20 August 1998

Debugging Your Software
by
Kathleen Krajewski

Reprinted with permission from the August issue of Association Management, copyright 1998, American Society of Association Executives, Washington, DC.

When verifying year 2000 compliance, take a closer-than-average look at your [company's] software

You more than likely can verify year 2000 compliance for off-the-shelf software by accessing the developer's Web site and checking the version and release number for your product. If you discover that, for instance, the spreadsheet software that you use to store your [company's] budget data is not Y2K compliant, then you must decide whether to upgrade the software to a version that is compliant or export your data to another spreadsheet package. If the developer has a compliant version, you can often download or order the upgrade directly from its Web site.

Potentially more problematic is any software that has been customized for your [company]. For instance, the Y2K bug could be hiding in the back-end database on which your programs reside, the report writer you use to access information, the membership and [company] management modules that store your data, interfaces to off-the-shelf software (for example, your accounting program), and import-export interfaces with outside fulfillment and mailing houses.

Review each component

First, identify the database, report writer software, and programming language on which your vendor built your [company]-specific software to determine if those tools are year 2000 compliant. You can do this by visiting those manufacturers' Web sites and reading their Y2K compliance statements. You should note, however, that each site will likely have a disclaimer stating that while its various products are year 2000 compliant, the manufacturer does not warrant that any party (read: [company] software vendor) using the product takes advantage of the four-digit year structure.

Seek assurance

Next, ask for a certificate of Y2K compliance from your software vendor. Year 2000 certification — provided by some technology certifying [companies] -- verifies that the software meets the standards for being Y2K compliant. Remember, however, that the certification applies only to the vanilla package and not to the customizations or interfaces unique to your [company].

Test anyway

Whether or not your vendor provides certification, test your software for compliance -- and peace of mind. Testing is the most time-consuming phase of ensuring your system's compliance, because you need to execute every program and function that is directly or indirectly date-sensitive.

Suppose, for example, that you extend the term of membership if a member overpays. To see if your dues billing software can pass this Y2K test, copy a subset of your membership (do not use actual records) and generate dues renewals. Than enter overpayments and observe the results. Does the software extend the membership to the year 2000, or does it generate a membership expiration date of 1900? The latter result clearly indicates that your dies billing software is not compliant. You can test new member applications, subscriptions, orders, and so forth in this same manner.

If your vendor cannot install a compliant system by your deadline, then move immediately to select and implement a new system. Focus on priority business applications, and minimize any modifications until you are past the Y2K crisis.