For those interested in this story, here is some new information regarding the audit:
https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/implementing-a-new-infringements-management-system I found the following quote from the article particularly interesting: *"DJCS expected VIEW to deliver 90 per cent of its required functionality at the go-live date. However, following its launch, it became apparent that the vendor had delivered substantially less functionality than DJCS expected, which DJCS later estimated to be 5 per cent on go live."* Crazy stuff. On Sat, Nov 23, 2019 at 10:20 AM DotNet Dude <adotnetd...@gmail.com> wrote: > Very interested to see how this ends up. My sources tell me managers and > testers are jumping off sinking ship. > > On Sat, 23 Nov 2019 at 09:44, mike smith <meski...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Reposted, cos it bounced ;) >> >> Mike >> >> On Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 13:23 mike smith <meski...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Another article >>> >>> >>> https://www.itnews.com.au/news/fines-victorias-it-woes-force-21m-write-down-534151 >>> >> >>> On Wed, Nov 13, 2019, 22:44 Ken Schaefer <k...@adopenstatic.com> wrote: >>> >>>> This works for building a bridge, when you have “firm foundations” on >>>> which to build upon aka what are the immovable requirements and >>>> constraints. Many infrastructure projects run into the same problems as IT >>>> projects - overruns due to changing requirements, or a lack of due >>>> diligence re requirements. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> At the same time, analysis has its own costs – the cost of employing >>>> people to keep examining details, and the opportunity cost of forgone >>>> benefits deferred. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> What I see a lot of in these messages is casting blame onto other >>>> people (e.g. PMs in this case). Most PMs work within broader enterprise >>>> constraints (like confidence around cost/time/effort, in order to get >>>> funding approved). SMEs need to play their part in ensuring that the right >>>> level of information goes to PMs, in the broader context of “getting stuff >>>> done” >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Regards >>>> >>>> Ken >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com <ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com> *On >>>> Behalf Of *g...@greglow.com >>>> *Sent:* Monday, 28 October 2019 9:20 AM >>>> *To:* 'ozDotNet' <ozdotnet@ozdotnet.com> >>>> *Subject:* RE: [OT] Fines Victoria crisis deepens >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I think one of the biggest issues is that so many project managers >>>> still think you can plan IT projects like you plan building a bridge. The >>>> difference with a bridge is that you can specify what’s needed, and it’s >>>> unlikely to change before you finish building the bridge. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Unfortunately though, that’s also how the people funding it look at it. >>>> They want to know what it will cost before they start. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Somehow, we have to get project planning to match reality. At present, >>>> when there are variations from the plan, that’s seen as a problem, and seen >>>> as unexpected. But the reality is that it’s totally expected. The problem >>>> was the idea that bridge-style planning is appropriate. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Greg >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Dr Greg Low >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1300SQLSQL (1300 775 775) office | +61 419201410 mobile│ +61 3 8676 >>>> 4913 fax >>>> >>>> SQL Down Under | Web: www.sqldownunder.com >>>> <https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqldownunder.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Csspahelp%40microsoft.com%7C1f0ea4d6b97e4d897f3708d666d1e890%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C636809449091516274&sdata=SLHeEGAMmWUY5YIwcC4oAPYr%2F9RIZdi4MNASsdzwX2I%3D&reserved=0> >>>> |http://greglow.me >>>> <https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgreglow.me%2F&data=02%7C01%7Csspahelp%40microsoft.com%7C1f0ea4d6b97e4d897f3708d666d1e890%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C636809449091526278&sdata=IU8tnAITCjBxWafi3A9XpO9lF3PIwZJ8ad3t36lnxvs%3D&reserved=0> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com <ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com> *On >>>> Behalf Of *Ken Schaefer >>>> *Sent:* Sunday, 27 October 2019 9:38 PM >>>> *To:* ozDotNet <ozdotnet@ozdotnet.com> >>>> *Subject:* RE: [OT] Fines Victoria crisis deepens >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Depends on how your measure success. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> By the typical bottom-line, most projects aren’t “successes”. However, >>>> lots of organisations have: >>>> >>>> 1. Arbitrary limits on how much contingency can be included – which >>>> then doesn’t reflect the true level of uncertainty in the project >>>> 2. Requirements change >>>> 3. Vendors, systems integrators etc. go bust, change direction or >>>> what-have-you >>>> 4. Your project competes with everyone else’s for scarce capital, >>>> so everyone has an incentive to downplay cost, and upsell benefits >>>> 5. Technological cost estimates can be done relatively accurately, >>>> but large-scale projects include significant organisational change >>>> which is >>>> much harder to estimate/cost up-front. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> By my guess, about 15-20% of large IT projects ($50-100m+) are >>>> successful. Maybe 20-30% are real failures. Everything else is in a bit of >>>> a grey area where they are failures based on initial cost/time/features >>>> criteria, but might have been successful if business cases were allowed to >>>> be more realistic. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Ken >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com <ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com> *On >>>> Behalf Of *g...@greglow.com >>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, 23 October 2019 2:25 PM >>>> *To:* 'ozDotNet' <ozdotnet@ozdotnet.com> >>>> *Subject:* RE: [OT] Fines Victoria crisis deepens >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Not sure about that. I endlessly hear that the success ratio for large >>>> IT projects is around 30%, not up around 70 or 80%. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> It’s quite appalling really. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Greg >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Dr Greg Low >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1300SQLSQL (1300 775 775) office | +61 419201410 mobile│ +61 3 8676 >>>> 4913 fax >>>> >>>> SQL Down Under | Web: www.sqldownunder.com >>>> <https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqldownunder.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Csspahelp%40microsoft.com%7C1f0ea4d6b97e4d897f3708d666d1e890%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C636809449091516274&sdata=SLHeEGAMmWUY5YIwcC4oAPYr%2F9RIZdi4MNASsdzwX2I%3D&reserved=0> >>>> |http://greglow.me >>>> <https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgreglow.me%2F&data=02%7C01%7Csspahelp%40microsoft.com%7C1f0ea4d6b97e4d897f3708d666d1e890%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C636809449091526278&sdata=IU8tnAITCjBxWafi3A9XpO9lF3PIwZJ8ad3t36lnxvs%3D&reserved=0> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com <ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com> *On >>>> Behalf Of *mike smith >>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, 23 October 2019 12:45 PM >>>> *To:* ozDotNet <ozdotnet@ozdotnet.com> >>>> *Subject:* Re: [OT] Fines Victoria crisis deepens >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Success stories don't seem to make it into MSM. pity, because you'd >>>> think there's more successful outcomes than failures >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Wed, Oct 23, 2019, 12:24 Greg Keogh <gfke...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> Interesting front page article in The Age newspaper today >>>> <https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fines-victoria-system-collapses-leaving-massive-hole-in-state-budget-20191022-p5333d.html> >>>> about a Victorian government IT disaster. IT disasters are routine (I'm >>>> sure we've all caused a few!) but it's interesting that they actually name >>>> the software as VIEW from a company called Civica. The article is a bit >>>> vague about what's actually wrong, it just says "[it] doesn't work", "the >>>> system was absolute chaos" and systems are not "talking to" their >>>> computers. Does anyone have inside gossip about what really happened? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> There was another vast IT disaster a few years ago related to the >>>> education system I think, where dodgy contracts were being awarded to >>>> mates, and I think the loss ran into the hundreds of millions. That story >>>> vanished from the news and I never found out what happened. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Greg K* >>>> >>>>
