by Milt Vine
It's gotten to the point where my first reaction when the Y2K topic comes up is an exasperated, "Just get here, already!" Still, there are worries.
We've all heard the scenarios: banks shut down, no electricity or phones or computers. And yet, we hear almost as often that the issue isn't all it's cracked up to be, that too many "experts" are making a fortune from our fear. Who are we to believe?
Unfortunately, I have no crystal ball. But I will say this: by now, we've already chosen which side we believe, whether we meant to or not. As I heard at a recent seminar, it might already be Y2Late.
The Obligatory Definition. Y2K stands for Year 2000, of course, the name given to the situation we'll face at the end of this year when hardware and software of a certain age refuses to accept 00 as a shortened form of 2000. Instead, the system will either reject information completely or jump back in time and assume the user means the year 1900.
Because of this we've all been exhorted to become "Y2K compliant" or "Y2K viable" by checking and then updating with patches and upgrades when necessary. To do so is time-consuming and possibly pricey, but doable. Most of us have muttered, "Better safe than sorry" and done what we can.
But what about everyone else? I might be compliant, but how do I know the status of my vendors' machines and software?
The Vendor Letter. To answer these questions, many companies have taken to sending out letters to their vendors. We've gotten quite a few of them at Seattle Bindery.
Some have been great, asking pertinent questions in a way that help us discover what we have and haven't done. On the other hand, another batch of checklists we've received just aren't going to cut it. They're too simplistic and offer no opportunity for follow-up.
After all, if you're asking a question, but not doing anything with the answer, then why waste your time-or your vendors?
For example, on several of the questionnaires we received, I noted that Seattle Bindery was not compliant in one or two areas at the time. Since then, we have done the work and believe we are now compliant. However, no one checked back with us, so they wouldn't know that. My assumption is that these letters are used as a form of comfort. The thinking goes: if these are filled out by our vendors, then we've done what we can.
But, though that kind of thinking is understandable, I'm convinced the situation can't be addressed that easily or in one standard way.
The Big Question. At Seattle Bindery, we faced the same question as everyone else. Do we ask or not?
Our choice might surprise you. We decided not to ask our vendors anything about their Y2K compliance. Why? Because we knew that if we did, we'd have to follow up in a way that made the effort worthwhile. First, we had to determine the impact upon Seattle Bindery if the answer we received was no.
We decided that the loss of any single vendor wouldn't kill us. Because we're in the post-press business, we purchase materials from numerous sources, and none of them singly constitute a large percentage. It's our customers who provide the raw material, so we decided the level of risk was tolerable. We'll be harmed only if whole industries are effected.
The situation isn't the same for printers, I know, where paper can account for half of costs, or more. Also, printers rely on binderies in a local marketplace, while our vendors are national.
The Grand Summation. Please, don't get me wrong. My goal here isn't to depress printers and please binders. Instead, I'm trying to point out that the Y2K situation must be approached individually. The same letter or list of questions isn't going to work for everyone. Or, like us, you might have decided not to ask at all.
Either way, I hope you've made your decision already. At this point, 2000 is close enough that even no decision is a decision of sorts.
Honestly, I hope the problems are minimal. In the meantime, you might
want to check out www.seattlebindery.com where we have some good links to more Y2K
information.
Milt Vine is president of Seattle Bindery, a postpress house
specializing in custom tabs and presentation folders; folding and stitching; foil
stamping, embossing and die-cutting; plastic spiral, Wire-Oš and perfect binding. You can
reach Milt at 425.656.8210. For more information about Seattle Bindery, check out their
web site at www.seattlebindery.com. ©1999, Seattle Bindery.