Costco puts out a one week guide to getting your business through Y2K - only 7 Days

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

This article appeared in the Costco flyer that came to my work.

I find it hard to believe that anyone who has looked into Y2K Preps for a business can expect to have it done in one week.

Perhaps this is why none of the Fortune 500's haven't finished yet - they can wait till the last week!

anyway . . . .

For informational and educational purposes (well maybe to make fun of and find fault with and throw a few sticks and. . . and . . .

=====================================================

If you're one of those people who has not yet prepared your business for the Year 2000, it's time to get serious about the millennium bug. Take just one week to prepare for it, and then you can get back to meeting your fourth-quarter goals. Continue to ignore it, and you may not have a company to run at the end of the first quarter next year. Here's a five-day action plan, Get your key People together and make a list of all items in these categories:

I Computer hardware and software

Manufacturing systems, including automated tools, switching, time clock stamps and robots Communication systems, such as PBX systems, voice mail, e-mail, network links, pagers, cell phones and radios Security systems, such as door openers, safes and alarms o Building systems, including electricity, water, sewer, heating, cooling, lighting, elevators, sprinklers and fire alarms o Credit cards For a more complete list, check the Web site at www- compinfo.co.ukIY2klexamples. htm. Then assign someone to complete the following tasks for each item on the list: o Identify the manufacturer, serial number and model. o Contact the manufacturer to determine if the equipment is date sensitive and capable of rolling the date. Obtain the necessary parts or software to make the equipment Year 2000 compliant. Obtain a statement from the manufacturer that the equipment is Year 2000 compliant. This can frequently be printed from their Web site.

Sit down with your accounts payable and accounts receivable people. Review their master file lists and ask them to indicate which clients and vendors have sent you letters stating they are Y2K compliant. These are fine; it's the others you should concentrate on. Write letters to vendors and customers requesting information on their ability to supply You with or purchase your goods and services. Inquire as to their ability to bill or pay you correctly. For help with this step, go to www.dhagroup.com and print the Y2K supply readiness kit (under "Year 2000 services").

Take the lists you made Monday and Tuesday, and locate all of the license and maintenance agreements from your suppliers. Check to see what their obligations are to provide you with software updates and what you must do. Review agreements with customers and vendors. Many of these contain Y2K clauses and spell out each party's responsibilities for interruptions to the flow of goods and services.

Thursday's task is identifying backup systems for when something shuts down for a few hours or a couple of days, creating minor interruptions in the flow of goods and services. Which of these are critical to your making a profit each day? o Utilities o Communication-telephones, Internet, e-mail, mail delivery o Transportation o Buildings, such as offices, stores, customer counters, warehouses o Suppliers (items for retail or raw materials) o Customers-regulars, walk-ins and prospects o Computer databases and reporting systems o Money--cash, banking, deposits, receipts For each item on this list, identify the following pieces of information: o Current supplier, customer, user o Amount of time delay before business is affected o Alternative sources, purchasers and methods to obtain information o Lead time required o Person in charge of malting the decision to put the alternative plan into action Now that you have identified the resources, contact them and establish a business relationship. Alternative sources may not be available for non-customers when resources are scarce. Also, bankers and other lenders always want proof of your ability to repay them. Will you be able to provide this if you can't get product or deliver it? Remember the UPS strike a few years ago? Computer systems will need some additional contingency planning. Take into account the time it will take to upgrade the software and the learning curve for everyone to learn the new systems. Some older systems may have to be replaced. That means identifying your current and future needs, searching for the software, installing it, converting the data, and learning how to use it. Historical data stored in your computer system may not be retrievable. Consider printing your databases on December 30 and saving data to disk. Many times, one software program feeds data to another program's files. The compatibility of these two systems must be tested.

The millennium bug may disrupt your personal life and your employees', too. Consider the possibilities. Any of the following could be affected to some degree: o Home security systems o Banking and lending o Child care o Toll bridges and commuter railroads o Medicines, hospital care and doctors o Insurance o Contact with government agencies The time it takes to untangle problems will create major headaches and stress. These snafus will be related to work as well as to personal issues. Make sure everyone is aware of the potential hazards, and encourage everyone to take a home inventory. Talk to your banker, mortgage lender, credit card companies, childcare providers and other suppliers of goods and services. If they cannot reasonably assure you they are ready, start looking for someone else who will be able to provide what you need. Plan now to he aware of the time it takes to accomplish tasks. Develop a flexible work schedule so that people can take care of their home responsibilities and provide the business with the expertise it needs to remain profitable. Worried employees do not make sound decisions. If you start this one-week program today, the millennium bug may be a minor annoyance-but it won't dampen your growth plans for next year. For more information on preparing for the Year 2000, you can visit the Small Business Administration's Year 2000 Web site at www.sba.govly2k and the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion Web site at www.y2k.gov. 13

Jan Smith is president of Bennington Group. She coaches business owners, facilitates change and builds teams. You can reach her at (916)332-724 7 or JSmith @ Bemiington-Group.con-L



-- Same as B4 (NWphotog@Foxcomm.net), October 06, 1999

Answers

lETS TRY IT WITH FORMATTING

If you're one of those people who has not yet prepared your business for the Year 2000, it's time to get serious about the millennium bug. Take just one week to prepare for it, and then you can get back to meeting your fourth-quarter goals. Continue to ignore it, and you may not have a company to run at the end of the first quarter next year. Here's a five-day action plan, Get your key People together and make a list of all items in these categories:

I Computer hardware and software

Manufacturing systems, including automated tools, switching, time clock stamps and robots Communication systems, such as PBX systems, voice mail, e-mail, network links, pagers, cell phones and radios Security systems, such as door openers, safes and alarms

o Building systems, including electricity, water, sewer, heating, cooling, lighting, elevators, sprinklers and fire alarms o Credit cards

For a more complete list, check the Web site at www- compinfo.co.ukIY2klexamples. htm. Then assign someone to complete the following tasks for each item on the list: o Identify the manufacturer, serial number and model. o Contact the manufacturer to determine if the equipment is date sensitive and capable of rolling the date. Obtain the necessary parts or software to make the equipment Year 2000 compliant. Obtain a statement from the manufacturer that the equipment is Year 2000 compliant. This can frequently be printed from their Web site.

Sit down with your accounts payable and accounts receivable people. Review their master file lists and ask them to indicate which clients and vendors have sent you letters stating they are Y2K compliant. These are fine; it's the others you should concentrate on. Write letters to vendors and customers requesting information on their ability to supply You with or purchase your goods and services. Inquire as to their ability to bill or pay you correctly. For help with this step, go to www.dhagroup.com and print the Y2K supply readiness kit (under "Year 2000 services").

Take the lists you made Monday and Tuesday, and locate all of the license and maintenance agreements from your suppliers. Check to see what their obligations are to provide you with software updates and what you must do. Review agreements with customers and vendors. Many of these contain Y2K clauses and spell out each party's responsibilities for interruptions to the flow of goods and services.

Thursday's task is identifying backup systems for when something shuts down for a few hours or a couple of days, creating minor interruptions in the flow of goods and services. Which of these are critical to your making a profit each day? o Utilities o Communication-telephones, Internet, e-mail, mail delivery o Transportation o Buildings, such as offices, stores, customer counters, warehouses o Suppliers (items for retail or raw materials) o Customers-regulars, walk-ins and prospects o Computer databases and reporting systems o Money--cash, banking, deposits, receipts For each item on this list, identify the following pieces of information: o Current supplier, customer, user o Amount of time delay before business is affected o Alternative sources, purchasers and methods to obtain information o Lead time required o Person in charge of malting the decision to put the alternative plan into action Now that you have identified the resources, contact them and establish a business relationship. Alternative sources may not be available for non-customers when resources are scarce. Also, bankers and other lenders always want proof of your ability to repay them. Will you be able to provide this if you can't get product or deliver it? Remember the UPS strike a few years ago? Computer systems will need some additional contingency planning. Take into account the time it will take to upgrade the software and the learning curve for everyone to learn the new systems. Some older systems may have to be replaced. That means identifying your current and future needs, searching for the software, installing it, converting the data, and learning how to use it. Historical data stored in your computer system may not be retrievable. Consider printing your databases on December 30 and saving data to disk. Many times, one software program feeds data to another program's files. The compatibility of these two systems must be tested.

The millennium bug may disrupt your personal life and your employees', too. Consider the possibilities. Any of the following could be affected to some degree: o Home security systems o Banking and lending o Child care o Toll bridges and commuter railroads o Medicines, hospital care and doctors o Insurance o Contact with government agencies The time it takes to untangle problems will create major headaches and stress. These snafus will be related to work as well as to personal issues. Make sure everyone is aware of the potential hazards, and encourage everyone to take a home inventory. Talk to your banker, mortgage lender, credit card companies, childcare providers and other suppliers of goods and services. If they cannot reasonably assure you they are ready, start looking for someone else who will be able to provide what you need. Plan now to he aware of the time it takes to accomplish tasks. Develop a flexible work schedule so that people can take care of their home responsibilities and provide the business with the expertise it needs to remain profitable. Worried employees do not make sound decisions. If you start this one-week program today, the millennium bug may be a minor annoyance-but it won't dampen your growth plans for next year. For more information on preparing for the Year 2000, you can visit the Small Business Administration's Year 2000 Web site at www.sba.govly2k and the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion Web site at www.y2k.gov. 13

Jan Smith is president of Bennington Group. She coaches business owners, facilitates change and builds teams. You can reach her at (916) 332-724 7 or JSmith @ Bemiington-Group.con-L



-- same as B4 (NW@above.again), October 06, 1999.


BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAH

Yet another reason to shut down costco. straight stupidity.

morons.

-- Mad Max (me@yourmomshouse.fun), October 06, 1999.


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