What Went Wrong...
Examining the missteps of various software products across industries reveals common pitfalls that can derail even the most promising innovations. From inadequate market research and poor user experience design to insufficient testing and failure to adapt to technological advancements, these challenges underscore the importance of thorough planning and execution. The following section outlines specific cases, offering insights into how these factors contributed to their downfall and the lessons that can be gleaned to inform future endeavors.
Available Lessons:
200
Phoenix Payroll System
GovTech
Canadian Government
A payroll system for federal employees caused widespread underpayments, overpayments, and technical errors.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Inadequate testing before deployment
Poor alignment with legacy systems
SIGNALS MISSED
Reports from pilot users about payroll discrepancies
Concerns from unions about incomplete testing
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Conducting rigorous testing across all user scenarios
Gradual rollout with fallback options for legacy systems
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Engineering, QA, Operations, Customer Success
Universal Credit IT System
GovTech
UK Government
A welfare benefits system intended to simplify payments faced delays and budget overruns due to technical complexity and poor planning.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Overly ambitious scope with unclear requirements
Inadequate vendor management
SIGNALS MISSED
Early concerns from developers about unrealistic timelines
Poor coordination among contractors
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Breaking the project into smaller, manageable phases
Improving stakeholder alignment and communication
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Engineering, Operations, Project Management, CEO
Orion Platform
CyberTech
SolarWinds
A supply chain attack exploited SolarWinds’ Orion Platform, impacting government agencies and enterprises worldwide.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Weak supply chain security practices
Poor monitoring for unauthorized system changes
SIGNALS MISSED
Warnings from cybersecurity researchers about supply chain vulnerabilities
Unusual activity flagged during system updates
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Securing the software supply chain with code-signing and monitoring
Implementing zero-trust principles for updates
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Security, Operations, CEO
My Health Record
GovTech
Australian Government
A national electronic health records system faced public backlash due to privacy concerns and low opt-in rates.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Poor communication about data security
Insufficient stakeholder engagement with the public
SIGNALS MISSED
Public skepticism during early consultation phases
Concerns from advocacy groups about privacy
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Addressing privacy concerns proactively through education
Engaging stakeholders early to build trust
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Security, Marketing, Operations
Healthcare.gov
GovTech
U.S. Federal Government
The initial launch of the federal health insurance marketplace was plagued by crashes, poor usability, and scalability issues.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Poor coordination between multiple contractors
Insufficient load testing before launch
SIGNALS MISSED
Missed project deadlines during development
Warnings from testers about potential scalability issues
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Centralizing project management and oversight
Conducting phased rollouts with comprehensive load testing
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Engineering, QA, Operations, Project Management
Norton Password Manager (2017)
CyberTech
NortonLifeLock
A vulnerability in the password manager exposed user credentials due to poor encryption practices.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Weak encryption standards for stored passwords
Insufficient security testing before updates
SIGNALS MISSED
Reports from security researchers about potential vulnerabilities
Negative feedback from users about security concerns
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Adopting industry-standard encryption practices
Conducting third-party security audits
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Security, QA, Customer Success