Re: [FT] Robot workersRe: Why superships cost more per mass

> I was mainly viewing it as less "corruption" and more "pork" to tell
the
> truth, I think that that point is valid more so than as "corruption".
> However, there is also a fine line between the two <g>
>
> Once again, there is a less fine line between "maximizing
profitability"
and
> "charging the market price" to "sticking to the government because we
can"
> (remember those $900 toilet seats, and $500 wrenches back in the 70's
or
> 80's?) I would guess that it happens more than we know but less often
than
> we are afraid of...

Sometimes it's simply because the spec is old and it costs less to buy a
piece (which used to be standard but is now obscure) than to change the
specs and republish them.
Sometimes it's because of unfortunate quantity break points.  When I
sold
plastics, a Marine air base used to buy one part from us every few
months,
about $100.50 a shot including a set up charge of $100.  We explained to
them that they should buy a bunch at once rather than pay the set up
charge
each time, but they weren't authorized, so they bought, say, 5
individually
at $505 rather than in a group at $102.50.  That was the Marine Corps;
the