Alongside an ill-advised invasion/attack on Iran, the introduction of DII(F) was reasonably high on my Phew List - events that I truly hope occur after my last day in uniform. That I should be fearful of the new system, and not curious as to how it's going to help me do my job, is indicative of many military IT systems that tend to follow the pattern of:
1. Ill-conceived idea from senior officer or politician.
2. Cheapest bidder wins vague contract. Bidder's track record ignored.
3. Project team consult person in item 1, again applying the consistently flawed rule that says rank equates to subject matter knowledge.
4. Midway through contract cheapest bidder introduces unanticipated extra costs, essentially making them more expensive than competent bidder who was rejected.
5. Contract for old, working, system terminated asap, by faceless adminner, because new system coming. Postponement
not negotiable.
6. Cheapest bidder announces further technical difficulties and delay to switch-on day. More money needed for project - of course they get it - but only to get system up and running, not improvements (the former is political - the latter doesn't matter).
7. Users get trained on demo system and realise:
- It doesn't do what they want it to do.
- The cheapest bidder wasn't asked to make it do what users want it to.
- The training they're receiving will be irrelevant in 12 months because:
- (i) The system won't look anything like the demo.
- (ii) The system is running 2 years late.
- (iii) 80% of the people in the room will be posted by switch-on day
Whereupon users experience a sense of relief at being posted and start agreeing with everything to curtail the training course as much as possible.
8. Switch-on of new, and plug pulled on old, system now to happen within a few hrs of each other. Motivational e-mail circulates from a senior officer who won't have to do the job with the new system.
9. Staff concerns repelled with accusations of negativity from management.
10. Plug pulled on old system. Pens & paper cover office.
11. Majority of project team start work for contractor.
12. Expensive, but vague, glossy brochure released to inform all of benefits of new system (widely unread), but no sign of a user guide.
13. New system turned on, crashes causing chaos, but
RAF News hails 22nd century technology a popular success. Hoorah!
14. The primary task suffers - the shop floor gets bollocked.
15. New CEO at cheapest bidder HQ - see 1.