Tap into the Web for Y2K help
As the channel prepares for the year 2000, the winners will be Y2K-compliant suppliers
By Sara Procknow -- Industrial Distribution, 6/1/1998
The countdown has begun for the Year 2000. Are you ready? Are your computer system, software programs and Internet service provider ready?By now, you've probably heard about the Year 2000 crisis. For those who aren't aware, computers have been programmed to abbreviate years from four digits (1998) down to two digits (98). However, when the year 2000 arrives, none of the programs utilizing this shortcut will be able to differentiate the year 1900 from 2000.
Distributors who have online ordering and e-commerce capabilities are particularly vulnerable to what's being dubbed the "Millennium Bug." Considering how every electronic order via the Web is dependent on computer-driven dates -- scheduling shipments, expediting orders, making payments -- the computer not knowing if it's 1900 or 2000 could turn out to be a major problem. E-commerce as we know it could come to a screeching halt.
The big question is this: Can the "glitch" be fixed in time? The answer is yes. The time is now to call software/hardware providers, including Internet service providers and arrange to be put on the list. Yes, you read correctly, there is a waiting list at many software/hardware houses to assist customers in their quest for Y2K compliance.
For distributors, this could be an opportunity to shine. ISO-certified suppliers get special "preferred" status among their manufacturers and customers. Y2K-compliant suppliers will be treated in a similar fashion. If you do not use Y2K-compliance as a competitive advantage, the distributor down the street will. This is also a great time to update your computer systems, especially your Web site. In the wake of recent acquisitions, many distributors are using a miss-match system of computers just to keep their day-to-day operations and Web site in tact. What better motivation than a deadline?
I know if I was a distributor, my second biggest worry would be about manufacturers' and customers' readiness for the Year 2000, especially when it comes to online ordering. Can a manufacturer receive and expedite orders for Jan. 1, 2000 off their Web site? Can customers order via the Web, and receive then expedite payment?
The distributor is caught in the middle -- this time it's the Y2K phenomenon. No matter how prepared distributors are, or how advanced they are in the area of e-commerce, if the manufacturer can't get product through, and the customer can't pay for it, it won't matter. Look internally at your computers, software and Web site, and survey your partners to ensure complete compliance through the channel. Don't be the weak link in the supply chain.
According to Purchasing Magazine, buyers are ranking various suppliers, those most critical are given top priority in Y2K plans. Make sure you're on that list: get online-ordering Y2K compliant and then let customers and key prospects know you're ready for their orders. Shout it from the rooftops and, most of all, "advertise" your Y2K readiness on your Web site.
If you're confused and looking for help, you're not alone. There are many Year-2000-specific Web sites dedicated to providing information and resources. A few useful sites include:
* The Year 2000 Information Center (www.year2000.com) has a lot of good, general information.
* The Law, Politics & Business of Year 2000 (www.cominks.com) devotes a section of its site to business. Especially useful it the "Supplier & Customer Conference" page.
* ID Online, in conjunction with Manufacturing Marketplace, also has an entire new area devoted to the Year 2000 issue. It delivers Y2K articles, forums and analysis critical to all aspects of manufacturing and distribution. From the I.D. Web site (www.inddist.com), click on the Manufacturing Marketplace link in the top left corner of the page; or, log on to: www.manufacturing.net/y2k
As the channel prepares for the date change to the year 2000, the winners will be those who can best supply product through the channel. It's never been more important to take stock of your companies computer system and Web site.
Send your comments to Sara Procknow at sprocknow@cahners.com or call (617) 558-4289.
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