back to article Dell exec questions UK.gov's 'value proposition'

A shunned Dell has hit out at Francis Maude’s plans for cutting costs among ICT suppliers by claiming the coalition government’s approach to public sector procurement is too one-sided. The computer maker’s EMEA public sector services veep Ferenc Szelenyi made the comments this morning, following a meeting between the Cabinet …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Dell = Expensive

    I'd say the government has the right idea. We got an email from our Dell account manager yesterday reminding us that their prices are about to go up "between 10-15% depending on hardware on average". So they can't really complain about not being invited to the party if they are not offering value!

  2. JimC
    WTF?

    To my mind anyone using the english language like that

    Should be excluded from Gvrnment contracts anyway...

  3. Michael 82
    FAIL

    maybe its because of the cost...

    and a shoddy overpriced products that they offer?

  4. Dave 142

    something good

    not inviting Dell to come along and rip the taxpayer off with shoddy, overpriced goods seems like one of the few good things the ConDems have done. Granted, it'll probably go to someone who went to school with Cameron, but keeping Dell out can't be bad.

    1. Valiant
      Paris Hilton

      Resist for a minute ....

      ... the opportunity to put the boot in - and no-one hates Dell more than I do - and read what he actually says, and see that there's a hefty dollop of Home Truth there:

      "“Government expects its outsourcing service provider to maintain the complexity rather than to simplify and standardise the work processes ... [which, with] people are moved to the provider in their existing state and are independently managed next to countless similar processes of other companies. Consequently, the cost and service benefits of standardisation and simplification are lost."

      Paris, because she'll lift the flaps and see what's revealed.

      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Thumb Up

        @Valiant

        "“Government expects its outsourcing service provider to maintain the complexity rather than to simplify and standardise the work processes ... [which, with] people are moved to the provider in their existing state and are independently managed next to countless similar processes of other companies. Consequently, the cost and service benefits of standardisation and simplification are lost."

        This is a vary good point. Possibly a key reason why all those *supposed* shared service benefits *never* seem to materialize.

        Because the management process is not *being* shared and simplified.

        Maybe HMG should find out what their per form process costs are relative to someone like the insurance industry (complex forms, not well paid staff, high volumes) .

        Another organization with the "What we do is *totally* unique way and *must* be managed with a totally dedicated approach" BS.

        As for a govt department's "Value proposition"

        I'll take a stab at "Process as many forms as quickly as possible with the lowest number of errors and complaints possible with the lowest rising cost for increase in volume. "

        Have I missed anything?

  5. Pirate Peter
    Grenade

    ever tried imaging dell computers?

    i could quite understand the reaon for not wanting dell

    on a number of occasions i have been on projects where i have had to image a number of dell machines, all the same model and spec, but bought at different times

    on every occasion i ended up having to deploy a number of different images due to differences in chipset / motherboard

    this is a nightmare for any support partner and why i now specify HP or other leading brands, as he lower price is soon accounted for by additional engineering time if you deploy dell kit so in the end the TCO / deploment costs are higher than other manufacturers

    to there defence i should state the reliability of dell kit is good but it is best suited to home / small deployments from my personal experience

    peter

    1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Boffin

      @Pirate Peter

      "on a number of occasions i have been on projects where i have had to image a number of dell machines, all the same model and spec, but bought at different times

      on every occasion i ended up having to deploy a number of different images due to differences in chipset / motherboard"

      Now *that* is a fascinating point. This suggests Dell buy bits on a *very* short term basis throughout the life of the product (months, weeks, days?)

      It also suggests they are not really geared up for large scale deployment techniques like creating a standard build then doing a disk image copy, *unless* they create a range of product with *guaranteed* stable hardware internals.

      Which also prompts the question why do *other* suppliers not do that (presumably Dell do it because the spec is equivalent but cheaper at that time)

      Thanks for the info.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Sort yourselves out before outsourcing!

    IT, whether kept in house or outsourced can't fix broken business processes on it's own. In fact outsourcing broken IT often just let's management of a company/ organisation blame the outsourcing company rather than looking at themselves as to why their IT doesn't deliver the competitive advantages they were hoping for and results in a long term increase in IT cost and complete dependence on the outsourcing provider rather than the "two way partnership" that Dell talk about.

    Dell make a lot of money out of the public sector not realising this; but obviously want to maintain this. Now the good times might be drying up you can expect some of these companies to be deeply unhappy!

  7. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    AC@15:01

    "Sort yourselves out before outsourcing! #"

    "T, whether kept in house or outsourced can't fix broken business processes on it's own. "

    Now this makes a *lot* of sense to me.

    It's the old. "I'm so disorganised. If I get a palmtop It'll make me organised."

    No it won't.

    This may be the *true* heart of the *whole* outsourcing industries dirty little secret.

    Excellent point.

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