What Are Strengths And Weaknesses Of Bureaucratic Organisation?

Bureacracies are normally accused of terrible inefficiency and rigidness.  I read an article once by a guy who said that bureaucracies are actually very efficient and people complain because they have to have al their ducks in a row in order to accomplish anything.
Income tax might be a good example.  The system drives you nuts but if you follow it precisely, you'll get the right answer.  
If you were to study the terrible calamities that have happened recently such as bridge collapses, U. S. Economy collapse, terrorist attacks, etc,  think you could make a case that a good bureaucracy controlling the oversight of these entities might have prevented some of the disasters.
I worked in government for 38 years.  In just about every case where bad things happened, someone didn't follow the procedures that might have prevented it.
Bureaucratic procedures will most always make it easy to determine who is accountable.  You notice nowadays, there is very little incidence of someone being held responsible and that is one of the reasons similar problems keep on occurring.