R2OK!

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

The BBC's "digital initiative"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8296313/BBCs-130m-digital-initiative-not-good-value-for-money-says-NAO.html

Excellent idea to do away with tape, everyone else seems to have done it as easily as buying breakfast cereal, but between them the Beeb and Siemens seem to have made a huge porridge. Even when it's finished it won't be saving us money.

The NHS, ATC, MoD, BBC - why is it so hard for them to obtain systems fit for the 21st century at reasonable cost? Or were they really penny-pinching, and that's the reason they have all been c*ck-ups?[/i]
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Ron

Ian Robinson · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:15 pm Post subject:

Private Eye have been covering this for years, and it basically seems that Siemens were unable to do what the BBC wanted or expected but, rather than kick 'em up the arse, the BBC just kept digging away with them.

Rachel · Guest

The problem is, Ron, that big organisations like the ones you mention are staffed with people who have “no clue” about the commercial world or how anything really works. They enter into arrangements with commercial companies to supply this or that believing what the salesman told them. I’ve been there when I was at the MoD. Often they are sold products in development – especially with IT stuff – so the actual product is a moving target – and technology is moving so fast that the thing you initially wanted and ordered is obsolete before the project is complete- so the nice salesman comes back to sell you an upgrade to your new system that isn’t actually rolled out yet across your department or whatever. Then when the thing is finally up and running, you’ve had all your staff trained to use it, you then discover that it doesn’t actually do exactly what you asked for, similar, but annoyingly just not quite what you wanted- the nice salesman comes back to sell you a bespoke bolt-on , in the meantime you carry on using your old system- cos it works and the new system in tandem because when it eventually does do what you want it to, it needs all the data from the old system. You have to employ extra staff to run the new efficient system because the old system is just hanging together and needs careful stroking by the last few staff you have who know how to use it. All of this takes loads of time and money. However: you.. or me as it was gets whopping big pay rises for your excellent management, productivity and initiative in dealing with these nasty outsiders.

ColinB · Guest

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

The BBC always value for money. Also very wasteful with it.

ColinB · Guest

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Thank you for the insight, Rach and Colin.

It seems that the usual economies of scale apply in reverse.
You make technology and electronics sound so easy, and most people can buy and set up quite sophisticated computers and androids (they're no longer just mobile phones are they?) with the same alacrity that they buy cornflakes, so it's little wonder that we, and newspaper journalists who can't be bothered to research and explain the background, assume gross incompetance all round when some bean counter publishes figures like that.
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Ron

MadeinSurrey · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:52 am Post subject:

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19334 Location: Cheshire