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Local governments aren't businesses – so why are they force-fed biz software?

• jqpabc123 3y ago
  Local governments aren't businesses So true. Government lives by a set of rules that are forbidden for any legal business. Quick example --- Fire fighters often work 24 hours shifts. Government gets fed biz software because they can't afford custom software to address all their unique quirks and needs. And even if they had the money, they lack people qualified to write adequate specs and manage a custom development contract. There is no realistic solution. Lots of people with ethics understand this and refuse to get involved with government work. But scammers are undeterred.
  • mytailorisrich 3y ago
    Most often than not the real issue is that "they are not businesses" as in they are poorly organised and managed, not because they are inherently different. Likewise, they are not force-fed anything, they have poor processes and management. Birmingham City Council (in the UK) has just gone effectively bankrupt, as mentioned in the article. This is not Oracle's fault, rather the debacle of their IT projects is a symptom of the bad management in the council.
    • jqpabc123 3y ago
      The fact that they are "poorly organized and managed" is just one of the factors that make them inherently unique. In a competitive business environment, organizations like this routinely cease to exist. No one has developed a realistic solution for this that isn't even worse than the problem.