5/15/2013

TCMS software can be bought off the shelf



When Sylvia Lim asked Boon Wan whether one month termination period was sufficient for the new management to take over a town council and introduce a new management system, Boon Wan offered her two possibilities. One was to ask for an extension of the existing system and alternatively just buy a standard software in the market. Based on his experience, such software is quite common, could be generic and many companies are using them.

I think this is a reasonable advice as a town council management system is nothing extraordinary that you need to customise it which will mean costing a bomb. By the way, what is it that is so special to want customisation? And even if customisation is needed, is it something so difficult to modify or add on to a generic software package? Boon Wan has a good point there. His experience will tell him that a town council management system does not need any leading edge or frontier science software technology to function. Aljunied should just buy off the shelf.

Of the whole debate on the AIM saga, this is the most important and valuable point raised by Boon Wan.

If Aljunied GRC would to buy off the shelf, and with a little customisation, I think, off the cuff, it should not cost more than $140k and with customisation maybe $200k at most. I cannot imagine an off the shelf software would cost that much. Ok throw in a couple of millions for safe measures. Definitely cheaper than the $23.8m paid in the past and the $16.8m that is going to be paid.

Why must town councils go and ask for tender to develop a brand new town council management system instead of buying off the shelf and do a little customisation? Such a system normally can last for centuries and, if need be, a little modification will do the job as the functions are quite standard and generic in nature.

Why doesn’t all the town councils just buy one off the shelf and every other town council can use it? Sure will have a lot of savings. It would be a good idea to call off all the tenders and just buy one that is easily available at a fraction of the cost. Boon Wan could help the Town Councils save a lot of money by issuing a directive on this if still in time.

Perhaps there should be a new review committee to look into the necessity to tender and develop new town council management software and why a simple thing like buying off the shelf was overlooked. This looks like a case of group think. Like the kids driving their minis, and because one modified it, everyone also wants to modify without looking at the necessity or alternative options. Dunno how much money could be saved if Boon Wan’s suggestion is accepted?

The Town Councils or Parliament should acknowledge this great money saving suggestion from Boon Wan.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Malaysia Boleh

Anonymous said...

This is the biggest contribution by WP. Keep the pressure on and the mistakes will show. This buying off the shelf and standard management package is the biggest truth uttered under pressure.

Anonymous said...

I knew it!
More Opposition in parliament avoids group-think.
And will spur PAP to give better value for money.

Better still.
If PAP is already old and tired after 50 years in government.
Maybe PAP should take a vacation.
And let Alternative parties lead Singapore instead.

Veritas said...

I am engineer. Even main component can bought off the shelf, there is still a lot of customization required, if the solution is highly productive and integrated.

And it probably require some engineers to do some scripting work.

What Khaw is has some truth. You may buy a spread sheet like EXCEL to enter all the data and everything can be solve. But the problem is such solution is messy, unproductive and non integrated.

The issue is how complex TCMS is.

But whether TCMS system is that primitive like EXCEL, or its a very highly customize piece of work, just one or two engineer will be able to make authoritative comments.

Veritas said...

Also, I cannot remember how much town council pay NCS to come out with the software.

If they pay a lot, you can be assured there is a lot of work done.

And if workers party is going to migrate to new system, it would cost a lot of money and time also. There will definitely be engineering glitches along the way.

Anonymous said...

Redbean,

has anyone ever heard software from Oracle purchase off the shelve ? When you engage Oracle for product and service, it is about custom software. Isn't the custom software cost $30 millions and sold it to $2 company for $140,000 , can someone confirm that if that is happening ?

If one can buy off-the shelf, then why need $30 millions ?

Are those clowns telling us that they can buy Excel to manually keep track of record ?

Anonymous said...

"What Khaw is has some truth. You may buy a spread sheet like EXCEL to enter all the data and everything can be solve. But the problem is such solution is messy, unproductive and non integrated."

common sense will tell you this can never be possible in long run. Will you run a government with nothing in using Excel as the main software for tracking record ? If PAP party does not expect their own town council to do that , So why should you expect a town council run by opposition party can be run with excel ?


Anonymous said...

The HDB Estates are All under the Ministry Of National Development. Why then are Opposition Manage HDB Estates excluded from the Use of a computer system for the use of All HDB Town Councils under MND?

Anonymous said...

The obsolete system cost $23.8m to develop. A tcms is not managing the launch of a rocket and reentry to earth. How complicated can it be?

A lot of work done is different from a lot of work clocked. A lot of work done is different from a lot of necessary and relevant work done. Paying by hours clocked or manpower is so easily inflated for all the wrong reasons, just to increase the payment.

Come on, what is so complicated in a tcms?

Anonymous said...

Buy off the shelf? Don't be silly. When was the last time any of u saw a $23 million software been sold in Funan or Cash Converter.

Shorty just wants to pull a fast one along with insulting our intelligence. Instead it is starting to backfire on him and his party.

Now the AIM saga is roughly twice the mushroom cloud it is. Who is righteous and arrogant?

As for Slyvia Lim all she is doing is asking intelligent and legitimate questions - questions that the ST should have been asking. Instead all Han Fook can do is mumble. So naturally the internet has taken and run with this story.

Gentlemen, this is what happens when someone drops the ball.

Darkness 2013

Anonymous said...

Customized or off the shelf, why the NEED to have the TCMS own by AIM?

Anonymous said...

Guys.
Let's look at the big picture as citizens & patriots.

1. Gahmen has ability to collect taxes from all of us with or without EXCEL or customized software.
There was no EXCEL or computers in 1960s.
Still PAP gahmen very clever in collecting taxes leh.

2. The underlying logic and criteria for collecting money from HDB dwellers is the same all over Singapore.
Regardless of whether PAP or Opposition wards.

There is no technical reason that a software used by PAP Town Councils cannot also be used by Workers' Party Town Councils.

3. The software is paid with Singaporean taxpayers' money.
The software belongs to all Singaporeans.

4. Isn't it cheaper, better, faster for all Town Councils to use the same software?
Why must have 2 types of software?
One for PAP.
One for WP.
Then next time NSP win a GRC how?
A 3rd software for NSP's Town Council?

5. Singapore is a very, very small country.
How small?

New York City has population of 8.3 million people.
ONE mayor.
A working MRT system that is bigger, more complex and older than Singapore.

We are such a small country.
And yet got leaders with such oversized egos.
That is making us more & more inefficient and costly to operate as a country.

What the fuck?
You think I stupid is it?

Anonymous said...

Koh Boon Wan is a $8 BY_PASS Clown. He and his equally incredible clowns in Pappie try to turn the BLACK Aim Saga into white. They still think Singaporeans are daft. They are a despicable lot. Can we still trust them to govern Singapore?

Eagles Eyes

Anonymous said...

With Singapore much reserves from indirect taxes, Singapore chances to produces world beating products like Rolex, Samsung, Ikea or Apple is higher then many countries.

Presently Singapore need to find ways to increase the tourism yield, which improve Singapore standard, so tourists willing to spend more in SIngapore, it take a bit longer time to produce some world beating companies??

Veritas said...

The only people who buy specialize and high technical software off the shelves are engineers.

Those town council functionaire are not engineers. They would get dumb in front of technical software.

Anonymous said...

Singaporean are entrepreneuric, you can find Singapore companies involved in all sorts of businesses around the world, how to foster it to be world class companies is a challenge?

Anonymous said...

Samsung make hp and tvs to make money. Americans make weapons and aircraft to make money.

Singapore makes multi million dollar gardens to make tourist money, bring in F1 and what else. And bring in more foreigners to earn their money eating, sleeping and shitting.

Anonymous said...

New York City.
Population: 8.3 million.
Number of mayors: ONE

Singapore.
Population: 5.3 million.
Number of mayors: FIVE

What the fuck?

Anonymous said...

How much is a New York mayor paid and how much is our mayor paid?

Anonymous said...

New York's Mayor: Michael Bloomberg.
salary: US$225,000 per year

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_New_York_City

virgo49 said...

Right bro, let the HDB manage all the estates as in the past.c

As civil servants, impartial to any constituency opposition or otherwise.

Let the MPs do their duties taking care of their constituents on local issues and all Singaporeans on the National issues.

Why have Mayors, Town council representatives - Waste of funds from the residents???

Also, let these clowns with no investing knowledge blow our monies on bad investments.

All these bullshit TCs just to fix the opposition.

Cone a day the PAP may find themselves as opposition or none at all

Anonymous said...

If town council software can be bought off the shelf, after this AIM thing is sorted out, the govt needs to be taken apart for frittering millions on customised software?? And before it does it yet again shortly...

The Aljunied guys also need to be jumping over the fact that they were forced to give up software they had already paid for??

I wonder what services etc will be stopped if the PAP is no longer in govt. Will we find all our trade agreements null and void?

How about our electricity and water contracts? Will those still stand, or are they subject to changes when there is a change in management?

One could go on and on in this vein, but you guys get the drift.

Anonymous said...

one lie to cover another lie, with idiotic statements by expensive clown that the clown and his circus no longer can no contain his own joke ! It just go viral.

Anonymous said...

THis Khaw can really bullshit. Stop insulting the voters intelligence. If can buy cheap off shelf software then why paid millions to get ncs to develop? Why not just name the off self software rather than beat around the bush attacking people rather than answerinn the question? taxpayers do not pay your million to bullshit.

Anonymous said...

Bravo Sylvia Lim. Those people who badmouthed WP should feel ashamed. It is time we have a female prime minister.

Anonymous said...

If PAP can award tc software to $2 company, they can also award smrt software, airport software or defence software etc to $2 partisan related company and make a big mess of singapore when they lose election. THis is a breach of constitution law and their oaths.

Anonymous said...

Sylvia should stare him down, make him feel small.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Yes, Sylvia is getting better everyday. The experience she is getting to take on the big guns will do her well during these 3 years before the next GE.

Looking at the PAP camp, it seems that Boon Wan would have to fight this battle alone as the rest would have problem coming to his aid.

Now lets hear what Low Thia Khiang has to say when he fires his cannon.

Anonymous said...

Till now the people are still unaware of WHAT the software does. Exactly what is it supposed to do? Keep track of residents? Calculate service charges? Detail and collate complaints from residents? And I think there should be some sort of citation needed label around the "can be bought off the shelf" remark. I think it would have been much more convincing if the minster would have just went to a store and bought the substitute product and waved it in front of Slyvia Lim. Then he would have a point. Or even pirate it. Then he would have an even better point. Keeping this kind of information secret seems to indicate that both sides have a political reason to hide exactly what the software does.

Even if it was true what the minister says, then he has an even bigger problem. Why would that fake company associated with the government buy it off themselves? There's something fishy about the shifting of money here and there.

conspiracy pirate said...

With this AIM episode, I noticed there are three camps clearly drawn. One foreign born chinese camp in pap, one local born chinese in wp and the most dangerous is the ahneh camp in pap made up of fmlm. The ahneh camp is probably the one who set the two chinese camps up to fire each other so they will benefit eventually. People must learn to vote properly as there is only one camp that is for the locals.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, all the Chinese ministers have been discredited or have discredited themselves.

Veritas said...

all the Chinese ministers have been discredited or have discredited themselves.

sad but true.

The said...

/// New York City.
Population: 8.3 million.
Number of mayors: ONE

Singapore.
Population: 5.3 million.
Number of mayors: FIVE

What the fuck?

May 15, 2013 11:29 am ///

Why not??? Join the gravy train.

Why have one, when you can have five snouts in the trough?