Post Office Scandal Inquiry started this week.

[JIMMY12345]

Case study

 In 1986 the Space Challenger crashed. Seven people died. As far back as 1977 Engineers knew the O rings were potentially fatal. Managers would not listen. The maker of the seal would not listen. Budgets and deadlines were just too tight. Professor Feynman was appointed to investigate. NASA smiled helpfully but knew his findings could prove embarrassing. Staff were scared to tell him publicly what they really knew. The solution eluded Feynman. It was only resolved when Feynman was invited to dinner. The chief engineer remarked on his car engine. The seal at low temperature failed so the pipe joints leaked. Bingo. All that was left was to schedule next day’s press conference

 Post office scandal

 Circa 2014 - 2022.Imagine you’re a Postmaster. Sitting quietly at home. There is a knock at the door. It’s the Police with a set of handcuffs. At the station a big bully from the Post office HQ accuses you of stealing money. Your handed two choices including pleading guilty for a lesser sentence. Your lawyer advises you to take the former. After all, nearly 700 other innocent postmaster faced the same fate. But for the sterling efforts of to the efforts of 2 fiery firecrackers James Arbuthnot and Baroness Hayter and the Press they would still be languishing in prison cells.

 Possible Culprits have wiggle room

 Fujitsu. This is a Japanese company. It will argue it is a supplier and at arm’s length. “We are based in Japan for Pete’s sake. The UK end user is responsible. Besides we would have shredded all the incriminating evidence ages ago. If we had any in the first place. The courts will buy that one. especially if they are Japanese.

 

They will point out they had to slog on GIGO (Garbage in Garbage out) computer systems. These resembled vintage cars to slow.The then superb state of the art powerful  American IBM were not selected. Which is why very few wanted the contracts in the first place. No one else wanted a contract that promised lots of overtime and paper-thin profit. Japanese culture favours not whistle-blowers. They are bad for business. True a CEO of Fujitsu did have a leadership role in the Post office. People poaching is common in business and certainly not criminal.

People are not laying out bets on the supplier shelling out. Litigation is expensive. Cutting one’s losses is cheaper.

 The Post office. The corporate culture is not severe and rigid as the Japanese. However, whistle blowing will likely lead to termination of contact in a few months. You were just so rude to that plastic flower pot in the corner. Other companies will give you the shoulder. Best to keep shtum.

MP’s are worried. This month’s investigations will unearth nothing radically new. It’s like the second paragraph. It reprises stale news.

 To tease out evidence. A simple and cheap method might be of some assistance. Apply Mr. Feynman’s technique. Engage the people. Run up to the Post Office Human Resources. Get the address of all employees. Current but more crucially those who left or retired. This is the weak link if you want people to spill beans. Next invite Post office personnel by letter to write to a temporary holding office at Whistle-blowers Anon. This would be totally independent from the Post office. Informers with particular juicy snitches could be handsomely rewarded.  Ms Cressida Dick would be a good choice to oversee the office. She is currently free and has good credentials in exposing villainy.

  The Post office has no money. It is government owned. Bail out time again.

Forum comments invited to also include:

 For armchair science detectives do you think one or two people might respond to the hypothetical letter?

Is it the fate Scientists and Engineers to turn eventually and inevitably into Science Bureaucrats?

[John Cuthber]

32 minutes ago, JIMMY12345 said:

  The Post office has no money. It is government owned. Bail out time again.

It was privatised but, since the Tories only privatise profits, not risks, the taxpayer will still foot the bill. (assuming it ever gets paid)
 

[Endy0816]

@JIMMY12345

Please specify the country you are referring to in your titles to help avoid any confusion.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Endy0816