Lead times: three areas where time could run out

The absolute deadline for Y2K fixes - December 31, 1999 - is not moveable. Areas with the longest lead times for Y2K fixes, and Y2K fixes which where the work cannot easily be divided up or automated, need to be addressed first, while adequate time remains.

A customized application may take many months to fix, depending on the age, size, and complexity. And since many applications are forward-looking, because they use future dates, there could be Y2K problems well before December. Assessing customized applications should be the first thing that departments do, to minimize the likelihood that applications can't be fixed in time.

Any standalone building access control system (other than metal keys) needs to be examined as soon as possible, if not already done. The time needed to fix or replace the system may be many months.

Research equipment with Y2K problems may require replacment equipment or components, both of which could have lead time of many months. To avoid interruption of research work, or of student instruction, we strongly recommend that the assessment phase for research equipment be completed no later than the end of June.

Creating a comprehensive plan
A comprehensive plan for a department should include all areas where Y2K problems are possible, assignment of responsibilities, estimates of expenditures or staff hours needed, and a timeline for completing all Y2K work. Six documents are provided to departments to help create such a plan:

• A template, in Microsoft Word 6.0 format, for creating a departmental plan. (Clicking on this link should give you the option of "Save File;" save the template to your hard drive, noting the directory you've saved it in; then open it with your normal word processing program.)
  
• Comments and suggestions regarding the template, including how much detail should be included and what decisions need to be made.
  
• A sample plan

Tracking Y2K problems and progress
Once the department has a plan, it should track progress as well as specific problems found. Two documents are provided to departments to help do this tracking.

• A template, in Microsoft Excel 5.0 format, for doing departmental tracking of Y2K progress in most areas of the plan. (Right-clicking (PC users) or click-holding (Mac users) on this link should give you the option of "Save File;" or "Save link as;" save the template to your hard drive, noting the directory you've saved it in; then open it with your normal spreadsheet program.)

• A sample tracking spreadsheet, also in Microsoft Excel 5.0 format.

• No spreadsheet viewer? click here to download the free Microsoft Excel Viewer. Size: about 3 megabytes.

  
  

Reporting on Y2K progress
A number of people are likely to be interested in how Y2K work in a department is progressing: the department head, faculty and staff, and the Dean, Assistant Vice Chancellor, or others to whom the department reports.

Both the Y2K departmental plan and the spreadsheet tracking departmental progress are reports of sorts. However, the first (in the example and template provided) is basically designed to ensure responsibility and control, not progress, and the second may be overly detailed for many readers. Accordingly, a sample monthly status report is provided.