I’m sure we all have experience of projects which go over budget and run past their deadlines – but can you imagine a website that costs you over two and a quarter million pounds more than you’d bargained for, and launches almost four years later than projected?
When we read about poor Birmingham City Council’s website project, which is in just the state described above, we didn’t know whether to laugh or cry in sympathy. Clearly, an ambitious online presence for the council of Britain’s second city is not going to be a simple job. No-one would envy the council as it attempts to deliver an all-singing, all-dancing solution, representing the city’s many stakeholders – and all from the public purse.
A council, one might argue, will always find the money it needs, one way or another. For a business, on the other hand, such budgetary derailing could spell bankruptcy. This story made us realize, once again, the value of our one-price packages. We can certainly guarantee you that we’ll never present you with a bill of £2.8 million, nor indeed will we charge a penny above what is initially agreed.