computerwoche.de

Archiv

Watchdog agency report shows beleaguered state of US military software projects

02.04.2012
Public-sector ERP (enterprise resource planning) software projects historically have experienced some of the industry's most dramatic cost overruns and delays, a fact that a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office brings into sharp relief.

The , issued March 30, provides updates on the status of ongoing ERP projects by the U.S. Department of Defense and is a follow-up to an October 2010 GAO report on military ERP systems. DoD officials provided updates for the new report, describing the systems' state as of Dec. 31, according to the GAO. The information wasn't independently validated by GAO officials.

Many of the projects are years behind schedule and significantly over budget, including one that is expected to rack up nearly 10 times its initial cost, according to the report.

That effort, the Marine Corps' Global Combat Support System, "is intended to provide the deployed warfighter with enhanced capabilities in the areas of warehousing, distribution, logistical planning, depot maintenance and improved asset visibility," according to the GAO's report.

It was started in September 2003 with a planned "full deployment" date of November 2009, but now there is no such date scheduled, the report states.

GCSS originally had a cost estimate of US$126 million, but that has ballooned to $1.1 billion, according to the report.