes specific close off vulnerabilities towards security, which were

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there in OS predecessors like Windows XP. For most of the part, the system has completed it.
Though, it looks that, there is no particular mission of project scope connected with it. One
massive complaint that came related with Microsoft Vista was the service people of
Microsoft was less as compared to stellar, in case of supporting to download the Vista
(Hilditch-Roberts, 2012).
Folks that download the Vista through the retailer website or third party explored that
they had the issues related to locking up of computers at the time of installation of Vista. In
single case, Microsoft service centre call yield the catch 22 outcomes, mainly the user rerun
of the installation CD of Vista; issues in downloading, and they even failed to have CD for
installation (Hilditch-Roberts, 2012). Customers that tried to attain the CD through Microsoft
usually end up with the stymied continuity. As per Kannampallil, Schauer, Cohen and Patel
(2011), one should always try to burnan the ISO disk through the downloading program of
Vista, which was not present in this case.
Other solutions of the Microsoft for the user to purchase the new hardware assist the
operating system of Vista. It is noted that Microsoft is not any manufacturer of hardware, but
it defiantly try to achieve the same through its partners by selling out the upgrades for
hardware, and mainly the system that ship through the Vista. Kannampallil, Schauer, Cohen
and Patel (2011) commented that, it’s a cynically or any conspiracy, but Microsoft is not even
able to win the friends and either create influence on people with its issues of installation.
Major reasons
The Window Vista failure happened due to specific reasons:
1. Microsoft creates massive promises related to how huge is Microsoft Vista would be
until it’s rolled out. The stunts of PR supported in building the expectations of customers that
were not fulfilled in the final product.

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2. Customer’s viewpoint about Windows Vista hostages- it is noted that new PCs came
along with the pre-installation of Windows Vista (Krigsman, 2010). It is noted that new PCs
as well as Windows Vista pre-installation. Customers feel that if they come under the control
and make the choices that can fulfill their requirements. Emphasizing the product due to the
throats of customers, that don’t support in creating customers happy.
3. Most of the leaders in a market that has rolled out the product previously after another,
customers look more satisfied with it, as it was able to roll out in fulfilling needs and
expectations of customers (Krigsman, 2010). Microsoft also comes up with its agenda and
then, later on, rolled the items that can fulfil one’s own needs, instead of the requirement of
customers.
Many people in Vista hold an experience of both the hardware and software problems
with Vista after its starting release, but it took no time before its launch. One person spoke
with others and before anyone could understand it, every person new about Vista and
mentioned it as troublesome (Krigsman, 2010). That’s why in long-term, Vista is referred as
a failure, as its resource hog (intensive as compared with predecessor), it was poorly
marketed, and people ignored its name. More or less, Microsoft had abandoned the Vista, and
currently, they are developing Microsoft Windows 7. It is noted that Window 7 is expected to
be compatible with Vista that leads to wonder if it is of any resource hog. As this point of
time, it is analysed that Windows 7 should be fantastic, in case Microsoft wants to keep going
its fan base. If Windows 7 was also failed like Vista, then the company will face significant
issues, by trying to sway the people towards purchasing their operating system (Krigsman,
2010).
Control systems

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Cost- it is analysed that Microsoft Vista was the despised stepchild of the company, which
was released past schedule, it was slow, clunky and disdained for a market that manufacturers
of PC started providing downgrades for Window XP, to attract the customers. The cost of
vista to Microsoft was also high (Krigsman, 2012). It implies that the company also missed
the surge of a smartphone, increase in tablets, and the most dangerous was that it also lost the
cloud computing. A considerable handover to the next operating system of Microsoft was
Windows 8; else Vista would have killed the organization.
Schedule- Schedule has the high efficiency over the project performance. This needs to have
the continual monitoring as well as time measurement, people, milestones and schedules of
equipment (Krigsman, 2012). Rightly done schedule control offers the hint that starting
planning might not be done as per the schedule. The MSFT cost includes the Vista schedule
details on top of the financial hit of getting charge for the upgrade.
Scope- As per Krigsman (2013), the scope of the project in its most core format is an
explanation of the results or either mission of specific product. It is noted that the outcomes
required to be measurable. Any scope of the project needs to have the researchers to be dub
as the statement of scope. In a different context, explaining what the end user will achieve
through the project, is the statement that emphasizes over the successful completion of
project goals and the report that is applied in the measuring and planning tools (Krigsman,
2013). Poor change management scope might lead towards the dispute that might need to
spend more time as well as money over the litigation and arbitration for what the clients
believe they are entitled to get. There exist no doubt to delay or either cost overrun of the
project. To attain the right control over the change of scope, it is significant first to explore
the evidence that change is inevitable in the project and is equally advantageous for the
complete success of the project (McManus and Harper-Wood, 2007). Therefore, the most
crucial thing is that it integrates the right plan of change management like that proactive

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approach can be adopted including the stakeholders of the project and incorporating what is
required in complete lifecycle of the project.
Quality- the collected data about the size of the system for Windows Vista is automated. It is
noted that Metrics, as well as other information, was gathered by the use of quality tools of
production level and there is a reason to believe that it includes huge measurement errors
(Metaxiotis, Zafeiropoulos, Nikolinakou and Psarras, 2005).
Project management provides the support to the company in minimizing the project
failure risk, effectively through prioritizing the initiatives of the program, optimize the
internal resources. It also tries to deliver the expectations of stakeholders and enhance the
return on investment. This all is done by integrating the project management discipline like
planning, resource, risk, expectations of stakeholders with bringing change, knowledge
management, and quality (Krigsman, 2013). Project management methodology is based on
PMBOK and Prince2 because its implementation can help in reviewing the documents, doing
documentation, as well as an assessment of the business process. Prince 2 methodology
application in Microsoft Vista might have supported in re-engineering the payroll operations
for enhancing the information integrity, efficiency of the process and it would have also
assisted in controlling the environment (Krigsman, 2013).
Analysis of cost and/or schedule overruns
In the project management, it is noted that project is referred as failure, when the
outcome doesn’t go as per the initial objective; similar reasons for the project failure is
overrun of budget and overrun of time. Analysing why the projects doesn’t get finished on
time or either within the budget can support in correcting the issues. For example, the current
study done by Sedera and Gable (2010) depicts that the right practices towards overrunning
the time is through implementing the fulfilling milestones. Understanding the failure is not

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usually intuitive; therefore, project managers should apply for the methods of system failure
to analyse the information system, in order to prevent the failure of projects. In most of the
cases, failure doesn’t happen to be negative; it might be a positive experience, in case the
procedure that is involved in failure is corrected and properly analysed (Sedera and Gable,
2010). Usually, one is not always right, as there is no option for learning.
Failure provides opportunity for learning through analysing the last mistakes, that’s
why it enhances the process of decision making. When one goes right, then only one
confirms about what is known before, and how the same can be done (Shaul and Tauber,
2013). A mistake is referred as an indicator of gap in own knowledge. It is noted that learning
is undertaken when mistakes are explored, its procedure is explored and corrected. The idea
to take benefit of failure and turning the adverse thing through understanding what has gone
wrong and then correcting the same in future is important (Tsai, Shaw, Fan, Liu, Lee and
Chen, 2011).
Despite of the Microsoft cheerleading towards the friendly parts of media technology,
customers were cheated. The Vista was very slow as well as buggy with its new interface,
which create confusion for users. The worse matter was that Microsoft obsessions with
various versions providing various features that later on created confusion in market. The
vista was languished; therefore, customers took a decision to stick with Windows XP or to
view it faster and designed the Apple computers, and the market share of Microsoft started to
erode slowly (Verville, Paanisamy, Bernadas and Halingten, 2007).
It is noted that till Windows 7 was released, Apple was clawed their position in
market. They even launched their iPhone and also caught shifting the personal computers
towards smartphones. Expectedly, it was the highest embarrassment for the Microsoft, as
launch of iPad was already done. The market was gagging for the right and best tablet

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computers from the year 1990 and the partners of Microsoft were failed in delivering it, like
Windows XP, Vista, as well as Windows 7, were not able to perform, and iOS of Apple on
the tablet come up as form factor. Its analysed that Microsoft entirely blow the decade that
would have lead them in tablet market, and this was undoubtedly happened due to the
misguided priorities and creepy features that drive to dogged the development of Vista
(Weeks and Wadsworth, 2013). This costed the complete company.
Analysis of the project execution team
The project post-execution phase includes the various potential factors, which might
result in the cost overrun and delay. As it’s the last stage of the project lifecycle, it is usually
ignored by companies, mainly in the environment of multi-project (Xu, Nord, Brown, and
Nord, 2002). Slow kind of closeout can be viewed through dragging the different activities of
handover course through unresolved challenges collected with client procurement, acceptance
and contracts, and in this way issues of change order can be resolved, final order of change is
not issued, wrong final account closeout, false project success documentation, learned
lessons, slow acceptance of client, failing in closing up the work order might permit the
unexpected delay as well as stray changes made in project (Capers, 2000). For example if the
project team failed in decommissioning on the set time after the completion of project work,
then there will be a tendency for initiating the right team, which might result into extra cost of
project due to overhead and the same might project cost overrun. Likewise, payment delay of
both suppliers and contractors after completing the project might result into the dispute as
well as delay in depicting the final project completion certificate (Capers, 1998). Cost
overrun and delay in slow closeout can be ignored when the closure phase of project is
implemented as per the set plan.

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1. Completion make sure that project get complete in full for avoiding the delay and
disputes in payment.
2. Documentation in detail will make sure that all the future changes are made with few and
extraordinary initiative.
3. Closure of project system includes the financial system closure, such as all work
termination and payments.
4. Project review support in transferring the time and cost tangible knowledge, know-why
and know-how.
5. Disband the members of project team and try to offer complement for achievements for
ignoring the overrun of cost due to additional inclusion of overhead (Capers, 2001).
6. Satisfaction of stakeholders offers all the required information by stakeholders for
avoiding the doubt and conflicts. This information might cover the timeline depicting the
project progress from starting till end, milestones that are missed, encountered issues and
brief financial presentation (Stephen, 2003).
Analysis of relationship between overruns and the stakeholders
A successful project examines the requirement of stakeholders by its product
lifecycle. In project planning, the very first step is to explore every expected stakeholder. If
it’s not done correctly, then there is a risk of delay in projects, and it might lead to its
cancellation (Radice, 2002). In exploring the stakeholders, it is essential to consider the
societal results of projects, in context of crucial aspects of the project and it might be a direct
financial and functional stakeholder’s opposition that expects to draw the advantages through
the project.

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It is noted that financial stakeholders like the material suppliers and unions might
apply the influence and production, to demand the financial advantages. It is said that
contractors can adversely impact the project by cost and time overruns (Wiegers, 2002).
When the delay happens through the particular group interest, it might enhance the project
cost through including the cost of legal proceedings. Political stakeholders can also apply to
ingratiate for voting the block as well as political donors (Yourdon, 1997).
The correct way to manage the negative stakeholder's influence on the project is done
through exploring the stakeholders; all the expected issues related with stakeholders groups
and then taking the steps towards settling the problems before the project planning
(Francoise, Bourgault and Pellin, 2009). This includes exploring the strength of every
stakeholder influence and project planning around the stakeholder group needs, achieving the
buy-in and active assistance for the project before it gets started or get announced.
Analysis of possible actions for success
It might be inferred that there are around three variables like schedule control, right
planning as well as clear responsibility, as these three affect the project performance. These
three variable hold significance ineffective and successful project management (Haug,
Arlbjorn and Pedersen, 2009).
Right planning- Right planning needs the best forward-looking plan that covers the detailed
plan related to the stages of process implementation, falls back positions, task timelines as
well as pre-planning. It has been noticed that initial idea is not enough for any project (Eden,
Sedera, and Tan, 2012). Most of the time, projects might take wrong turns, or either starting
solutions might prove to be unexplored. It is noted that project manager, who failed in
preparing the re-plan or the one who has not considered or either planned for the fall back
setup, at the time of initial failed plan, will most likely to explore that stalls of the first project