A NEW computer system to log the hours worked by thousands of Scottish Government workers has been withdrawn weeks after installation because of major technical problems.
It includes machines which were installed after a tendering process to provide best value for money to enable staff to swipe cards when they arrive at or leave work.
The old system was replaced in September, but reinstalled last week because of glitches in the new technology.
The Scottish Government has refused to reveal the cost of the reversal, the latest in a series of public-sector IT shambles.
These include the launch by NHS 24 last month of a new telecommunications system more than two years late and more than £40 million over the original budget.
However, managers then had to tell staff to use pens and paper to record patient details just an hour after its launch because the system was not working properly.
Audit Scotland has criticised the procurement process for a number of public sector IT projects, including NHS 24 and the Crown Office.
The latest embarrassing setback has hit Scottish Government employees working flexible hours who have used a system to log in and out of work for more than a decade.
The previous support contract was due to expire and a new supplier was chosen for the equipment and software after a “rigorous tendering process that focused on lifetime running costs”.
But when the new swipe machines were introduced, the new system was described as “very, very slow”.
Some employees’ swipes did not register, said an insider, and there were problems when senior staff tried to organise staff time to accommodate time off such as for doctor’s appointments.
Staff swipe a card on arrival in their office. They can then update their work status later in the day at their own computer terminal, recording when they take their lunch break, for example.
Around 6,000 staff depend on the system to monitor their working hours across key offices, including Atlantic Quay in Glasgow and St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh.
There are 49 swiping-in terminals across the different sites.
The insider said: “Who is footing the bill for all this? The system was supposed to have been extensively tested but it could not handle the volume.
“Every Scottish Government project to do with IT seems to run into difficulties.”
Questions have been asked about the cost of returning to the old supplier while the issues are sorted out. In a separate case, Audit Scotland found that using their old technology platform much longer than planned had cost NHS 24 £450,000 a month.
The Scottish Government would not reveal the costs involved in re-installing the old swipe terminals and reverting to their previous supplier, insisting the information was subject to commercial confidentiality.
A spokeswoman said: “We’re committed to enabling our staff to work flexibly, promoting a positive work-life balance and supporting an individual’s personal or family circumstances. This includes the use of a flexible working hours [flexi] system that enables staff to record their working hours.
“We are currently in the process of transitioning to a new flexi system but some issues have been identified which we are working closely with the suppliers to resolve. In the meantime, to avoid any disruption to staff, we have enabled temporary use of the previous system.”
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour public services spokeswoman, said : “Every penny of the Scottish budget needs to be used effectively, and the Scottish public needs to have faith that their taxes are being spent competently. This looks like yet another example of wasteful spending from the SNP Government, and yet another botched IT project.
“Following hot on the heels of problems with IT systems in NHS 24 and Police Scotland the SNP need to seriously look at the value for money they are getting. At a time when our public services are facing huge funding challenges money cannot be thrown down the drain.”
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