Computers and the Year 2000

by R David Hill
You’ve probably heard the horror stories. Airplanes fall out of the sky, elevators plunge to the basement, and cars stop dead in their tracks--all at midnight, December 31, 1999. Computers can’t cope with the year 2000, leading to crashes and other undesirable results.

Virtually all firms have some kind of computer system, from venerable old 286s to minicomputers--the “average” firm uses IBM-compatible PCs, running DOS or DOS and Windows. Will they drop out of the sky, too? What should the firm do about the Year 2000?

Most Year 2000 resources have focussed on the awareness level of business managers about the issue. There does seem to be a certain species of author that enjoys fomenting anxiety--they have latched-on to the Year 2000 (Y2K in computer-speak) with enthusiasm. Other tracts are more in the “don’t worry, be happy” vein. Which applies to you?

Most planners adopt a five or six phase approach (terminology may vary but the concepts are the same):

• Awareness
• Inventory
• Assessment of Risk
• Remediation
• Testing and Acceptance
• Implementation

Awareness
The popular press has sketched the problem. Computers and their programs may have trouble working with dates above 1999, because, as a cultural value, computer programmers tried to pack their programs to minimum size. “Why use four digits for a year when you can get away with two?” they asked, “They won’t use this old program more than a couple of years anyway.” So they thought. But the programs are still around--at the heart, in fact, of many large computer systems. Two digit years are everywhere. And that’s a big problem when the year goes from 99 to 00.

The problem really needs to be solved by late 1998, since programs often work a year in advance--some accounting programs can’t deal with fiscal periods that end in the next century, for example. Imagine your balance sheet reading “does not compute” on February 1, 1999.

So, what to do? Fretting is a notoriously poor use of otherwise billable time. You may wish to retain a consultant to fix things up. The most critical factor here is trust. There will be lots of litigation over the Year 2000, a good deal of it because someone promised to fix up a computer system and didn’t. Judgment creditors will be lined up trying to recover from negligent, impecunious computer consultants. It behooves you to use a consultant you can count on.

He or she is going to get busier on this, so now might be a very good time to start. Law firms are not nearly as complex as the larger installations suffering from the Year 2000 migraine--the task is still manageable.

Inventory
The hardest part of the project is sorting out what needs to go from what can be kept -- a Year 2000 inventory of the computer hardware and software at your firm. This may seem simple--but did you think about photocopier tracking, security systems, the firm limousine, and your telephone system? A walk through your office with your consultant can be a good first step.

To save time and money, prepare a preliminary inventory. List as much information as available about hardware and software. For example, at least the model number of each PC will be required, and the complete version number of each software package.

In the end, you should have a comprehensive list of the computer systems in your firm, and the list should include notations about who is responsible for them. For those under another’s aegis (Building Manager for the security system, say), you should be in touch with them as soon as possible to learn their plans to protect you from exposure.

Assessment of Risk
Each item on your inventory needs to be checked for Year 2000 compliance. You might think the answers would be “yes” or “no”--if only that were so. Let your consultant do this for you. He your she should check with the vendors of the products and assess whether the answers are relevant to your business.

As an example, imagine that the maker of your PC advises (or your consultant figures out) that the computer will record dates in the next century, but isn’t capable of switching from one day to the next. Maybe your network can handle that for you, by setting each machine’s date each morning, as it wakes up. If your network never crashes, and you never work through midnight, then that may be a good solution. On the other hand, if your network crashes or the date fails to roll over at 12 a.m., your secretary may be deeply disturbed to find her letters and agreements dated in 1980. This is not someone I would care to share a work environment with at 1 a.m.

Some computer manufacturers simply do not comment on the Year 2000 status of their software. For example, Corel Corporation indicates that WordPerfect 7.0 and 8.0 for Windows are Year 2000 compliant, but is silent on WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows. Commentators wonder if you can count on other assurances.

The result of all this is that you will need to balance the risk of leaving the things as they lie against the potential disruption if that item is not functional on January 2, 2000 (or perhaps, January 2, 1999). Especially where a component is critical, you will do well to err on the side of replacement.

Remediation
This is really two phases in one. The first is planning for the repairs, and a second is carrying them out. Suppose you conclude that you would rather upgrade to WordPerfect 8 than take a risk on the uncertain WordPerfect 6.1. You’ll need to include some other details in the plan--can your computers run the new software? Are the hard drives big enough to load it? Will your conveyancing macros run? What will it cost? And so on.

With your remediation plan in hand, you are ready to speak to suppliers and your consultant about putting it in place. Year 2000 demand will drive prices up in virtually all technology sectors next year--”buy early, buy often”.

Testing and Acceptance
A cagey computer consultant will undoubtedly think up some ways to work around the Year 2000, but allow time to test them. With the fixes, new hardware, and new software in hand, the acid test is to reset all computers so that they believe they are functioning sometime in 2000. Be very careful doing this, as it can reset things like the accounting system fiscal period, your B. F. system, your calendar, and so on. It is often difficult to return these to reality.

Be sure to have some formal process in place for indicating your acceptance of the measures taken by your consultants and suppliers. Too often technology projects go astray because one party believes that matters are still up in the air, while the other thinks the task is complete.

Implementation
Having taken a deliberate and cautious approach to the Year 2000, implementation will be a snap. Well, with luck. The usual considerations apply--adequate time for the roll-out, staff buy-in, contingency plans, and so on. With everything operating smoothly weeks in advance, you’ll have a chance to call your classmates to see how their Year 2000 projects are progressing. If you can still use your telephone, that is.

R David Hill is the Director of Technology at Davis & Company. He has been a member of the BC Bar for 14 years.

This article was published in the February 1998 issue of BarTalk. © 1998 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.