| The
"Challenge" Also known as
Century Date Change, the Year 2000 (Y2K) has recently
gained enormous attention in the Information Systems (IS)
world. Unfortunately, there are far more questions than
answers at this point, leaving many IS professionals
feeling uneasy about what "doomsayers" proclaim
as a potentially career threatening situation with
seemingly endless liability issues yet to be considered.
Depending on who one listens to, Y2K is either a crisis
waiting to happen, an overblown situation with easy
fixes, or somewhere in between. While most people who
recognize the Y2K conundrum agree that resolution efforts
begin with a thorough assessment of existing systems
designed to identify affected system components, the next
step tends to be a hotly debated issue in which several
options are available. Managing the Year 2000 effort
will take a cooperative effort in which professionals at
every level will need to be actively involved. System
owners, users, designers, programmers, and maintainers
will all need to understand each others roles. The
reason for such a "team" effort is
straightforward: Y2Ks uniqueness. This
"challenge" is different from most other
efforts in at least two ways. First, Y2K can potentially
affect every system in operation today. This includes
weapons systems and other embedded systems along with
management information systems. The other unique aspect
of Y2K has to do with its deadline. It cant be
slipped. As a result, senior managers face the unenviable
challenge of identifying the affects of Y2K within their
organization and developing sound, economical strategies
to resolve the problem prior to the turn of the century. The "Opportunity" While Y2K is most often viewed as time consuming, mission threatening expense offering no added functionality, the benefits of the Y2K resolution efforts are often overlooked. There are several opportunities that can be taken advantage and should be stressed whenever possible. First, it gives users and maintainers a chance to closely look at their systems and identify those that should be retired, replaced, or redeveloped. It simply doesnt make sense to expend resources on systems that should have been decommissioned long ago. Y2K also forces the issue of standardization, especially for data elements. What better time to start using what was mandated long ago? Y2K resolution also calls for updated, accurate, and reliable inventories, documentation, and repositories. Unfortunately these have often been overlooked and must therefore be addressed. Finally, many of the tools and sevices offered by vendors with Y2K solutions can be used well beyond the Year 2000. These are just a few of the opportunities presented by Y2K. The Air Force Corporate Approach The Air Force Corporate Approach to the Y2K problem is a centralized management focus with decentralized execution. This approach follows the guidelines established by OASD/C3I for a decentralized approach, while reducing duplication of effort and consolidating AF resources, increasing information sharing, and ensuring a corporate strategy that will lead the AF to the Y2K goal, "To provide an Air Force wide coordinated effort that ensures no mission critical system is adversely affected by the TRANSCENTURY CHANGE." |
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Just getting started in the Y2K business, or need a refresher as to why we're going through all this? Read this article. It brings it all back.
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