Post office IT problems

Ref PostOffice IT problems – what has gone wrong with the software?

I did see some more detailed analysis recently, but this summarises the main issues I think
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/09/how-the-post-offices-horizon-system-failed-a-technical-breakdown

There’s a PDF floating around that analyses some of the code.

Honestly, I’d be upset if my (imaginary) ten year old daughter made such a mess. That this was part of a massive corporate IT system is so far beyond the pale that it’s in danger of wrapping around.

Bugs happen. It’s how you go about fixing them that matters. Fujitsu appears to have taken the “it will cost us money” approach, and denied everything they could.

Having had to deal with government 3rd party IT bods at least once, they all want money for practically nothing. In that case, we offered to do the job for free whilst they wanted thousands to do even less for the end client, and have endless meetings and planning sessions for trivial things.

It’s how you go about fixing them that matters.

The PO was intent on preserving it’s reputation at all costs. Absolutely appalling.

An interesting series of articles from an IT Auditor’s point of view… see https://clarotesting.wordpress.com/2020/05/27/the-post-office-horizon-it-scandal-part-1-errors-and-accuracy/

Appendix 1 to Bates v PO (linked from above article) goes into amazing detail about 30 or so bugs raised in that case.

Much as I hate users, especially ones that inconvenience me with useless reports, the 2 issues highlighted are seriously badly handled. Even if the interface freezes, it shouldn’t keep accepting input, which isn’t necessarily user friendly but at least prevents repeated erroneous operations.

Don’t forget this…

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366537376/Fujitsu-staff-had-unrestricted-and-unauditable-remote-access-to-Post-Office-branch-systems
(the URL says all that I need to say)

Say, don’t suppose they’ll be running the forthcoming election, huh?

Fujitsu appears to have taken the “it will cost us money” approach

It appears it is doing. Apparently profuse apologies and money forthcoming. Probably nowhere near enough.

I’ve worked inside ICL (pre-Fujitsu takeover) as a contractor on a few occasions, and they didn’t seem to be as bad as this back then. My uncle worked for them even further back when they were known as Ferranti.

What we don’t know at the moment is whether the PO was asking the wrong question of Fujitsu and misinterpreting the answer to fit their agenda, or asking the right question and either being lied to, or deliberately ignoring the answer as it wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

What we don’t know at the moment is whether the PO was asking the wrong question of Fujitsu and misinterpreting the answer to fit their agenda, or asking the right question and either being lied to, or deliberately ignoring the answer as it wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

After reading a few bits from the enquiry last year plus extra bits elsewhere, I think the answer is “All of the above”
The evidence of Tony Blair’s written request for an explanation and the assurances he got from Mandelson suggest that either Mandelson was lied to and passed on the lies, or Mandelson knew and lied to Blair.

What a pity that neither Mandelson nor Blair have a title they can hand back!

Computers never go wrong – go wrong!

Is this service over a private line or via the Internet.

What a pity that neither Mandelson nor Blair have a title they can hand back!

If you read the info available on the links above, or my comments, you’d see that the handwritten note from T. Blair shows he questioned the accuracy/veracity of the information and only continued when he was given assurances that all was well (but it was not and people further down the chain knew that)

T. Blair was a politician, and they are never angels, but he did at least question. How often have you been fed lies and acted on that false information in good faith?