TCMS software can be bought off the shelf

When Sylvia Lim asked Boon Wan whether one month termination period was sufficient for the new management to take over a town council and introduce a new management system, Boon Wan offered her two possibilities. One was to ask for an extension of the existing system and alternatively just buy a standard software in the market. Based on his experience, such software is quite common, could be generic and many companies are using them.

I think this is a reasonable advice as a town council management system is nothing extraordinary that you need to customise it which will mean costing a bomb. By the way, what is it that is so special to want customisation? And even if customisation is needed, is it something so difficult to modify or add on to a generic software package? Boon Wan has a good point there. His experience will tell him that a town council management system does not need any leading edge or frontier science software technology to function. Aljunied should just buy off the shelf.

Of the whole debate on the AIM saga, this is the most important and valuable point raised by Boon Wan.

If Aljunied GRC would to buy off the shelf, and with a little customisation, I think, off the cuff, it should not cost more than $140k and with customisation maybe $200k at most. I cannot imagine an off the shelf software would cost that much. Ok throw in a couple of millions for safe measures. Definitely cheaper than the $23.8m paid in the past and the $16.8m that is going to be paid.

Why must town councils go and ask for tender to develop a brand new town council management system instead of buying off the shelf and do a little customisation? Such a system normally can last for centuries and, if need be, a little modification will do the job as the functions are quite standard and generic in nature.

Why doesn’t all the town councils just buy one off the shelf and every other town council can use it? Sure will have a lot of savings. It would be a good idea to call off all the tenders and just buy one that is easily available at a fraction of the cost. Boon Wan could help the Town Councils save a lot of money by issuing a directive on this if still in time.

Perhaps there should be a new review committee to look into the necessity to tender and develop new town council management software and why a simple thing like buying off the shelf was overlooked. This looks like a case of group think. Like the kids driving their minis, and because one modified it, everyone also wants to modify without looking at the necessity or alternative options. Dunno how much money could be saved if Boon Wan’s suggestion is accepted?

The Town Councils or Parliament should acknowledge this great money saving suggestion from Boon Wan.