April 30, 2009 - Perhaps They Should Have Tested More - Manitoba Public Insurance

What does a $100,000 typo look like?

(a $100,000 typo - Manitoba driver's license style)

Everyone knows that a typo is a low-severity, low-priority bug, right?

Well as Manitoba Public Insurance learned, sometimes a typo which slips through into production can be a rather expensive proposition - both monetarily, and politically as well.

Tory MPI critic Cliff Graydon said the money is being wasted as the error was surely preventable, considering the licences should be proofread.

 

But Graydon was also concerned the error is a sign the government insurer is in over its head when it comes to producing not only regular driver's licences, but the new radio-frequency enhanced licences as well.

 

"These simple things can't even be controlled, and now they want us to trust them with our privacy on the enhanced IDs?" said Graydon.

Some highlights:

• num?ro instead of numéro
• about 45,000 misprinted driver's licenses needed replacing
• a $100,000 typo
• licenses should have been proofread
• error originated with MPI software

Perhaps they should have tested more.  Or failing that, at least proofread more.

See Also:

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/04/28/9281076.html
http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/04/29/9285451-sun.html
http://www.portageonline.com/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=9&category=21&article=12172&Itemid=86
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mpi-replaces-faulty-drivers-licences-43961952.html