Problems Ahead?

Problems Ahead?
Y2K Compliance A Concern

by Scott Hoover

No one knows for sure how much trouble will occur at the stroke of midnight, Dec. 31, 1999, when computer clocks roll everywhere. Some fear the worst: More than half of the technology executives polled by C/O magazine say they will avoid flying commercially on Jan. 1, 2000. Another survey found that 38 percent of information technology industry professionals plan to pull money from banks and investments just before 2000.

Even if planes don't fall from the sky and banks don't lose people's deposits, experts say we all will experience inconveniences from what is becoming widely recognized as the Year 2000 problem (Y2K).

These issues are a matter of great concern among users of computer-based equipment including salon management systems. Some of the consequences of equipment not properly representing the date simply are annoying; others could be very serious in their potential to cause financial harm to individuals and organizations.

Simple Is As Simple Does

As glitches go, the Y2K problem is simple enough. The "millennium bug" or Year 2000 date rollover problem refers to the inability of some computers and computer-based systems to properly differentiate between the year representations of "00" as 1900 or 2000, and "99" as 1999 or 2099. Most systems use such two-digit year representations instead of the full four digits. Initially, this was done to save keyboard entry time and to conserve on expensive computer processing and storage resources. Although the processing and storage issues are no longer a big concern, the two-digit format remains easier to use from an operator standpoint and probably will remain in use despite the programming ambiguities.

Fixing the Y2K problem also is simple--in concept. Someone must examine every line of code in every computer, locate the instructions regarding dates, and rewrite them to accept 2000 as a year designation. But despite the rising din of warnings, surveys indicate that too few managers in business and government recognize how little time is left to complete the task.

Fears also seem to be subsiding among the U.S. population even as many say they will prepare for the worst. In a recent USA TODAY/National Science Foundation poll, 34 percent expect "major problems" in 2000, down from 48 percent in June 1998. According to one source, this is an alarming trend.

According to the June 8, 1998, issue of U.S. News and World Report, there are five major myths concerning the Y2K problem that need to be addressed. They include the belief that there is plenty of time to fix the problem, that someone will find a quick fix before all the problems occur, that enough money and manpower are being used to fix the problem, with so many new computers out there, surely they can't be vulnerable to a problem created 25 years ago and, finally, it won't affect me.

All five myths create their own problems; however, the last two seem to be the most unsettling when considering small-business owners, including indoor tanning salon operators. For example, salon owners might feel that because the indoor tanning industry is relatively young, the Y2K problem will not affect industry computers. However, the notion that the Y2K problem applies only to old systems can give a false sense of security.

Ironically, one reason the Y2K bug has survived is the concept of "backward compatibility," which was introduced in the 1960s to bring order to computer development. IBM and other computer companies, realizing they couldn't expect clients to buy new software every year, made sure that each new model largely was compatible with earlier programs. However, that created an environment in which the old Y2K bugs have been able to worm their way--program by program--into the most modern equipment.

"For individuals in the indoor tanning industry, there are a number of aspects to consider when dealing with the Y2K problem," says Joseph Smith, director of software development for San Francisco-based QDM Co., Inc. "There are a lot of archaic computers in our industry and internally these computers just don't have the ability to process the Y2K problem. In addition, salon owners should already be seeing what type of Y2K problems they might have by seeing what their computers are doing with annual packages that expire next year. If the expiration date jumps into the year 2000, generally speaking on a very superficial level, the computer is recognizing the year 2000. Whether the associated reports recognize the year 2000 is a whole other issue."

The second myth is that the Y2K bug will not affect me. Rather naive thinking even for the most novice of small-business owners, many believe the problem has no impact on their lives. However, while most large businesses, banks and financial institutions have spent lavishly to prevent massive Y2K problems, smaller ones abound that have not. Already some debit machines at checkout counters have rejected credit cards with year 2000 expiration dates. So, even if your salon's computer and software equipment is Y2K-compliant, what if the credit union you bank with or the distributor you purchase lotions from, is not?

There are a number of actions that can be taken to ensure Y2K compliance for your hardware and software. First, using Y2K problem detection tools for the PC, check all systems. Replace or upgrade equipment if the bug is found. In addition, contact manufacturers to get additional input; however, make sure to run your own tests.

And, just because your equipment is newer, don't underestimate the Y2K bug. It is estimated that 47 percent of all 1997 PCs and as many as 79 percent of PCs built prior to 1997 will fail the 2000 compliance test. Most older-generation mini and mainframe systems were designed with the space-saving two-digit date field and should be upgraded or replaced.

"Even if you have recently purchased a computer system, salon owners need to make sure the equipment is Y2K-compliant," says Mike Young, owner and president of Roswell, Ga.-based Interactive Designs, Inc. "If you purchased a lower-end computer, the BIOS or brain of the computer might have been programmed pre-1997 and therefore might not be Y2K-compliant."

Second, check all types of software. Check that all year date fields that perform calculations are formatted with four digits. In addition, if you are using "00" or "99" as dummy data to indicate dead or expired accounts, you need to convert those into another format.

"If salons have any of the older software that were built in DOS, quite likely they are not Y2K-compatible," says Smith. "In addition, some of the new Windows software programs also are not Y2K-compatible. Salon owners should check with whoever the manufacturer of the software is."

Salon owners also will want to identify key business functions, processes and facilities that may be affected by the Y2K problem and replace affected items. Also, develop contingency plans to handle your business needs in case you experience Y2K problems with your computers, devices or building systems. Finally, make sure to identify and contact key providers of supplies and business services about their Y2K compliance plans.