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A regional railroad speaks of a vague y2k plan. It is three years old. It appears to be in the assessment phase. We read: "Their goal is to develop guidelines, provide information and perform a facilitation role to each of the departments. As departments begin to determine their areas of risk and develop strategies for handling Y2K issues, the steering team members will be there to help." Any team that seeks to perform a "facilitation role" is behind the curve in 1998.
This is why I don't think the railroads will survive.
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Another calendar year has come and gone. A new millennium is on the horizon. As the year 2000 draws ever closer, people around the globe are holding their breath. Because for Norfolk Southern, and for the world, the clock is ticking on a problem of epic proportions: ensuring that all computer systems are able to read, calculate and store the year 2000 and beyond. . . .
For the past three years, NS' Information Technology department has been preparing for the millennium. The effort began with the organization of a team to address the production computer applications that run on the mainframe. This team was established under Dwayne Miller, director-IT Support Services, Atlanta. Led by Roger Brumfield, designer, Atlanta, the team has successfully made 87 percent of these applications year-2000 compliant.
To coordinate NS' planning efforts, a Y2K Steering Team has been established under Linda Wilson, director-IT Business Services, Atlanta. Their goal is to develop guidelines, provide information and perform a facilitation role to each of the departments. As departments begin to determine their areas of risk and develop strategies for handling Y2K issues, the steering team members will be there to help.
Members of the steering team are Ranny Grubb, manager-Customer Integration Services, Danielle Brenner, EDP auditor, and Bonnie Pulliam, designer, all in Roanoke.
Y2K planning is now at a critical phase, one that requires the input of every department. To do this, each department has appointed a Y2K representative. These individuals will work with the Y2K Steering Team to identify and correct potential trouble areas that could have an adverse affect on NS operations. For example, the Transportation department must ensure that NS' locomotives remain operational; the Engineering department has to make sure the phone systems continue to function; Properties has to ensure that the heating and cooling systems operate correctly, and the NS Police must be certain all the security systems remain functioning.
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