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Title: How to 2000 Author: Dean Sims, Jeanne Minahan Robinson, Christopher McConell, Eileen Silo, Jay Shapiro Publisher: I D G Books Worldwide Date Published: December 1997 ISBN: 0764531018 LOCN: QA76.76.S64H69 1998 Dewey: 005.1/6 21 Pages: 589 Figures: 238 |
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This thick book is primarily addressed to software project managers for large year-2000 compliance projects. As such, it has a wealth of step-by-step project planning details. It is the best-organized and most comprehensive I have seen on the subject. It addresses in considerable detail the issues that must be considered, as well as possible time-budgets for different project phases. While the range of issues dealt with is expansive enough for a large enterprise, project managers for smaller projects would do well to consider all the issues described in this book, and then make an informed decision regarding areas where a smaller-scale project might streamline the process. It should be useful even if you already have a project underway, as a point of reference to judge your own project against, as a sanity check.
If you are just now starting a year 2000 compliance project, you may very well feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. I certainly was when I read the book. [Although I have spent 18 years in the computer industry, including three years as Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Georgia teaching Software Engineering, I have never had to manage such a large, time-critical project]. Nonetheless, I could not find much to find fault with in the book. My only comment is that perhaps in some cases a shrewd project manager might be able to squeeze the schedule a little tighter by staggering or overlapping to some extent the project phases. But doing so would require extremely good insight into both the nature of the project process and the problem domain. While an outside project management team might be able to provide the former, only visionary members of your own industry will be able to provide the latter.
If you are wondering what the year-2000 issue is all about and how it might affect you, this is not the book for you. I suggest that you check out Yourdons' book for an overview of the possible impact of the year 2000 computer bug. But if your company has determined that a year 2000 project is needed, and if you have any management, project leadership, or oversight role in such a project, then this book should prove invaluable.
I also highly recommend the book to journalists, government regulators, and legislators seeking to evaluate statements made by companies and government agencies regarding the current state of their year-2000 readiness programs. By knowing in some detail all the things which must be accomplished, it becomes much easier to ask probing questions to determine the actual status of a project.
The book also comes with a CD-ROM containing various software tools related to planing and management of a year 2000 compliance project. The software requires various Microsoft tools, such as Project, Access, PowerPoint, Windows 95 or above. I have not evaluated the merits of this supplementary material.
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Phase 1: Planning and Awareness
Chapter 2: Phase 2: Inventory
Chapter 3: Phase 3: Triage
Chapter 4: Phase 4: Detailed Assessment
Chapter 5: Phase 5: Resolution
Chapter 6: Phase 6: Test Planning
Chapter 7: Phase 7: Test Execution
Chapter 8: Phase 8: Deployment
Chapter 9: Phase 9: Fallout
Appendix A: Problem Definition Catalog
Appendix B: Solution Sets
Appendix C: Legal and Contract Considerations
Appendix D: Sample Presentations
Appendix E: Applicability of Tools
Appendix F: Key Tasks Outline
Appendix G: Year 2000 Repository
Appendix H: Integrated Project Plan
Appendix I: How To 2000 Risk Management
Appendix J: Steps To Prepare Your PC for the Year 2000
Appendix K: What's on the CD-ROM?
Title: How to 2000 : Raytheon E-systems.
Published: Foster City, CA : IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.,
c1998.
Description: lvii, 589 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. + 1 computer laser
optical disc (4 3/4 in.)
LC Call No.: QA76.76.S64H69 1998
Dewey No.: 005.1/6 21
ISBN: 0764531018 (pbk.) : $34.99
Notes: "Authors, Dean Sims" and others-- Cover p. [4].
Includes index.
System requirements for the accompanying computer
disc: PC with Windows 95; Windows 3.1, or Windows NT; 16 MB
RAM; 15 MB hard disk.
Subjects: Year 2000 date conversion (Computer systems)
Software maintenance.
Other authors: Sims, Dean.
Control No.: 97074336
I have taken this program and I highly recommend it to all health-care providers - Orville R. Weyrich, Jr PhD NMD. 
For more information, see: The CSI Report and Video and Become a New Patient Magnet |