Publication Date: 1997 | Series: Software Engineering Series
If you want to find out how Fortune 100 companies are solving the Year 2000 problem and apply their methods in your own enterprise, business or organization, a new book from International Thomson Computer Press is what you need. Year 2000 Problem: Strategies and Solutions from the Fortune 100, by Leon Kappelman and members of the Society for Information Management (SIM) Year 2000 Working Group, has been called "a gold mine of solid, practical strategies for solving your specific year 2000 problem" by Bob Thomas, publisher of the Year/2000 Journal.
A consortium of 52 authors with 10 editorial assistants have contributed to the development of the book, directing all royalties toward non-profit use. Among the Year 2000 strategies described in detail are tactics instituted at the Chubb Group, Chase Manhattan Bank, Union Pacific, and IBM. These case studies clarify problems of estimation, cost, scheduling, testing, risk management, and liability, among other critical elements of the process.
With its eminently practical approach, Year 2000 Problem: Strategies and Solutions from the Fortune 100 is the most informed, focused, and ready-to-use guide yet to appear on the problem. An accompanying CD-ROM includes a vendor risk assessment strategy, a business risk assessment database, a project management database tool, PC test software, and a file conversion utility.
Despite its title, Year 2000 Problem: Strategies and Solutions from the Fortune 100 is not a collection of corporate case studies. Rather, it is a varied collection of essays, from over 30 contributors, focusing on a wide range of year 2000 issues.
Most of the material is intended for non-technical readers. The book's topics include project management, cost estimation, raising the awareness of year 2000 issues within a corporation, and even the legal ramifications of year 2000 bugs. While a minority of these essays sound a predictable drumbeat of doom, most cover interesting and even offbeat topics--everything from why silver bullets won't work to the issues of employee compensation and retention in a market full of lucrative consulting opportunities.
Some contributions will be of interest to technical managers. Examples include a discussion of programming alternatives to full date-field expansion, a look at the particular problems of database environments, an essay on testing issues, and an essay on the risk that year 2000-compliant systems may become contaminated by non-compliant external data.
The essay format means that you'll have to wade through some information more than once. The advantage is that you'll get a far more multifaceted look at the issues and better drill-down on specific problems than any single author could have provided. People involved in serious year 2000 projects will probably want to get as many perspectives as they can. Although some parts of this book are on the lightweight side, Year 2000 Problem: Strategies and Solutions from the Fortune 100 contains more than enough in-depth information to make it worth your time.
About the Author
The author, Leon A. Kappelman, Ph.D., of SIM and the University of North Texas, is widely regarded as a top expert on the Year 2000 problem. He is joined here by SIM colleagues from such major business and governmental entities as IBM, L.L. Bean, ComputerWorld, GIGA Group, Hubbell, Milliken, MCI, Equifax, CIGNA, Wells Fargo, Kraft Foods, the State of Texas, and the State of Washington, as well as Year 2000 consultants to Fortune 100 companies and government agencies.
Leon A. Kappelman, Ph.D. is a research scientist, teacher, author, speaker, and consultant dedicated to helping organizations better manage their information, systems, and technology assets. He is Director Emeritus of the Information Systems Research Center and a Professor of Information Systems in the Information Technology & Decision Sciences Department of the College of Business at the University of North Texas, where he is also a Fellow of the Texas Center for Digital Knowledge.
Dr. Kappelman founded and chairs the Society for Information Management's Enterprise Architecture Working Group. He has assisted many public and private organizations with technology management activities including strategic planning, governance, software development, project management, enterprise architecture, continuity of operations, and IT workforce management. He has given presentations and written articles on these and other IT management topics, and testified before the US Congress on technology legislation and IT management practices. He has lectured and conducted seminars and workshops on many management, business, and technology topics in North America, Europe, and Asia. His work has been reported in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, Newsweek, Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, L.A. Times, and scores of other newspapers and magazines; he has appeared on CNN, CNBC, PBS, ABC World News Tonight, as well as numerous local and regional television and radio stations. He brought nearly $2.5 million in research contracts to the university.
Dr. Kappelman's professional expertise centers on the management of information and technology and includes enterprise architecture, software project management, software development and maintenance, continuity of operations and emergency management, management of change, performance measurement including metrics development, IT-related legal and ethical issues including intellectual property matters, and high-tech and public policy concerns like privacy, security, and software quality. He has worked with organizations involved in banking, insurance, aerospace, defense, health care, education, telecommunications, retail, all levels of government, not-for-profits, sales, marketing, distribution, electric utility, petrochemicals, as well as other economic sectors. Professor Kappelman's pro bono work includes testifying on high-tech issues several times before the US Congress, speaking at a United Nations IT conference, participating in White House industry round tables, serving on the American Heart Association's IT Expert Panel, editing five books, founding and leading the Society for Information Management's Enterprise Architecture Working Group and their Year 2000 Working Group, and founding and serving as a member of the three-person steering committee of the UN and World Bank sponsored Y2K Expert Service Volunteer Corps.
Professor Kappelman has published several books, over 100 articles, and his works have appeared in the Communications of the ACM, MIS Quarterly, Journal of Management Information Systems, Decision Sciences, IEEE Software, Project Management Journal, InformationWeek, Computerworld, National Productivity Review, Industrial Management, and the Journal of Computer Information Systems. He edited the SIM Guide to Enterprise Architecture (CRC Press, 2009, in press), authored Information Systems for Managers (McGraw-Hill, 1993); co-edited Y2K Endgame Strategies: Risk Management, Testing, and Contingency Planning (SIM International, 1999); and edited Year 2000 Update: Key Issues and Research Reports (SIM International, 1998), Year 2000 Problem: Strategies and Solutions from the Fortune 100 (International Thomson Press, 1997), and Solving the Year 2000 Computer Date Problem: A Guide and Resource Directory (SIM International, 1996).
Additional information about Professor Kappelman and his work can be found on his website at http://courses.unt.edu/kappelman/ and he can be reached by email at kapp@unt.edu.
