Excel spreadsheet to record tests - worlds most expensive spreadsheet

[SirGalahad]

What an utter shambles, recording test data in a bloody spreadsheet. There is no excuse for this other.

The private contractors are chargin billions to run a testing system that relies on a bloody excel spreadsheet.

I believe the error is due to the fact they recorded cases per column and not per row. There is a hard limit on columns.

IT is being reported as a glitch in Excel - it is not. How many more F Ups will you endure?

 

[IT Minion]

Nope, columns are much lower limits. There is a row limit of just over 1 million.

Using a CSV is good, nice simple easily manageable format. Using Excel to process it, depressing but not surprising. Not knowing the limit? Dead certain.

This could have been avoided by using a simple import process, anyone who knows the usual ETL software could have done it in a day*. But it's unusual for organisations to have IT people spare for that sort of 'just make it work' IT when there's a working excel workaround.

* then three weeks testing it, fixing it and documenting it.

 

[JP_]

Not only Excel, but a very old version of it.

And they charged us tax payers about £12 million for it.

Pure corruption.

 

[johnny2007]

Coronavirus!

That's the new H&S excuse for every corrupt person or organisation to do whatever fills their pockets.
Even completely unrelated matters now fall under the "Coronavirus" emergency "I do it and you must shut up"

 

[Notch7]

Coronavirus!

That's the new H&S excuse for every corrupt person or organisation to do whatever fills their pockets.
Even completely unrelated matters now fall under the "Coronavirus" emergency "I do it and you must shut up"

Deliberate Tory policy.

They've been deliberately making contract decisions based on self interest.

They have called it NHS test and trace and NHS app......but they aren't, it's been done by private companies while NHS labs have been ignored

 

[fillyboy]

They have called it NHS test and trace and NHS app......but they aren't, it's been done by private companies while NHS labs have been ignored

Bearing mind that the NHS are currently, and have for some time been incapable of performing their core duties, do you really think they would have been successful at developing and implementing a test and trace app, really?

 

[johnny2007]

As I said back in February, this Coronavirus show has been put up so that the usual suspects would make a lot of money.
Almost everyone said I was a nutcase and a flat earth believer mother f@cker, now I hear more and more of the same people agreeing with me.
I told you and I take great pleasure in saying so after all the insults.
Not that insults bother me, they usually come from sub-humans with different dna from us.

 

[transam]

What an utter shambles, recording test data in a bloody spreadsheet. There is no excuse for this other.

The private contractors are chargin billions to run a testing system that relies on a bloody excel spreadsheet.

I believe the error is due to the fact they recorded cases per column and not per row. There is a hard limit on columns.

IT is being reported as a glitch in Excel - it is not. How many more F Ups will you endure?

Used extensively in the NHS
Some NHS doctor ssid so on the radio

Get a grip ffs

 

[Notch7]

Bearing mind that the NHS are currently, and have for some time been incapable of performing their core duties, do you really think they would have been successful at developing and implementing a test and trace app, really?

The NHS is incapable of performing its duties because the Tory party have underfunded it.

Oh look Matt Hancock got paid £32k from a rabid Brexit propaganda site that is funded by US libertarian groups.

 

[fillyboy]

The NHS is incapable of performing its duties because the Tory party have underfunded it.

They're incapable of performing their core duties because in an act of self preservation, they've effectively shut down.

 

[IT Minion]

Bearing mind that the NHS are currently, and have for some time been incapable of performing their core duties, do you really think they would have been successful at developing and implementing a test and trace app, really?

They might have had the same issues, but since they didn't have the chance to do it at all let's lay off the NHS on this one.

 

[transam]

Blimey there was a report out a good while back that the NHS bought aload of replacement fax machines

Several hundred apparently

 

[JP_]

Don't forget that the NHS is a government body. That means the Tory Party run it. Any failing is down to the current government.

But this testing is run by a private company, with input from Serco, that we all pay for in addition to the NHS. Aren't we lucky?

 

[IT Minion]

Used extensively in the NHS
Some NHS doctor ssid so on the radio

Get a grip ffs

Excel is used everywhere. With that widespread use comes widespread misuse. If you ever talk to anyone who has worked on help desk in IT if they've seen a cockup due to misuse of Excel they will have a story. Although it's probably dull so don't actually ask.

The use of it to collate data is several massive no-nos. It isn't meant to do that and it's not good at it. It has a bad habit of mangling input data and isn't supported for automated use when there isn't a human watching the screen because well, see above.

 

[IT Minion]

Also, wasn't there an Excel spreadsheet that lost billions?

Oh yes, the London Whale.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_JPMorgan_Chase_trading_loss

https://blogs.oracle.com/smb/10-of-the-costliest-spreadsheet-boo-boos-in-history