LHR T5 fiasco - who is to blame for this?

On Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:06:24 -0700, "Mr. Travel" wrote:

John Kulp wrote:

On Sat, 5 Apr 2008 09:42:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


On 2 Apr, 21:52, Lansbury wrote:

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 11:35:42 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Both, but apparently most failures were on the BA side

No most failures were down to IT and engineering problems with the system =

and

that is BAA, it is their terminal and their infrastructure.

Software people work to a lower standard than the rest of us. It is
why 'software/computer' failings are excluded from many insurance
policies.


No they don't. They just dealing with very complex problems to solve.


What problem?
The US Postal Service does rather well with sorting handwritten zip
codes. Sure it isn't rocket science to route bags that with computer
generated tags.

It's a lot more than you think. First, you have to allow for every
conceivable situation that can occur. Think of all the possible
combinations of flights for starter. Then all possible combinations
of destinations. Then all different sizes of bags (which is why you
have special ares for oversized). Then allow for all different ways
to read the tags. Etc. etc. Then combine the software with
mechanical equipment that is new and unproven. The one they tried in
Denver either chewed the bags up or shot them out about 60 miles an
hour. Cost them over a billion dollars before they were done and was
finally ripped out. I could think of a lot of other variables, but
you can chew on these for starters. The postal system is simple by
comparison. And they do lose stuff too. And never mind the
difference in computing skills that have to work together as well.