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> But it's important to understand what constitutes failure. A system initially targeted for implementation on January 1 might not get into testing until 2-3 months later and might not go into production until late spring.

Yes. The most successful system I ever worked on- that had the most positive impact on the company and was recognized that way - went operational two years behind schedule.

Failure is subjective.
A cynical definition, but perhaps the most useful, is that a project is a failure if the person who signs the checks says it's a failure, and vice versa.