[independentmind]

I wish I could say I was surprised. At one point, a company I was working for hired AA to update its basic accounting system. The contract was for something awesome, around $80 million dollars.

Four years later, the cost had reached over $140 million, and they still weren't done. We pulled the plug on them and said it WAS done. Of course it didn't work right, which cost us probably another $100 million in related expenses.

I have no doubt what you say is correct,but is it possible that the problems with Andersen consulting are more noticeable because they are so prominent? Frankly, my guess is that what you have described is a fairly common occurence with most large consulting practices.

BTW, do you know what the average workweek for an Andersen consultant is? 80-100 hours per week is not uncommon, at least in the big cities. I wonder if that has anything to do with their effectiveness.

[Dog Gone]

I'm sure other accounting consulting firms have done similar things, and much of the blame lays on us for not making certain that the project didn't morph out of control.

I do have sympathy for Andersen employees. The recklessness occurred at the top, not among the people who actually work the books and systems.