Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) experienced another IT fiasco in 2015, where 600,000 payments failed to enter accounts overnight, causing significant inconvenience to customers [36886]. This incident occurred seven months after RBS was fined for an IT meltdown in 2012 that left millions of customers locked out of their accounts for days. The previous incident in 2012 led to the bank being fined and the then CEO forfeiting his annual bonus [36886].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
The article mentions that Lloyds and Nationwide, among other lenders, have also faced problems with their systems, with Nationwide's customers experiencing online payment delays in the same week as the RBS incident [36886]. This indicates that software failure incidents are not isolated to just one organization but can affect multiple organizations in the banking sector. |
Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be attributed to contributing factors introduced by system development or updates. In the case of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) IT fiasco, the incident was caused by a computer problem that led to delays in payments entering customer accounts [36886]. The bank mentioned that the computer problem causing the delays had been fixed, indicating a design or development issue that needed resolution to prevent similar incidents in the future.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be linked to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system. In this case, customers were affected by missing or delayed payments, which impacted their financial situations and daily activities [36886]. The bank advised affected customers to visit branches or contact call centers for assistance, highlighting the operational aspect of dealing with the aftermath of the glitch. Additionally, customers expressed concerns and frustrations on social media platforms like Twitter, indicating the operational challenges faced by both the bank and its clients during the incident. |
Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was primarily within the system. The incident was caused by a computer problem within RBS's systems that resulted in delayed payments to and from customers' accounts [36886]. The bank acknowledged that the payments were not missing but were delayed due to the glitch, which had been fixed [36886]. RBS assured customers that they would not lose money as a result of the issue [36886].
(b) Additionally, external factors such as customer reliance on these payments and the impact on their financial well-being were also evident. Customers expressed concerns and frustrations on social media platforms like Twitter about missing payments affecting their ability to pay for essential expenses like food and transportation [36886]. The incident had real-world consequences for individuals like Jack Admans, who missed a job interview due to not receiving his monthly wage on time [36886]. |
Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the RBS case was primarily due to non-human actions. The incident was caused by a computer problem that resulted in delayed payments to and from customers' accounts, affecting hundreds of thousands of transactions [36886]. The bank mentioned that the payments were not missing but were delayed, indicating that the issue was related to a technical glitch rather than human error [36886].
(b) Human actions also played a role in exacerbating the impact of the software failure incident. For example, the bank faced criticism for the delay in resolving the issue, with customers expressing concerns about missing payments for essential expenses like food and transportation [36886]. Additionally, the bank's response to affected customers, such as advising them to visit branches or call centers for assistance, could be seen as a human action that influenced the customer experience during the incident [36886]. |
Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article does not mention any specific hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident at the Royal Bank of Scotland [36886].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software failure incident at the Royal Bank of Scotland was primarily attributed to a computer problem that caused delays in payments, which was later fixed [36886]. |
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is non-malicious. The incident at the Royal Bank of Scotland was due to a computer problem that caused delays in payments, affecting customers' accounts. The bank mentioned that the payments were not missing but were delayed, and they were working to update the payments for customers by a certain deadline [36886]. |
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was primarily due to poor decisions. The incident was a result of an IT glitch that caused delays in processing payments for customers, affecting around 600,000 payments. This failure was not accidental but rather a consequence of underlying issues within the bank's systems. The bank had previously faced a similar IT meltdown in 2012, for which it was fined £56m, indicating a pattern of poor decision-making in managing its IT infrastructure [36886]. |
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) can be attributed to development incompetence. This is evident from the fact that RBS had previously experienced an IT meltdown in 2012, for which they were fined £56m. Despite this prior incident, another IT fiasco occurred in 2015, causing delays in processing payments for customers. The chairman of the Treasury select committee, Andrew Tyrie, criticized RBS for not acting quickly enough to restore the delayed payments, emphasizing that the restoration of payments should be a top priority, especially for those in financial need [36886].
(b) The software failure incident at RBS can also be considered accidental. The bank's spokeswoman mentioned that the payments were not missing but were delayed due to a computer problem that had been fixed. She assured customers that they would not lose money as a result of the glitch. Additionally, Thinkmoney, which uses RBS systems, expected the delayed payments to come through by Friday at the latest, indicating that the delay was unintentional and efforts were being made to rectify the situation [36886]. |
Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is temporary. The incident involved delayed payments to and from customers' accounts, affecting hundreds of thousands of transactions. The bank acknowledged the issue and assured customers that the problem was fixed, with payments expected to be updated for customers by a certain deadline. The bank also stated that the computer problem causing the delays had been resolved and that customers would not lose money as a result of the glitch. Additionally, the bank advised affected customers to visit branches or contact call centers for assistance [36886]. |
Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash as it resulted in the system losing state and not performing its intended functions. Customers reported missing payments, including wages, tax credits, and disability allowances, due to the IT glitch at RBS [36886].
(b) omission: The incident also involved omission as the system failed to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Customers experienced missing payments, such as monthly wages and benefits, which were not deposited into their accounts as expected [36886].
(c) timing: The timing aspect of the software failure incident is evident as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly by delaying payments. Customers were informed that the delayed payments would be processed no later than Saturday, causing inconvenience and financial distress [36886].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be linked to the value behavior as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly. Customers did not receive their expected payments, leading to financial difficulties and concerns about important payments not being made [36886].
(e) byzantine: There is no explicit mention of the software failure incident exhibiting a byzantine behavior with inconsistent responses and interactions in the provided article.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in the software failure incident is the impact on customers' daily lives and critical events. For example, a customer missed a job interview due to not receiving their monthly wage on time, causing significant personal and professional consequences [36886]. |