The Australian Computer Society (ACS) Monday warned the continuing failings of the Australian Customs Service"s new Integrated Cargo Shipping (ICS) system could tarnish Australia"s reputation for ICT development.
The system has not only stymied the flow of goods into the country since going live on October 12 but exposed sensitive customer data.
The ACS questioned whether appropriate project management techniques and governance were applied throughout the A$250 million (US$187 million) ICS project.
ACS chief executive Dennis Furini said given the importance of Australia"s shipping industry and the large volume of goods brought into the country, it is extremely unfortunate that this system has gone live with apparent inherent problems.
With container terminals in Sydney and Melbourne nearing capacity, Furini said Customs needs to find an urgent resolution to the problem to get the ports moving again.
Director of the ACS computer systems and software engineering technical board Associate Professor Karl Reed said technology is vital for enabling 90 percent of business processes.
"With that level of dependence on software systems, it is critical that ICT professionals working on major software projects understand and apply appropriate procedures and standards to ensure these systems work properly once they are introduced," he said.
Furini said the ACS is willing to provide independent and professional input to any inquiry or review once the issues have been resolved.
"This kind of infrastructural software failure can have far greater impact on the Australian economy than the loss of a bridge and we need to learn what lessons we can to ensure this kind of situation can be avoided in the future," he said.