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Exmoor Software

Decision calculators

IT project risk calculator — where this project is most likely to go wrong

Projects rarely overrun because of technology. They overrun because the scope was never settled, the decision maker had no time, and the deadline came from a board slide rather than an estimate. This assessment asks about twelve factors that actually decide the outcome - and says plainly which one is your biggest problem.

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Rate twelve factors. The score updates as you go.

  1. 1. How clearly is the project scope defined?
  2. 2. Is there a single decision maker on your side?
  3. 3. Where did the deadline come from?
  4. 4. What state is the data going into the system in?
  5. 5. How many external systems and vendors must cooperate?
  6. 6. Has the team built something similar before?
  7. 7. Are the future users involved?
  8. 8. Does the budget have a reserve for changes?
  9. 9. Does the project replace an existing system?
  10. 10. How much time will your team realistically give the project?
  11. 11. Are the terms of engagement agreed in writing?
  12. 12. Is the technology mandated from above?

Low risk

The foundations are in place. Keep an eye on scope and decision maker availability and the project should run predictably.

Risk level

Risk level

0%

A weighted score. An unclear scope and no single decision maker weigh the most, because they derail projects most often.

Answered

0 / 12

Biggest risks

Answer every question to see the full risk list.

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We do technical consulting and pre-start audits (from PLN 3,000). Get a ballpark instantly in our quote calculator and a reply from a human within 24 hours.

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How it works

  1. 01

    Rate twelve factors

    Scope clarity, decision maker availability, team experience, external dependencies, deadline rigidity, data quality and several others.

  2. 02

    See the weighted risk score

    Factors carry different weights. An unclear scope and an unavailable decision maker weigh many times more than the choice of technology.

  3. 03

    Get a list of your biggest risks

    Ordered by impact, each with a concrete suggestion for what to change before starting. The list can be copied and shared with your team.

Assumptions and limits

  • This is a qualitative assessment, not a statistical forecast. We do not give a percentage probability of overrun, because such a number would look precise without any basis for it. Instead we show a risk level and what drives it.
  • The factor weights reflect what we see in projects: the most common causes of overruns are organisational, not technical. That is our observation from practice, not the result of a study.
  • A high risk score does not mean you should not do the project. It means two or three things are worth changing before starting - usually narrowing the scope of the first version and naming a single decision maker.
  • The cheapest moment for this assessment is before signing a contract. The second cheapest is now.
  • All answers stay in your browser - nothing is sent or stored.

Frequently asked questions

Why no percentage probability of overrun? +

Because we would have nothing to base such a number on, and it would look precise. An honest forecast would require data from hundreds of comparable projects. Rather than fake precision, we show a risk level and point at concrete factors you can change.

Which factor derails projects most often? +

From our practice: the absence of a single decision maker on the client side. A project where scope is decided by committee stalls at every disagreement, and each stall costs more than most technical changes.

The score came out high - what now? +

Take the two highest-scoring risks from the list and address them before starting rather than during. Usually it is enough to narrow the scope of the first version and agree who makes decisions within a week rather than a month.

Will you help assess a specific project? +

Yes, technical consulting and a pre-start audit are among our services - an audit starts from PLN 3,000. You get a ballpark instantly in our quote calculator and a reply from a human within 24 hours.

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