Expensive Mistakescoopsweb asks "What's the most expensive mistake you've ever made? Should I mention a certain employee who caused 4 hours worth of delays in Central London and got his company fined £500k?"
No points for stories about the time you had a few and thought it'd be a good idea to wrap your car around a bollard. Or replies consisting of "my wife".
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chthonic, Thu 25 Oct 2007, 11:26)
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This has to be the winner...surelyI used to live in Plymouth, and a friend worked at Devonport dockyard, refitting nuclear submarines. Basically, a sub would come in, they'd strip it, inventory everything and replace any parts or kit that were missing or broken.
Anyway, one sub had a problem with a big circuit board, something to do with the missile firing system. So the boss ordered a new board. Except he didn't...somehow he managed to order two by mistake. These things are custom-built using special components (EMP-proof or something), take months to arrive and cost an absolute metric shedload of cash. We're talking a career-threatening waste of money here, and the boss is fearful for the consequences.
So the unwanted board is surreptitiously buried in a skip, and no-one ever notices.
The cost? Approximately one million quid.
(, Thu 25 Oct 2007, 19:46, Reply)
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