The Paperchase: Decade of Change at the DSS - Rilegato

In 1982, the largest-ever civil computerization programme - which was to take ten years to complete - began. The staff of the DSS were using an outdated manual system which was breaking down under the strain of paying over #60 billion to 20 million people every year. The civil servants were drowning under the mountains of paperwork. The working practices of the DSS had to be revolutionized and Andersen Consulting were called in by the Government to advise and direct the operational strategy. Huge budgets were at risk, as were reputations. It was a step into the unknown, and yet this innovative alliance of the Government and the private sector was to prove that two totally different cultures could work together and achieve what they felt was impossible.