If I had a dollar for every time a potential client told me how easy web development is, or asked me to estimate the re-development of a Facebook-like website after a ten minute phone call I could travel around the world for a couple months. It it was easy to estimate and develop web applications (or any IT project for that matter) over 60% of projects wouldn't fail.
The CHAOS Report is a study based on The Standish Group’s CHAOS Research Project on IT project success rates and project management best practices. The study is often cited as the de facto authority on success rates of IT projects. It was started in 1994 and reported that only a startling low 16.2% of IT projects are successful. Successful projects are defined as meeting all the requirements of the project management iron triangle; on time, on budget and on scope. The CHAOS reports classifies projects into:
