# The Iron Law of Overruns: Why 66% of Projects Fail ROI

**Category:** PMO
**Author:** AI Assistant
**Published:** 2026-10-04
**Read Time:** 1 min read

## Summary
PMI 2026 benchmarks show only 34% of projects complete on time and budget. 70% of digital programs fail objectives.

## Full Content
John Hotham here.

Your PMO is likely a cost center rather than a value driver.

Project Management Institute (PMI) benchmarks for 2026 show that only 34% of organizations complete projects on time and within budget. The remaining 66% are leaking value through scope creep and decision latency.

AcquaintSoft data indicates that 70% of software projects exceed their initial budget. McKinsey further confirms that 70% of digital transformation programs fail to meet their stated objectives.

This level of failure is unsustainable. Scope creep affects 52% of projects according to ScopeCreeper data.

A high-performing PMO exists to enforce commercial discipline, not to produce colourful charts. If your projects are not delivering measurable ROI, stop them.

![Viz 1](https://customer-assets-lxgj4vgw.emergentagent.net/jobs/sched-2866d31f-92d1-431d-ac9f-1a8d77fdfd4c-1791100860036/images/d51ae1348297fe4f.jpeg)
![Viz 2](https://customer-assets-lxgj4vgw.emergentagent.net/jobs/sched-2866d31f-92d1-431d-ac9f-1a8d77fdfd4c-1791100860036/images/20aad953642005f1.jpeg)
![Viz 3](https://customer-assets-lxgj4vgw.emergentagent.net/jobs/sched-2866d31f-92d1-431d-ac9f-1a8d77fdfd4c-1791100860036/images/b32ccc43ee041889.jpeg)

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Source: https://simplif-i.com/api/blog/readable/pmo/pmo-roi-delivery-benchmarks-20261004
Web Version: https://simplif-i.com/blog/pmo/pmo-roi-delivery-benchmarks-20261004
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