[LINK] Westpac innovation gets through the Gates

[Peter Bowditch]

I met some of the Westpac people working on CS90, and, believe me, 
the problem wasn't just in the consultants.

Here's something I wrote a while back:

> I was at a database conference attended by the gurus once (Codd, 
> Date, etc) and the place seemed to be full of people from banks. I 
> got talking to someone who was on the CS90 project and they told me 
> (proudly) that it had only taken them eight (8) months to build the 
> input screen to open an account. When I rather unkindly asked how the
> other seven and three-quarter months had been spent and how did they get
> away with it I was given hurt looks.
> 
> I thought I saw a white rabbit hurrying by, looking at his watch.
> 
> One of the speakers at the conference was  a senior database person 
> from Westpac who described a successful database project. This job 
> had been so big that a complete IBM 3090 mainframe had been dedicated to
> it, along with a mainframe licence of DB2. It had been a resounding
> success, and this person was touring the world speaking at database
> conferences to spread the news. The project: set up and maintain the
> Westpac internal phone list.
> 
> I expected to see the Queen of Hearts at any time, shouting "Off with
> their heads".
> 
> I was a shareholder in Westpac at the time and I remember telling 
> someone that I was concerned about the CS90 project. They asked me if I was
> worried about how much was being spent and that the cost may reduce profits
> and therefore the share price. I replied that I was worried that Westpac
> might try to use the thing, in which case the shares would be worthless.

.................................................
Peter Bowditch
Gebesse Computer Consultants
peterb@gebesse.com.au
http://www.gebesse.com.au
ACT! Certified Consultant