While project failure is nothing new, some projects fail so spectacularly they deserve to have an infographic produced in their (dis)honor. This infographic showcases some of the most disastrous project management failures in recorded history.

1. An estimated 70 percent of projects fail today. But project failure goes back way back, as far as humanity itself.
Some project management fails, however, rise above the multitude to secure a place of special infamy in the
annals of work. Behold, project management failure at its worst...
Fall of rome
400 AD | Mediterranean europe & Asia
When growth outpaced
communication, the once
unbeatable empire broke into
two empires: the Greek in the
East and the Latin in the West.
Result: silos popped up and
goals diverged.
Through ignorance or arrogance, colonists set
up their fort on a peninsula where drinking
water was nonexistent and malaria-bearing
mosquitoes were plentiful. All attempts at
farming failed.
DENVER’S BAGGAGE BREAKDOWN
1990s AD | DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
What was touted to be the world’s most
advanced baggage-handling system shut
down this major airport for 16 months. In
the end, most baggage had to be handled
by a manual tug and trolley system.
TROUBLE IN WATERWORLD
1995 AD | PACIFIC OCEAN
The global warming epic’s production
was supposed to be 96 days at $100
million. Several script rewrites, one
tropical storm, and one AWOL director
later, the shoot grew to 150 days and
$235 million total.
ENDLESS VISTA
2007 AD | REDMOND, WASHINGTON
Millions were spent to make sure
people knew Windows Vista would be
the greatest thing ever. But constant
changes delayed its release and Vista
fell short of inflated expectations-
slower, less safe, and less popular
than its predecessor.
OVERSPENDING IN SOCHI
2014 AD | SOCHI, RUSSIA
Malfunctioning rings. Hotels missing floors.
The worst case of pink eye ever. Runaway
deadlines and nonexistent transparency took
the 2014 Olympic Games from a $12-million
original budget to a final $51 billion.
Sources:
“Fall of Rome: Why Did Rome Fall?,”N.S.Gill,About.com.
“The Settlement of Jamestown Colony,”Alexandra Lutz,Education Portal.
“The top reasons why Windows Vista failed,”Jason Hiner,ZDNet,2008.
“Denver Airport Baggage System Case Study,”Calleam Consulting,2008.
“‘Waterworld’Disappointment As Box Office Receipts Lag,”Bernard Weinraub,New York Times,1995.
“Did the Winter Olympics in Sochi really cost $51 billion?,”Paul Farhi,Washington Post,2014.
DEATH AT JAMESTOWN
1697 AD | COLONY OF VIRGINIA
ENDLESS VISTA
2007 AD | REDMOND, WASHINGTON
COST
• TRADE ADVANTAGES
• MILITARY STRENGTH
• POLITICAL MIGHT
It could’ve been
different if they
had:
Focused on increasing
the quality & frequency
of their communication.
Regularly aligned their
priorities around
shared goals.
•
•
COST
• 69 HUMAN LIVES
• ONLY 34% SURVIVED
• SMALL FORTUNE FROM THE
VENTURE’S PRIVATE INVESTORS
It could’ve been
different if they had:
Spent more time gathering the
requirements of settling
America’s East Coast.
Selected their team members
with these requirements in mind
(i.e. hiring frontiersmen instead
of gentlemen and soldiers).
•
•
COST
$570,000,000+
Reduced the requirements of the
project during the planning phase.
Performed a realistic ROI analysis
during the planning phase.
Resisted changing requirements
midway through the project.
It could’ve been
different if they had:
•
•
•
COST
It could’ve been
different if they had:
$135,000,000
OVER BUDGET
Secured a finished script prior to
the start of filming.
Collaborated with experts on the
effects weather might have on
their filming schedules.
Closely tracked the status of
each piece to keep them from
exceeding deadlines.
•
•
•
COST
• $500 MILLION IN MARKETING
• BILLIONS IN LOST SALES
It could’ve been
different if they had:
Settled for a manageable
set of requirements, then
planned post-release
iterations to add the bells
and whistles.
Under-promised in their
marketing and then over-
delivered at release.
•
•
COST
•
It could’ve been
different if they had:
$51,000,000,000
Based project completion
deadlines on data.
Invested in real-time reports on
specific tasks and projects,
including progress, statuses, and
approvals.
Increased visibility into the cost
of each task, with alerts when
they were over-budget
•
•
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