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by John
Staunton
Although I believe
that the the media has greatly exaggerated the
entire Y2K issue, there are some real concerns for
both your home and business. The inability of
certain computer hardware or software to properly
recognize a date with a year greater that
"99" could potentially cause problems for
computer owners as well as their customers.
Most major
corporations, government agencies and public
utilities have gone to great lengths to ensure their
ability to deliver services beyond January 1, 2000.
But is this true of all small businesses? of those
from whom you purchase goods or services? of your
own PC equipment and programs? While it is doubtful
that planes will fall from the sky or that massive
power failures will leave us all in the dark,
commerce could be affected by computer
date-dependent applications that:
- order inventory based on date
(# of days since last order) - particularly true
for perishable goods but also includes any
consumable supplies, such as prescription
medication.
- place accounts on credit hold
based on account aging or generate invoices
based on a date range.
- prompt actions such as to
contact a customer or mail a catalog based on a
date range.
- manage disk space by
automatically deleting or archiving files that
appear not to have been used for a designated
period of time.
Those who own
computer equipment that performs these functions owe
it to themselves and their customers to test for
possible Y2K incompatibilities and remediate as
needed. Those who depend upon firms that perform
these services would be wise to ensure that their
vendors are prepared.
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