Re:CDC website built by Deloitte at a cost of $44M is abando...
by robomartin on Sunday January 31, 2021 @02:18AM
(#25976848)
Not to mention the terms in these kinds of contracts. The only way to deal with them is to charge enough to be protected. I have sold product (hardware) to places like the Navy Surface Warfare Center and White Sands Missile Test Range. If you are not careful you can come out losing in a big way.
For example, for each day/week/month you deliver past the estimated delivery date they discount 5% from your invoice. Sound like great motivation to deliver on time, right? Well, no, it's a guaranteed 100% (or whatever you can get away with) markup beyond what you would have charged because if anything goes wrong you'll go broke.
That said, this issue of super-expensive government websites done wrong feels all too common. You have to wonder how much cash we burn repeating the same mistakes.
For example, for each day/week/month you deliver past the estimated delivery date they discount 5% from your invoice. Sound like great motivation to deliver on time, right? Well, no, it's a guaranteed 100% (or whatever you can get away with) markup beyond what you would have charged because if anything goes wrong you'll go broke.
That said, this issue of super-expensive government websites done wrong feels all too common. You have to wonder how much cash we burn repeating the same mistakes.