Use it or lose it

It boggles the mind that, with all the technology available, going to the SA Post Office (SAPO) to collect a parcel could take up an entire lunch hour. It seems the Post Office's promised injection of millions into IT could very well fail to make any difference to the user's experience.

Sadly, the Post Office is not alone in its inability to make the best use of information technology for the advantage of South Africans, as millions have been spent on systems at various government departments, deployments that have simply failed to deliver any benefit at all.

Last year, SAPO said it would issue tenders worth R249 million before the end of the financial year in March 2011, to upgrade its IT network infrastructure. The money would go into aspects such as the “nuts and bolts” of its network, and would include fibre-optic cables, routers and other equipment.

The Post Office, Parliament was told in November, had to become more efficient at doing business, and become trusted when it comes to delivery and adapt to new market conditions. A top official conceded at the time that SAPO could not currently provide online retailers with a single tracking number and status of a parcel during its progress.

Goodness only knows SAPO could do with some more in the way of IT, as customers are frustrated with standing in never-ending queues while staff rummage around in the back and make phone calls to locate parcels.

My personal experience of standing in the local Post Office for three-quarters of an hour this week epitomises why the office needs to urgently examine its systems - and at the very least move from paper to electronic.

Stepping into the Post Office, it looks like the problem is just a lack of staffing, as there is a queue all but snaking out the door, with only one counter open. But, on finally getting to the front of the queue, after a good half-an-hour, the real cause turns out to be a total lack of use of any of the IT systems at the staff's disposal.

Another 15 minutes were wasted while the teller rummaged around in the back, presumably scratching around in various bins and bags, looking for my parcel. Then, so I was told, she gave up on that mission and picked up the phone to call someone.

The mystery was solved after I returned to the office - drenched, thanks to a cloud burst that arrived while I ruminated in the queue. SAPO has an online track-and-trace system, and I located the missing parcel that way - after spending a quick five minutes on the Net.

The fact that I could locate the parcel - which had actually already been collected - online, begs the question, why did the Post Office staff not also make use of their own, internal, track-and-trace technology?

Yet, instead of making use of the computer at the counter, the branch seems to work based on an antiquated book system. Yup, stuff comes in and gets written down in a voluminous book, which then has to be scratched through to locate anything when customers arrive with slips.

SAPO isn't the only government office that seems to have abandoned the benefits of having a good IT system. The Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (Cipro) has gone back to a paper-based system for making changes to director or company details.

Instead of being able to log onto a secure Web site and enter the details, upload proof and have a confirmation SMSed to the company secretary or CEO, hapless applicants who want to make changes have to stand in a queue, fill in forms and hand in proof of the changes in the form of meeting minutes on a letterhead.

This time-wasting initiative was implemented after mining company Kalahari Resources was “hijacked” and its directors' names changed to other, unauthorised, people.

I located the missing parcel after spending a quick five minutes on the Net.

Nicola Mawson, senior journalist, ITWeb

Cipro says this “new” measure has eliminated any hijackings since it was implemented in October. However, if R90 million had not been wasted on an electronic content management (ECM) system, which was canned after a forensic investigation revealed irregularities, the entire debacle could simply have been avoided.

The ECM system was meant to be an IT overhaul, which should have been in place for when the new Companies Act comes into play in April. However, it won't be because the matter of the canned contract is heading back to court.

The upgrade would have resulted in more effective security controls, cutting out hours in queues and negating the need to dash off to court when your company has been stolen. At the moment, Cipro is spending more money to make sure it is ready come April, and then wants to go ahead with an ECM system anyway. The mind boggles.

Meanwhile, frustrated Joburg citizens are also fed up with a seemingly dysfunctional IT system. Despite the city moving to SAP, at the taxpayers' expense, bills have not been sent out for months, and when they are posted, they're often for ridiculous amounts. According to some complaints, the call centre for Joburg Connect is frustratingly incapable of resolving any of these issues. Oh, and e-service is “under construction”.

South Africans spend an inordinate amount of time in queues, and listening to elevator music while on hold, because of the inefficiency of systems or the people behind the desk using them.

I don't know if anyone has ever done a study into just how much productive time has been lost because of endless queue-standing, or people having to take time off work to sort out some or other issue, but I'd like to see those hours translated into economic cost.

The cost, I bet, will far outweigh what was spent putting idle systems into place in the first place. Add both of these figures together and there is a very good argument for some sort of control mechanism.

Someone needs to make sure the IT investment is not going to waste, and is adding value. The root cause needs to be identified and fixed; otherwise all of SA may as well go back to the paper age. But, don't give up e-mail and resort to snail mail - it's a frustrating experience trying to collect anything from the Post Office.