The main reason many major IT projects fail is a lack of staff with the right skills, according to research by management consultancy Adventus. In a survey of a hundred senior managers of bluechip companies, it found that IT projects generally deliver only 59% of the benefits expected.

Most of the managers say this shortfall is not because they have overestimated the benefits of any particular technology, but because staff do not have the right skills. Most (81%) say this is a common cause of project failure, and 63% say problems arise because project teams are too small. Only 39% say the problems lie in over-estimating the benefits.

The average project team in bluechip companies relies heavily on internal staff. Only 14% are external consultants, and only 11% are contract staff.