After inventory and assessment : what was found out and what was done about it

Some of the methodologies, techniques, dependencies and lessons learned regarding the year 2000 (Y2K) project currently underway at PanCanadian are described. The Y2K problem, which is a date related malfunction associated with the turn of the century, may affect computers and automated control systems. The cost of fixing this world wide problem ranges from $52 billion to $2 trillion. At PanCanadian, central to ensuring that the entire corporation is ready for the Year 2000 is a dedicated project team in the information technology (IT) department who manage all the life-cycle software for the company. IT staff purchase, install and remove all obsolete software and data. Inventory, testing and remediation of all software, hardware and embedded systems are the basis of the plan of action adopted by the I.T. Y2K project team. Dealing with Y2K problems of business partners, and planning for business interruption are special problems for which different approaches have been adopted. PanCanadian's disciplined approach to address the issue has worked well, so far. Key findings include: constant communication about the Y2K at all levels of the organizations, encouraging business units to take ownership for Y2K readiness, prioritizing effort to ensure focus on high impact areas, awareness of the potential uncertainty around important business partners and the need to plan for business interruption. 1 ref., 1 tab