To reach an outcome, we must follow a process. Many factors influence quality, but if we fail at the process, we fail the outcome. There are no exceptions.
Consider baking a cake. If the desired outcome is a cake, we must follow a recipe—that is the process. The quality of the cake depends on the recipe, ingredients, oven, presentation, and how closely we follow the steps. But if we ignore the process, the result will be poor. Guaranteed.
It is therefore shocking to see millions of dollars wasted on IT projects that deliver terrible outcomes and unacceptable quality. The cause is rarely technical complexity. It is almost always the absence of basic project management discipline.
When challenged, the explanation is familiar: we are not a big organisation. This is not a justification. Being small or busy does not excuse half-baked projects, clumsy solutions, or wasted capital.
Failure is not created by sophisticated problems. It is created by skipping simple steps—by refusing to work within a project management framework and by not seeking help when it is needed.
Doing random things and calling it a project is not innovation. It is negligence. And it is a disservice to the organisation, the team, and the profession itself.
