UK industry slow over 2000

The majority of UK manufacturers are unlikely to be millennium- compliant in time for 2000 because they have dawdled over the problem, writes Tim Stammers.

A survey of 1,700 sites by Benchmark Research reports that up to three-quarters of UK manufacturers will fail to meet the deadline.

Half of the manufacturers surveyed believe they have either already solved the year 2000 problem, or have an adequate plan in place. But Paul Watts, research manager at Benchmark, believes many are fooling themselves. 'It's really only somewhere between 25%-35% of the market that have looked at it reasonably seriously,' he said.

Watts said that only 25% of survey respondents have written a strategy document. And only 35% of respondents have a written guarantee of compliance from their suppliers.

'We found large companies with no documented strategy. Any company with more than 500 employees will have a fair number of sizable systems, and quite a few bespoke. They won't have time to fix them all,' he said.

One IT director employed by a large manufacturer explained: 'We started dealing with the issue last year - and I wish I'd started three years ago. We didn't realise the huge scale of the task or how much it would it cost. Anyone who doesn't have a strategy in place will be in trouble.'

Simon Bragg, consultant at manufacturing analyst Canbashi, said: 'There's a touching faith in the vendors' ability to get everyone across the millennium. Demand on the vendors will be huge. Not everyone will get across.'