5 ways to tell if your technology project is off track and how to fix it

In our previous post we covered advice on how to oversee technology projects. In this post we will help you tell when thing have gone awry and how get things back on track.
Before we begin, some caveats ;Technology projects are complex,Software development projects are more akin to creating functional art than building a road or a house, unexpected issues can occur. However, this does not mean good project practices can't be applied. Lets get started!

1. vendor cannot commit to dates and / DELIVERABLEs

The first sign of trouble is vendor that cannot commit to a date for completing a known piece of work.  By "known" I'm referring to something that is well described and has a clear outcome to it; a piece of functionality or completing the install of a server into a rack.  This highlights the other part of our heading here, they can't define their deliverables, what it is that they are creating.  Again if your project team and / or vendor can't do that then everyone is going to have trouble.
So what is the underlying issue to this symptom?  Well, there could be several places things are going wrong, for example:
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2. Senior heads start "making noise"

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3. The need to spin the message  to leadership and the internal organisation

In most projects there is a need to simply things and explain them in less complex terms, this isn't the same as spinning things.

4. Complaints from external parties involved in the project

5. ​Missed milestones