South Wales Evening Post - 23 February 2007
Computer systems at Swansea Council are costing more and delivering less, according to fed-up councillors.
They claim that since the council's IT system was handed over to private firm Capgemini, they have been left frustrated by the new arrangements.
The company signed an £86 million contract last year to supply new computer systems for the authority. It was also supposed to work on a hi-tech customer service centre. However, those plans have now been pulled because of rising costs.
Now, some councillors are so annoyed at the replacement technology that they have stopped using it altogether.
Councillor Vanessa Webb told a council meeting she has given up using the firm's helpdesk, which was transferred to Aberdeen, after it repeatedly failed to sort out problems.
She added: "My experience is absolutely dreadful. The idea of having a helpdesk in Scotland is a terrible one. There is widespread dissatisfaction among members."
Councillor Webb said she had spoken to one helpdesk worker who did not know where Swansea was.
Councillor Rene Kinzett said one of the people he spoke to did not know what a councillor was.
Councillor Webb added: "I never bother to ring the helpdesk any more. There is no point. If I have a problem, I do not log it and just go away and come back later to see if it has sorted itself out.
"I know councillors who are not particularly confident with technology but have been encouraged to use the new computer system. They are now struggling because it is so bad.
"Councillor Mike Hedges complained that the email system was slow and difficult to use, and was often out of use. He has now abandoned it in favour of Yahoo's email service.
He said: "A week does not go by when I don't get an email saying the system will be down for six, eight or 24 hours at a time.
"Councillors were told by Huw Williams, the council's head of IT, that work was often carried out after normal office hours to minimise disruption. It meant that most users did not experience problems. He added that the council gets more from this contract than under the previous system.
However, councillors said they used the system at all hours, and the service was not good enough.
Councillor Dennis James said: "It is totally, and absolutely frustrating. I want to throw a brick through the screen when I use it. It takes four or five minutes to get into the system and when you do the printers do not work.
"I am not the only councillor. There are plenty of others who are totally frustrated. There have been plenty of times when I have had to go home to get work done."
Councillor Kinzett said Capgemini has not done enough for councillors since taking over the IT systems.
He said: "I have seen no evidence that Capgemini are moving to understand our specific needs. It's worrying that a company with so much experience with public sector can show a serious lack of understanding about what we do."
Your Views
So we taxpayers are forking out a fortune for a more expensive privately run system that doesn't do the job half as well as the old in-house arrangement. Doesn't this all sound very familiar (trains, water, etc)
Che (Jenkins), Plasmarl
Can't beleive how Councillors have the audacity to complain about these systems. These were the same Councillors that "voted" for the outsourcing of the Council IT section. Let them stew in the mess of their own making.
Mark Griffiths, Gwelfor
