Monthly Archives: August 2012

I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are – a classic quip from Groucho Marx but do you ever notice companies trying to bid for your work claiming principles or behaviours that they do not demonstrate. Many PQQs (Pre-Qualification Questionnaires) seek binary answers to questions. E.g. Has your organisation, its Directors or Principals […]

Intellectual property risks might not be on the top of your agenda but the following case details may provide some interesting reading. HIS HONOUR JUDGE BIRSS QC presided over the case of Samsung Electronics (UK) Ltd and Apple Inc relating to community registered design infringement by Samsung for their Galaxy product in the UK. The […]

One of my first assignments for Brian Farrington Ltd was to review an IT project that had got out of control. It was late, incomplete and seriously over budget. During the research phase we asked what was known about the prime contractor and the subcontractor and what due diligence had been undertaken. The silence was […]

  Here comes the sun In 1989, 6 million people in Quebec were without power for 9 hours. In 1960 widespread radio disruptions occurred. In 1859 The Aurora Borealis was seen as far south as the Caribbean and telegraph operators received shocks through induced currents. These events were attributed to solar storms. The storm is […]

How to potentially destroy a company in 45 minutes Technology is an enabler. It can enhance your business processes, improving efficiency and profitability. But only if it works! Hot on the heels of the RBS software glitch, is the recent case of erratic movements in stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) which […]

Organising the factory visit It is good practice to visit a factory where work will be carried out to the specification in the contract. The purpose of the visit should be to confirm what the potential supplier has said in the quotation or tender. Who should go on the visit? There is no right answer […]

In the Channel Islands, the Guernsey Government have been subjected to fraudulent activity which resulted in them in paying £2.6m to a fraudster. The Treasury and Resources department received a letter purporting to be from a Bona Fide Contractor who was undertaking a major redevelopment of the islands airport. The letter advised them of ta […]