External Factors
This can be a multitude of different events or situations that cause problems with a project while being out of the team's control. For example, natural disasters are a big potential issue for projects running in locations that are particularly susceptible to them. If a hurricane were to hit the location of an ongoing project in central America, then the best case scenario is simply a delay in the project deadline. However, the consequences can be worse and result in much of the project being destroyed. The negative effects can potentially be minimised by evacuating the staff and transporting the equipment away as soon as possible, or development should be scheduled for another time if dangerous storms are forecast.

Lack of Leadership
This can result in disruption to the project at every single stage during the life cycle. A lack of leadership during the specification stage could mean that the client's requirements aren't properly noted down, and therefore the specifications (such as budget and deadline) are incorrect, which can be catastrophic for some projects. Alternatively, a lack of leadership during the implementation stage can result in the incorrect documentation being produced. It is important that user and technical guides are made exactly as required, otherwise the end user won't understand how to use to product and risk breaking it. Without proper leadership, a project team could lose track of the task at hand and develop documentation that doesn't meet the team leader's or the client's standards.

Communication
In a similar way to a lack of leadership, communication issues can be devastating to a project in every stage of the life cycle. If communication breaks down during the plan and design stage, then the team will create an incorrect storyboard for the project. If every member of staff is not working together, then the different stages may be planned out incorrectly. This could mean necessary equipment isn't available at the correct time, or two staff members could be allocated to the same task (leaving another task unfinished). Furthermore, the storyboard gets referred to at later stages in the project as well to make sure everything is being done to plan. If the order of everything on this storyboard wasn't communicated to the entire team, then costly procedures such as renting function rooms might be done twice (burning through the project budget unnecessarily).

Legal Issues
This can be a very costly issue to a project, no matter the budget. Legal issues can arise under many different circumstances for many different reasons. For example, a company developing a similar product could attempt to sue the project team for stealing their ideas or patents. Whether the project team is guilty or not, the legal procedure is extremely costly and time-consuming, not to mention the damaged reputation for future projects which may drive clients away. Alternatively, a team member could become injured while working on the project and sue the team for financial compensation. If the team member has a valid case then this can substantially reduce the remaining funds for the project. Legal fees are one of the primary reasons that any project should have a contingency fund.

Conflict


Deadlines
In some cases, a project may have been delayed for various reasons and the end result is the project deadline not being met. The issues previously talked about can be a catalyst for the deadlines not being met, with the end result being that the client is disappointed in the team's effort in development (which damages the company's future reputation). The client may agree to extend the deadline for a while in order to get the project completed, but this causes stress for everyone involved. An extension to the deadline usually means that everyone now works slightly faster, sometimes rushing through tasks to meet this extended deadline. Rushing through the project life cycle could mean that the final result is far below the client's requirements, even after the timeframe extension.

Poor Testing


Product Quality