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From: jeff@wjvax.UUCP (Jeff Albom)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: $1288 ashtrays
Message-ID: <532@wjvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Jul-85 12:39:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: wjvax.532
Posted: Tue Jul 30 12:39:48 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Aug-85 10:00:47 EDT
References: <537@leadsv.UUCP> <724@vortex.UUCP>
Reply-To: jeff@wjvax.UUCP (Jeff Albom)
Organization: Watkins Johnson, San Jose, Calif.
Lines: 36

>
>
>Ah!  Some contractors may kick and scream--but it makes no difference--
>a rose by any other name...
>
>Yes, paperwork adds to costs.
>Yes, many items are overspecified.
>
>That's still no excuse for the sorts of things we're seeing.  A spec
>that says an ashtray must withstand 2.5 G means you build it from
>metal, not out of kleenex.  And let's look at the more frequent, and
>probably even more costly, cases.  How about the one for the little
>plastic feet on the bottom of office stools?  I seriously doubt
>that there was a separate spec for that--nor that it was involved
>in much separate paperwork.  But when one of those little 25 cent
>suckers split, the replacement part cost was something like $150 from the
>stool manufacturer, apparently.  Nothing like cost effectiveness.
...

>--Lauren--

This article was obviously intended for net.flame.  I would suggest that
if you do not understand or comprehend the full extent of military
procurement regulations and MIL level documentation requirements, then
you should not make misleading accusations as above.  Most military  
equipment have drawing requirements of a totally unbeleivable nature.
If you have never attempted to document to DOD-D-1000 level 3 requirements,
then you can never understand the costs that are incurred.  Do you
understand the basics of business such as overhead, flat line loading, etc.
True that prices are incredibly out of line for a lot of what the 
government buys, but perhaps 90% or more of that price (especially for
normally inexpensive items) is due to government requirements.  And that's
before you get to procurement snafus.  Change a number or 2 in the line
items ordered and you just bought harbor mines instead of a wrench socket.

                                                jeff@wjvax