Dennis Kennedy

The sad secret of many technology projects in law firms is that they have become time and money sinkholes. As hard as getting tech projects started may seem to technology-starved lawyers in many firms, it is even harder to get the plug pulled on bad tech projects that have no likelihood of success.

I commented on this phenomenon in my article "Seven Easy Ways for Law Firms to Throw Away Money on Technology." Heck, I'd be happy to help you get rid of those projects - just the thought of them bugs me and I'm not even the one paying for them.

In an article called "How to Kill an IT Project," ComputerWorld reports:

"Close to 40% of IT projects fail or are abandoned before completion, resulting in annual financial losses of more than $100 billion in the U.S. alone, according to the Center for Project Management. The center has developed a process called ProjectHALT to help identify and cancel doomed projects early."

There's a nice flow chart to help you evaluate your projects and make appropriate decisions. Sit down with your IT director, use this flow chart and add a pinch or two of courage and save some real dollars.