There is an organizational axis too. The technical capabilities of the GPO went off with BT in 1984. The remaining organisation was anything but a competent customer for IT implementations. Outsourcing has definite limits and potentially catastrophic results - as does the demolition of corporate technical capability.
An empowered technical architecture function could have vetted this system and prevented this all. But gut it and stamp it under the heal of the CFO and you may as well not bother.
An empowered technical architecture function could have vetted this system and prevented this all. But gut it and stamp it under the heal of the CFO and you may as well not bother.