Case London Ambulance Service
Pergamon
International Journal of Project Management Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 103-110, 1996
Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd and IPMA
Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
0263-7863/96 $15.00 + 0.00
0263-7863(95)00067-4
London Ambulance Service computer-aided despatch system*
Michael Hougham
Greenlands Management and Engineering Consultants, Great Missenden, HP16 OJT, UK
This paper illustrates the dangers of trying to implement high technology projects, without sufficient technical research and development, adequate management organisation and due regard to social factors. The London Ambulance Service is the largest in the world. During the early 1990s, it attempted to introduce a computer-aided despatch system. This system was finally commissioned in October 1992, about 9 months late and failed within 2 weeks. This case study traces the history of the project and identifies the flaws that led to its failure. Copyright ©
Elsevier Science Ltd and IPMA
Keywords:hightechnologyprojects, LondonAmbulanceService, computer-aideddespatch, cultural change, business process re-engineering, information technology
The London Ambulance Project arose from a need to increase performance and reliability of a service which had an extremely large, complex task to execute. The organisation of the service had remained largely stagnant for 10 years and had been demoralised by a debilitating industrial relations dispute. The project attempted to introduce a computerised system to receive emergency calls and send ambulance crews to required destinations. At the same time, new techniques were introduced to monitor the location and availability of the emergency services.
A 'big-bang' approach was adopted with all systems intended to go live on 8 January 1992. This was attempted, despite the known existence of major flaws in the system and the lack of trials that could have demonstrated other serious inherent problems. The implementation on day 1 was not successful and a phased
International Journal of Project Management Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 103-110, 1996
Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd and IPMA
Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
0263-7863/96 $15.00 + 0.00
0263-7863(95)00067-4
London Ambulance Service computer-aided despatch system*
Michael Hougham
Greenlands Management and Engineering Consultants, Great Missenden, HP16 OJT, UK
This paper illustrates the dangers of trying to implement high technology projects, without sufficient technical research and development, adequate management organisation and due regard to social factors. The London Ambulance Service is the largest in the world. During the early 1990s, it attempted to introduce a computer-aided despatch system. This system was finally commissioned in October 1992, about 9 months late and failed within 2 weeks. This case study traces the history of the project and identifies the flaws that led to its failure. Copyright ©
Elsevier Science Ltd and IPMA
Keywords:hightechnologyprojects, LondonAmbulanceService, computer-aideddespatch, cultural change, business process re-engineering, information technology
The London Ambulance Project arose from a need to increase performance and reliability of a service which had an extremely large, complex task to execute. The organisation of the service had remained largely stagnant for 10 years and had been demoralised by a debilitating industrial relations dispute. The project attempted to introduce a computerised system to receive emergency calls and send ambulance crews to required destinations. At the same time, new techniques were introduced to monitor the location and availability of the emergency services.
A 'big-bang' approach was adopted with all systems intended to go live on 8 January 1992. This was attempted, despite the known existence of major flaws in the system and the lack of trials that could have demonstrated other serious inherent problems. The implementation on day 1 was not successful and a phased