Addressing the impact of Year 2000 - Y2k - on your company...

By Mike Wild

Here are some steps that you should consider when trying to figure out the effect the other Millennium could have on your company.

Put some stakes in the ground:

Understand the potential size of the problem. Prepare an inventory of all automation in your company from the component parts of your systems including, Applications, Office Automation, networks, telecoms etc.

Have a strategy:

The strategy should be based on business driven priorities such as customer care, billing, and quality of service.

Get business buy-in:

Getting a consultant from the IT industry rather than from the firm's IT department might be an idea.

Be innovative:

Recommend new systems - providing there are measurable business benefits. Eg. Upgrade your old software to the latest - hopefully Y2k-compatible - release.

Establish the framework:

To succeed you will need to establish an environment, which is seen as a centre of excellence, has the organisational and political clout to succeed and underpins the whole of your compliance programme.

Rationalise:

Take advantage of current business and systems plans. Now may be a good time to upgrade your customer database.

Involve your suppliers and customers:

Establish a communication plan both internally and externally. Be careful of the Missile Problem: you've fixed all your in-house systems and some external organisation screws you up.

Create a plan:

Make sure you include testing (especially integration), identify project dependencies, plan for contingency and devise some crisis management plans. Be realistic; don't promise anything you can't deliver. Communicate the gaps and ensure that you fully understand the big picture.

Be selective:

In choosing your team make sure that they have appropriate skills that will help you deliver.

Be careful:

Get the appropriate level of agreement from the business for all significant decisions.

There are so many facets of the Y2k Issue, and some are only relevant to individual companies. Computer software is installed in hundred of components and machines that we take for granted every day. Let me list a few that I can think of that could have a potential DATE issue:

Burglar Alarms
Franking Machines
Fax Machines
Network Software
Laptop Computers
Telephone Systems
Calculators with Paper Output
Electric Date Stamps
Electronic Organisers
Time/Date Lock Safes

I am sure you could think of a few more in your office. Just think of the implications if the telephone system or the electronically controlled safe is not Y2k compliant.

There is a pattern emerging after testing some 40 systems and it seems to indicate that there are three types of computer systems BIOS on the systems we tested.

The BIOS will revert back to 1980 on setting the date to Y2k
The date can be changed after Y2k and leap years OK
The BIOS just continues past Y2k and leap years OK

Where the BIOS reverts to 1980 the question is “is there a BIOS upgrade available?” The others are really just to be left as they are.

If nothing else I hope my efforts in compiling this information will make all that read it very much more aware of the problem and what is required. Awareness of the effect the date will have on your business is paramount. There is some duplication of information with different companies. That is intentional, as it strengthens the issue. I also think it is important to point out again that you may, over the next year become Y2k compliant. But look at your suppliers. They may not be informed.

Remember, January 1st 2000 will happen. It cannot be put off, put back or put on hold.

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