A few years ago the Ministry of Defence in the UK ordered a new radio system. This system was going to be used by services such as the army, navy and air force.
All the specialists met up to debate what was required of the new system. Everyone put their opinions forward in heated debates and together they put together a spec sheet.
The people who were actually building the radios suggested that perhaps a GPS tracking system should also be installed. However, it would cost a bit more and take a little longer to deliver.
The specialists all agreed; A GPS system was not required.
A £2.4 billion deal was made and 40,000 radios ordered, 30,000 computer systems, 30,000 terminals and 75,000 people were trained to use the equipment.
Then the radios went missing. About 4000 radios or 10% in fact. No one knows who has the radios. Is it our enemies? Can people hear confidential communications? Is it putting lives at risk?
“But it meets spec!”
All the experts came together and told the radio makers what the spec was. And they were all wrong.
So much in the world seems to meet spec, but so much of it still seems so broken.
And often it isn’t the so called “experts” who come and fix things and provide the real solutions.
That’s up to the people who care enough to make change happen.
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