5/19/2013

Jeremy Chen – Nation Wide Town Council Management System





Jeremy Chen has proposed a NWTCMS for a cost of $1.2m, (700k for software development and $500k for hardware). Or is it $700k as he claimed? Nevermind, the number is just too good to believe in a way when the latest tender was $16.8m.

I was thinking of walking into Sim Lim or Funan to buy the software off the shelf. I don’t think those places have software that costs more than $20k each. But I am no software specialists and maybe they have things like $100k or $200k. Still quite cheap really. Anyway, disregard this comment as I don’t think it can be done this way.

Jeremy Chen’s proposal is more serious and looks like he did some thinking to come out with the numbers. But I still think it is too cheap. I double or triple his price if he can come up with a workable one as he has proposed. I am sure MND would be most happy to have such a cheap system.

Talking about cheap, when I read $700k, I already give up. How can any system be good that is so cheap? Not likely. The bench mark already set, from $23.8m to $16.8m to be reasonable for such a system, and not for the whole island, just a few TCs or a smaller grouping of one TC plus one two single ward constituencies. Jeremy’s number is just too troubling and too unbelieveable.

Even if it works, Jeremy should not put it up as he is saboing the businesses of other vendors and making the buyers looked silly. CBF has no place in this episode. I wonder if MND would throw out a challenge to Jeremy to produce the proposed system and buy it from him at Jeremy’s price with a special bonus of $2m to top it up for doing the impossible?

I am salivating already. Any thinking businessman wants to approach Jeremy, throw him his asking price, get the system working and sell it to MND for $5m? It is still a steal at $5m when the cheapest is $16.8m. Make it $6.8m, sounds better.

Jeremy must be given credit to come out with this outrageous price. You see, everyone is now accustomed or conditioned to think that a TCMS must cost tens of millions. No one would think of anything cheaper. And $16.8m from $23.8m, wow, great savings, good buy. But what is the real cost of such a system, aka, what is the real cost of a HDB flat? Jeremy has said that it could be as low as $1.2m or $700k. This must have woken up many people who have been sleeping or in stupor. Like Boon Wan said, a TCMS is not highly sophisticated software and could be bought over the shelf. The functions are ordinary at best with some addition or customisation to accommodate some local features. What is so complicated about it that it must cost tens of millions?

Many small entrepreneurs or computer science students could develop such a software with no big issue and in double quick time.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

700K way too cheap man. Nowadays Singapore doesn't build cheap roads either. Must always go for multi-billion dollars 5km expressways. 1km - $1 billion. Software for 6.9 million - $69 million - cheap lah, 1 plate of chicken rice only.

Anonymous said...

Who does Jeremy Chen think he is?
What is he trying to do?
Match the software price to the software requirements?

What will he think of next?
Match the Minister's pay to the Minister's job requirements?

What is a Minister's job anyway?
Tell Singaporeans that everything is also not the gahmen's job and that Singaporeans have an entitlement mentality?

Anonymous said...

Jeremy Chen is a student. He seems to be an expert in many fields.

Anonymous said...

I think Jeremy Chen is a Millionaire-In-White.
Or maybe a Brigadier General or Rear Admiral.
They are experts in many field including shipping and train management.

Anonymous said...

"Like Boon Wan said, a TCMS is not highly sophisticated software and could be bought over the shelf."

Like a foldable bicycle is not that sophisticated and could be bought from a Giant supermarket?

ROFL

Anonymous said...

What's so difficult about a simple program like this?

Lost4ever said...

I have suggested b4 to have this TCM system being used to train the next generation of local IT talents, as these large projects do not come by too often.

However, its has unfortunately gone to some foreign talents that will give us nightmares in the near future due to "updation" talents, with revolving doors to make up numbers for the 16+ millions to show its a big project.

Perhaps Veritas, Jeremy Chen can come up with a better estimate for a turnkey project for local IT firm.

I will estimate that a figure of less than 4 million will give my team of 6 to rest for a few years after this project.

Or build a team of 20 junior and mid level people to equip them to lead big projects for the next 20 years locally, until the next big projects for training the next group of people.

Anonymous said...

This is not a big project and not a testing IT programme. It is big only in terms of usage and data base. Most of the input and output are repetitive. One programme for one town council or 100 town councils, still basically the same programme, with bigger data base, more storage space. No fucking big deal.

Anonymous said...

@Lost4ever

Do you need register a $2 company with directors from a certain political party before tendering for this project?

Directors must have Town Council experience hor?
How is this even relevant in ensuring the technical competency and robustness of the software?
Does this requirement seem to restrict competition?

Anonymous said...

Just like the criteria to be a Presidential candidate.

Anonymous said...

If Jeremy can do it.
Town councils can it too.

Why not?

Anonymous said...

Wrong lah. If town councils can do it. Any Tom, my Dick and Harry and do it.

Veritas said...

This happen when I was in MOE.

Another occasions when I met the IDA people when they brought external vendors to sell the WIFI system.

I remember one of the vendor boss is former RI, and his shop is Quala or something like that.

They sold their snake oil, about planting high density of WIFI access point in the school.

I question these folks. I told them you ever consider about inter-channel interference problem on such high density of access point planting?

At that time, we are not using 802.11N or 802.11.AC where interference are minimize, and you face quite severe interference problem.

Actually I am curious how they can solve inter-channel interference problem. I would like to hear from them.

Immediately i got shit. They become defensive. They cannot answer anything.

Later my superior ask me non to make them malu.

How much monies are wasted because of so many stupid people in civil service?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Veritas, you have very wide experience as an engineer and have seen a lot of queer stuff. But best don't call anyone corrupt.

Anonymous said...

There is already an alternative to compare with. How much did it cost Aljunied WP to develop its system? It cannot be close to 23 million or 16 million. When is WP going to release this shock news?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

If you are not using your own money, why worry?

Just spend, man. Spend until you're dizzy. Then spend again until other people also get dizzy.

Other People's Money means a blank cheque to do what money does best:

Being SPENT!

Lost4ever said...

Anonymous May 19, 2013 11:32 am

Go read "Animal Farm" by George Orwell and you will feel better.

Perhaps join the "PIGS" as said in "Animal Farm" and actually everything is GOOD! "4 legs good, 2 legs Better".

Actually, they can even do nothing, just migrate the Data to a new version of the Database, and move the Application to a later version of Operating System, on a machine that is at least 10 times faster, using Moore's law that states CPU speed can be doubled in 18 months, 10 years will be 120 months, and the factor will be so much bigger than 10..... so the conclusion may be for someone to siphon the money out in the name of a new system..... which I guess only people who are involved main know how much and who is sharing..... SIGH.... "Animal Farm" to perfection.... seamless indeed!!!

Veritas said...

Hi Veritas, you have very wide experience as an engineer and have seen a lot of queer stuff. But best don't call anyone corrupt.

I dont mean corrupt in money. I mean degeneration of character. But I think RB has a point also.

Anonymous said...

Corruption - Wisdom from Star Wars, Clone Wars

"Corruption is what happens when someone in power puts their own personal gain before the interest of the people they represent.

So it's the result of greed?

Yes. A leader sacrifices moral integrity for the sake of money or power. Entire star systems have collapsed into chaos. A revolution because their greedy politicians got caught up in a cycle of bribery and blackmail while their people suffered.

Does that mean most government officials are corrupt?

Well, no. But the point is that temptation is always there. And citizens must be vigilant so corruption can't take root. The deadliest enemies of a society dwell within its borders. And from these internal threats the people need to be protected

But if you don't trust your leaders, isn't that treason?

It's every citizen's duty to challenge their leaders. To keep them honest and hold them accountable if they are not.

How do you do that?

By exposing corrupt officials for what they are. Lasting change can only come from within."
Ashoka Tano
Star Wars Clone Wars, Season 3, Episode 6, 3:06-4:13 minutes

http://www.gogoanime.com/star-wars-clone-wars-season-3-episode-6

Anonymous said...

Khaw Boon Wan was talking rubbish. His purpose was to score points against the WP and most unscrupulously at that. Reminds you of his $8 heart ops. Can yo believe him? On the one hand he would tell you it takes time to build flats, but overnight he openly declare that it is no sweat building estates to house 6.9 million! Can you trust such a person who went to town about morality and asked the WP to 'come clean' over Law SL's EMA, but was completely quiet when Palmer was caught with his pants down! Khaw is nothing but a cheap rah rah politician out to score cheap points with his cheap shots.

Anonymous said...

A clever person could be very despicable when too foxy and with utter lack of respectability.

Anonymous said...

People must learn that voting for a party does not mean giving them a blank cheque to do whatever they please.

bond

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi guys, let's don't get too personal in our comments. Calling names should not be our style of chatting. Let's just talk about factual stuff and leave personalities out as best we can.

Cheers.

patriot said...

It is honesty to call a spade a spade.
And it is alright to swear and curse at bullies which one has no means to get justice with.

What were the causes of downfalls of dictators and regimes?
It is when the People are forced to have them removed.

Will the People remove good and benign rulers?

patriot