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Message = “
From: phil.norton: GRO _k]
Sent: 08/04/2010 14:25:20
To: D'Alvarez Alan [/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=DALVAREZA]
cc: Dodington Chris [/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=DODINGTONC]; Richardson Debbie DB
[/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=DEBBIE.RICHARDSON]; Jenkins Gareth GI
[/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=GARETH.JENKINS]; Butts Geoff
[/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=BUTTSG]; Allen Graham (BRAO1)
[/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=GRAHAM_ALLEN]; Welsh Graham
[/O=EXCHANGE/OU=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=WELSHG]; Prenovost Jean-Philippe
[/O=EXCHANGE/O I=ADMINGROUP1/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=BRAJPREV]; john.wheeler
kevin.tallboyé
[/O=EXCHAN
will.russell!,
Subject: RE: Final Balance Report issue for Branch Trading Statement
Alan
As discussed at the interim JSB please be advised that POL do not accept
the latest Fujitsu response.
The area that Fujitsu need to re-consider concerns the proposal from POL
Legal “that Fujitsu will, at it's own expense, provide a commitment to POL
to assist in trying to prove the integrity of the system in any subsequent
legal action".
This was not evident in the proposed final version of the statement.
In the statement from Fujitsu they seek to limit the cost of their
involvement in any subsequent legal proceeding to be “in accordance with
the existing contractual arrangements"
As the error is entirely of Fujitsu's making they should not seek to limit
their assistance as per the contract.
would you please arrange for the statement to be revisited and a more
agreeable form of words to be proposed.
Thanks and Regards
Phil Norton
Project Principal
IT - Post Office Ltd
Future walk, Chesterfi
Tel!
Mob}
w--------------------------- >
Phil Norton I
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-——-+
08/04/2010 10:30
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, "Dodington chris"
>, “Jenkins Gareth GI"
Welsh Graham" <
<john.wheeler
<mark.burley@ “andrews Mark"
I Subject: RE: Final Balance Report issue for Branch Trading Statement(Document Tink: Phil
Norton)
>
Geoff
Thanks for this response.
I will forward on to POL legal to get their view on the revised submission.
Regards
Phil Norton
Project Principal
IT - Post_office Ltd
Ik. ch fiel
» "Dodington Chris”
, “Jenkins Gareth GI"
“welsh Graham" ;
"Prenovost Jgan= .
<
<kevin.tal1boy
Phil,
Please find enclosed the Fujitsu response, which has now been approved
by the legal and commercial leads. Alan can either bring a signed copy
to Old Street next week, or send you a soft copy separately.
Regards,
Geoff
Original Message:
From: phil.nortor
[mai ltof
Sent: 29 March 2010 15:
To: Butts Geoff
Cc: D’Alvarez Alan; Dodington Chris; Richardson Debbie D
Jenkins
Gareth GI; Allen Graham (BRAQ1); Welsh Graham;_Prenovest.Jean-Phi lippe;
kevin. tal lboyi....
> mark.burley’
Balance’ Report issue for Branch Trading Statement
john.wheele!
will.russel
Subject: Fw: Fina
Geoff
We have now received feedback from our legal team regards the
consolidated
response Fujitsu provided regarding the issue with the Final Balance
Report
for the Branch Trading Statement.
As previously reported at the JSB - our legal team are generally happy
with
the statement, however there are two amendments they wish to be made to
the
content of the "response". These are concerning two specific questions;
1. Can Fujitsu Provide a Statement Proving the Integrity of the Data is
not
compromised in any way, and the only impact is incorrectly reported
data?
Fujitsu confirms that this defect relates specifically to the
printing of Report data, and is not related in any way to the underlying
branch data held in the operational HNG-X system.
POL Legal proposal;
Fujitsu confirms that this defect relates specifically to the
printing of Report data to support the production of the office's Branch
Trading Statement created immediately following the offices migration
onto
the HNG-X system. This defect results in a discrepancy with the volume
data
reported in the Final Balance Report following the printing of the Trial
Balance Report, and is not related in any way to the underlying Branch
Data
held in the operational HNG-X system.
This in no way compromises the underlying Data held in respect of
the
individual branch or the system as a whole.
2. Can Fujitsu provide a commitment to support POL in proving the
integrity
of the system in any subsequent legal action (specifically where the
difference in the two reports is used as a
means to challenge the integrity of the system)?
Yes, Fujitsu is willing to provide commitment to assist in trying
to
prove the integrity of the system in any subsequent legal action.
POL Legal proposal;
Fujitsu is convinced of the integrity of the HNG-X system and as
such
will, at it's own expense, provide a commitment to POL to assist in
trying
to prove the integrity of the system in any subsequent legal action.
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There is also a requirement that the "response" is formalised on Fujitsu
headed paper and signed by a suitably qualified/empowered individual. It
acceptable that the "letter" is sent electronically.
would you therefore please confirm that these proposal's are agreeable
Fujitsu - and action accordingly.
Thanks and Regards
Phil
Principal Analyst
Post Office Ltd.
I To: Dawn Brooks/e/POSTOFFICE@POSTOFFICE, Andrew
Winn/e/POSTOFFICE@POSTOFFICE
I ce: Jane E Smith/e/POSTOFFICE@POSTOFFICE
I
I Subject: Fw: Final Balance Report issue for Branch Trading
statement
>
Dawn/Andy
Please see the "statement" from FS regards the Final Balance Report
issue
for Branch Trading Statement.
I have responded as detailed below - and would now ask that you review
the
content and provide comments to me.
Also please forward to Legal to obtain their view regards it's relevance
should we ever end up in court and a Spmr questions the integrity of the
HNG system (specifically citing this issue as evidence to support their
claims).
A speedy response would be appreciated.
Thanks
Phil
Principal Analyst
Post office Ltd.
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I cc:
“Dodington Chris"
“Richard:
"Jenkins Gareth GI lenI
i. Grabam. (Bean. “welsh Graham"
GRO.
to
john.wheeler
Geoff
Thanks for this - I will run it past our Finance and Legal people for
agreement.
One concern I do have is in the “what is Fujitsu doing to resolve”
section.
It states
In the short-term, before the fix is deployed into live, Fujitsu
has
written a KEL which includes instructions to the HSD to give
advice
to Postmasters. The advice is to use the Trial Report, which is
correct, and to discard the Final Report.
We cannot advise the Branch to discard the Final Report as it is a
legal
document and the Trail Balance is not. The Trial balance can be amended
Cindeed if a mistake is identified that is what we would expect to
happen)
numerous times - potentially resulting in the Subpostmaster retaining a
Trial Report that bears no relation to the "discarded" Final Report. If
we
have advised the Subpostmaster to discard the Final Report we would
definitely leave ourselves exposed; and with the best intentions, FS
wou
not be able to support/defend POL’s position.
That said I will await Legal's view, but in the short term must insist
oR ee does not advise the subpostmaster to discard the Final Report -
Should advise them to retain both. These will subsequently (should the
nee) be collateral in any proceedings.
Regards
Phil
Principal Analyst
Post Office Ltd.
Postline:.) } Mobex:
GRO},
nal email: f
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_4 “Allen Graham
chris"
“welsh Graham"
“Richardson “Debbie pe" I
"Jenkins Gareth GI"
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I Subject: Final Balance Report issue for Branch Trading
Statement I
Phil,
Please find enclosed a consolidated response to your requests for
further information with regard to the Final Balance Report for
the
Branch Trading Statement, that I've agreed with our legal team.
Background
During Branch Trading Statement (BTS) Production the report is
produced twice in the form of:-
* A Trial Report to allow the Postmaster to check
that
the data is correct.
A Final Report which is produced after the Trial
Report has been confirmed. This indicates that the Branch
has
rolled over in the next Trading Period.
The BTS consist of two parts: -
A Summary of Stock Unit and Suspense Account
activities (relating to Cash and Cash movements) over the
Trading Period.
2. Consolidated Stock Levels for all Volume Stock
Items.
Problem Description
On the Final Report, the Stock Holding figures in the second
section
of the Report are incorrect on the final balance.
Points to Note
The first section of the Final Report (relating to
Cash
and Cash movements) is correct.
The figures that are stored as Opening figures for
the
new Trading Period are correct. To expand on this slightly, at
the
time the Final BTS Report is produced some Opening Figures for
the
Suspense Account are stored back in the BRDB and these figures
are
h from the first part of the report and so are not corrupted by
the
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defect and therefore are correct.
The figures on both sections of the Trial Report,
(which
the Postmaster is asked to check) are correct.
Cause
The root cause of the issue is that the code that re-prints the
report makes incorrect use of the cache of data held at the
counter
final
the
the
the
there
for generating the report as it is printing the report.
To expand on this a bit further: -
1. When the BTS is being produced, it is done based on
data written to the Branch Database (BRDB) whenever a Stock
Unit Rolls over.
2. BTS Production retrieves this data from BRDB to the
counter.
3. The counter then uses it to generate the Trial BTS
4. There is a defect in the way that the report is
produced such that some of the in-memory copy of the data is
overwritten when the Trial BTS is produced.
A consequence of this is that when the final BTS is
produced it is using incorrect data.
The problem has been fixed by ensuring that the
BTS uses the original data retrieved by the counter at step
rather than the data left over after step 4.
The problem was first reported by warwick and they
pointed out that the trial Balance figures were correct and
Final Balance figures were incorrect.
8. Comparing the Trial and Final balance figures with
corresponding Stock Unit Balance Reports shows easily that
Trial Balance is correct and the final Balance is incorrect.
9. None of the incorrect data is stored to BRDB so
is no possibility of ongoing corruption of stock levels.
Key Questions
can Fujitsu provide a complete and comprehensive list of all
products
the
by
where the volumes on the Final Balance Report differ to those on
Trial Balance Report?
All figures relating to the Volume Stock Holdings can be corrupted
the bug, but not necessarily all the figures will be incorrect.
How Has the Defect Arisen?
The defect is a software issue that was not detected in
application
left
to
01.08.
has
testing by the Joint Test Team.
what are the Impacts of this Defect - detailing all stock items
affected?
All the Volume Stock items in this section of the report could be
affected.
what is Fujitsu doing to resolve this defect?
Fujitsu has developed a software fix that resolves the issue by
ensuring that the Final Report uses the original data retrieved by
the counter at Step 2 described above rather than using the data
after Step 4. This is a counter fix that is currently scheduled
be delivered within the next Maintenance Release for HNG-X -
In the short-term, before the fix is deployed into live, Fujitsu
written a KEL which includes instructions to the HSD to give
advice
to Postmasters. The advice is to use the Trial Report, which is
correct, and to discard the Final Report.
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Can Fujitsu Provide a Statement Proving the Integrity of the Data
not compromised in any way, and the only impact is incorrectly
reported data?
Fujitsu confirms that this defect relates specifically to the
printing of Report data, and is not related in any way to the
underlying branch data held in the operational HNG-X system.
Can Fujitsu provide a commitment to support POL in proving the
integrity of the system in any subsequent legal action
(specifically
where the difference in the two reports is used as a means to
challenge the integrity of the system)?
Yes, Fujitsu is willing to provide commitment to assist in trying
to
prove the integrity of the system in any subsequent legal action.
If you have any questions on this, please come back to me.
Regards,
Geoff
Geoff Butts,
Programme Manager, HNG-X Release 1,
Royal Mail Account
Practitioner, P&PM Academy
FUJITSU
Ty
Fujitsu Services Limited, Registered in England no 96056, Registered
office 22 Baker Street, London, W1U 3BW
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