PPP Management

The last 24 hours has seen a flurry of retailers publish their most recent results and it makes for interesting reading.  If we are to believe the Guardian (  http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/09/high-street-gloom-retailers-profits-poor-christmas-sales ) then we should expect a slip back into recession; if we take a more measured approach, as provided by the BBC's Robert Peston, then the recent figures illustrate more confidence in the economy but a growing trend for consumers to be more discerning both over product but also over price but also a much greater use of the internet for shopping.  The greater move towards on-line retailing will have significant ramifications for the supply chain. An example of the use of analytics and the spinning of these figures to suit an argument was brought home to me recently when I was enjoying a televised football game over the holiday period.  The game seemed fairly even overall but the commentators claim of o...

This week has seen widespread coverage of the former BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, being interviewed by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the failure to deliver the Digital Media Initiative (DMI).  Apart from the detail of the report from PwC what is staggering are the costs associated with this project. Project budget spent - £100m Project failure report - £263k Chief Technology Officer (CTO) salary, who has ben suspended on full pay - £280k This doesn't include the cost of the PAC and the costs associated with bringing Mark Thompson back to the UK.  What must not be forgotten is that all of the money detailed is public money; obtained either through the TV licence fee in the case of the costs listed above or via taxation in the case of the PAC.  Putting aside the gargantuan costs being suffered by the public purse the report has some salient project management reminders. Lack of appropriate oversight. Ineffective governance, r...