When organisations think about failed technology projects, they often blame the software vendor.

From my experience, though, it is rarely the technology that is to blame.

More than twenty years ago, I worked on my first major IT project for a government department. Two years later, we went live on time and on budget. By the usual measures, it looked like a successful project.

But to meet that schedule, major compromises were made during data migration. After go-live, staff still had to refer to the old system for years because they could not fully trust the data in the new one.

So, was it really a successful project?

Not if staff productivity and satisfaction were part of the success criteria.

That is one of the practical examples I will be sharing at the Associations Forum webinar on Wednesday, 14 October 2026:

Why Good IT Projects Fail Before They Even Begin: How Leadership Decisions Cause It

I have seen organisations spend significant amounts of money on systems that never delivered the expected value. Seldom was it because the technology couldn’t meet the requirements.

In this session, I will show association leaders how to set up technology projects for success and spot the early warning signs before a project becomes expensive, frustrating or politically difficult to fix.

If a major system decision, procurement or implementation is on your horizon, this session will help you ask better questions before people, money and goodwill are put at risk.

Free for Associations Forum members. Register here: Why Good IT Projects Fail Before They Even Begin.

Tammy Ven Dange is a former association president, charity CEO and IT executive who now helps associations and other Not for Profits make smarter technology decisions through her practice, Roundbox Consulting.