Versatility and flexibility

Of course, taking a wide range of different requirements into account necessitates not only intense user involvement, but also an ability to respond to changes. None of these projects would have succeeded if those in charge had adopted a rigid approach, refusing to adjust the specifications as the project progressed. The congestion charging scheme was just too high profile for there not to be considerable political and media pressure influencing the form the final scheme would take. Bringing together so many systems and types of technology meant that mistakes were inevitable; lessons had to be learned. The Home Office concludes: ‘Planning is essential to reducing risks and increasing the chances of success, but planning only takes you so far. After that, success is dependent on a flexible and cooperative approach which enables changes in scope and timescales to be accommodated and overcome.'

At Wimbledon, there was an issue with the number and varieties of use to which the match data could be put (players needed different information to commentators; online viewers wanted other information again). This was solved by having a single, central database from which a wide range of ‘feeds' could be drawn.