Word is out on Y2K, but some aren’t getting it

The word about Y2K is more than out. Still, a surprising number of
businesses seem to be ignoring it. Several Rhode Island organizations
are trying to change this. They are offering seminars, workshops, and
referring businesses to a variety of resources that can help them deal
with a problem that affects all aspects of business.
The Providence branch of the Small Business Administration on
Westminster Street is among them. The administration is sponsoring a
series of forums, and will have additional seminars coming after the
holidays. In addition, the administration is guiding businesses through
a three-step process to solve the problem.
The first step is the self-assessment phase, in which a company
evaluates all of its inventory, from hardware and software to scanners
and operating systems. What comes as a surprise to many companies is
that this is actually the most time-consuming aspect of dealing with the
problem, said Jim L. Lavin, an SBA economic development specialist and
the administration’s Y2K coordinator.
“Whatever time you use to address the problem, about 70 percent of it
will be absorbed in self-assessment – a lot of people are not ready for
that,” Lavin said. “The cure is not the time consuming and difficult
part.”
The cure is the next step. Once you’ve completed the assessment phase,
the administration directs businesses to work with their vendors and
outside consultants to make the actual corrections. The third step,
Lavin said, is to stay informed. Even after you think you’ve solved your
own problem, you need to be sure your suppliers have solved theirs. He
added that it may be necessary to re-test your inventory, as the
administration will be doing with its own inventory, Lavin said.
The admin-istration’s business information center in Providence can
provide guidance on all how to implement all of these steps. Businesses
may also download information on how to go through this process by
clicking onto the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/y2k or by calling the SBA
at 528-4561.
“What we’re trying to do is get the message out,” Lavin said.
“Shockingly, a lot of businesses are not working on the problem.”
Jim Welch, of the Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Service, RIMES,
agrees that many companies have been lax. And he urged companies to seek
the help that they need before it’s too late. Anyone who waits until
late 1999, he said, may find it impossible to hire the consultants they
need – who will all be helping other companies.
RIMES is also sponsoring forums to address the issues, including a
series of breakfast seminars that are held at the Providence Marriott.
The sessions, which cost $20, will be held again in January and
February. RIMES will also sponsor one-day training sessions on Jan. 26,
Feb. 16, and March 16. In the day-long sessions, participants will be
divided into groups and forced to solve a problem, which helps them
solve the problem when they go back to their business. The session cost
$100 and is limited to 20 people. To register, call Terry Charles at
621-5710.
The Rhode Island Year 2000 Association is a newly formed group of Rhode
Islanders in business who gather periodically to discuss Y2K issues and
to share knowledge and resources on the issue. It also conducts
bimonthly seminars in which outside experts are invited to speak. The
sessions may increase in frequency because of demand, said Richard F.
Hawkins, communication officer for the project.
The association provides people with an opportunity to get straight
information on the problem and what resources are best, Hawkins said. He
noted that while there is a lot of information available on the Web, not
all of it is credible. Membership in the association is $50 for
individuals and $250 for corporations – which includes unlimited
memberships. The association is also accepting $1,000 sponsorships, in
which the sponsor will have his or her name placed on the association
Web site
www.riya.org. For more information about the association, email Hawkins
at rhawkins@riya.org.
The Small Business Development Center at Bryant College is also reaching
out to companies. It is also sponsoring Y2K forums, with meetings
planned in January, February, and March. Time and dates will be
announced. Each conference will have a different theme, and some of them
require advance registration. For information on how to register for any
of the development center’s upcoming forums, call the training center at
232-6000 extension 25552.