IntroductionThis thesis developed and evolved from a single question: “Why do IT projects fail”? As part of the Maersk Line IT Business Intelligence program, I experienced a first On the other hand, even with management support, significant investments and highly competent employees, delivering large-scale IT projects scale remains a challenge. Hitachi Consulting Vice President Damian Smith notes that in reviewing the last two decades of research on the subject, it appears that IT project failure is the norm rather than the exception. Most studies on IT project failure conclude that 65 to 80 percent of projects fail. Failure defined as projects that go over budget, miss deadlines, or require a hardware overhaul after launch. (Smith, 2008). The most recent Chaos Manifesto published by the Standish Group supports the conclusion drawn by Smith. the industry. The question posed at the beginning of the document is placed in context and plausible explanations are collected from key players in the program. Additionally, MLBI practices are compared to the predominant literature and industry practices in the field. Defining an IT Project The first challenge encountered when attempting to study the above question is defining what an IT project actually is. As John Smyrk points out, the term “IT project” is a well-established concept in business language, but its meaning varies considerably. Smyrk derives three distinct meanings from the term IT project. (Smyrk, 2007)1. A project with at least one information system or technology among its results2. A project carried out within an IT functional unit.3. Any project in which ...... middle of paper ...... but in order not to complicate matters, the team representing professional clients will be called BICC. The team on the IT side is currently known as the Business Intelligence and Master Data Management (BIMDM) team. The main motivation behind the business case for the BI program was the desire to ensure and improve access to data, enable manipulation and analysis across Mearsk Line. Additionally, the BI program aimed to create “a single source of truth.” This wish was a clear response to the complex and cumbersome IT landscape that Maersk Line had built over the years. Managers spent a lot of time discussing supposed facts because different sources provided different versions of the truth. Below is the vision for the BI program as presented in the business case. INSERT VISIONHistory of bi in MLInsert timeline