Common symptoms
Projects rarely fail overnight. They show symptoms first.
These are the statements we hear most often, usually months before a date formally moves. Individually they are irritations. Together they are a pattern.
“UAT is finding far more defects than expected.”
Late discovery is rarely a UAT problem. It is evidence that earlier testing did not do its job.
“The go-live date keeps moving.”
A date that moves in small increments is usually hiding a much larger gap.
“Everyone says the project is green, but nobody believes it.”
When reported status and lived experience diverge, reporting is the first thing to audit.
“Testing keeps getting squeezed.”
Testing absorbs upstream delay because it is the last activity before a fixed date.
“We don't know whether we're actually ready to release.”
Release readiness should be an evidenced position, not a judgement call in a steering meeting.
“The vendor says everything is fine.”
Self-reported quality is not assurance. Ask for the evidence, not the summary.
“The defect backlog keeps growing.”
A growing backlog isn't the problem. It's evidence of a problem further upstream.
“The project feels out of control.”
That instinct is usually correct, and usually earlier than the reporting admits.
Recognise the symptoms? Check your project.
Ten minutes of honest answers will tell you more than another status meeting.
Check Your Project HealthNot sure which symptom matters most?
The health check weights what you tell us and ranks the areas creating the most delivery risk.