The first and the most important requirement to deal with the situation is to treat it like a business and not an IT problem. It is not only the units which use computers which are at risk but the most innocuous of establishments using outdated equipment can also be affected because of their interaction with other units.

Calling it the "outflow effect", Girish Vaidya, director and head operations, ANZ Grindlays, says that a businessman who doesn't work on computers can face problems if his suppliers who use computers do not deliver on time because of their systems going haywire. "The person will lose his goodwill as his supplies to his customers will alsoconsequently be affected."

Vaidya says that it is very important for businessmen to talk to their business contacts to ensure that they are Y2K compliant. "One shouldn't try to intimidate one's contacts but should urge them to get compliance so that problems in the future can be avoided." It is not only the computer systems, but any equipment with some form of electronic control which are at risk. Consumer products using embedded computer chips can malfunction as a result of the Y2K problem. Some of the systems used in offices that might fall prey to the problem include answering machines, desktop computers, laptops and notebooks, copiers, faxes, telephone systems, mobile telephones, voice mails, still and video cameras and time recording systems.

Equipment used in buildings like airconditioners, back-up lighting and generators, burglar and fire alarms, door locks, heating and ventilating systems, elevators etc. can also get affected.

Businessmen should take immediate steps to find out the compliancelevel of existing products and not make any purchases without being completely sure that it is Y2K safe.

To be on the safe side, all computer systems should be considered guilty until proved innocent, says Lalit Sawhney, chairman, CII core group on Y2K. The problem is not limited to the old COBOL programmes. It is existing in X-base applications too. In 1997, 47 per cent of computers produced globally were found to be non-compliant. However, small entrepreneurs using computers should not panic as there is a strong possibility that many of their computers may not be affected by the millennium bug. Says T R Padmanabhan of NIIT Ltd., "First it should be ascertained whether the programmes being used by a firm are date aware or not. If they are not then there is no need of taking action as they will not be affected."

But for all other programmes that are date aware it is imperative that steps are taken to attain compliance. Firstly, a detailed list of the equipment in the business should be drawn up. Each itemshould contain the name of the person who dealt with the inventory of each item, a unique reference number, identifying information and description of the item, its users and how it is used. A database should be created to store the information. The inventory information plus a chart showing how everything fits together will allow the entrepreneur to list all systems in order of priority. The systems that are found to be having Y2K problems should either be repaired, replaced or scrapped depending on the discretion of the entrepreneur.

If a system or application cannot be upgraded or modified by the manufacturer, then the owner will have to modify it by moving it from a two-digit date environment to a four-digit one. The ideal way of correction is the date expansion method where two-digit dates are physically rewritten and changed into four-digit ones.

There is another technique called windowing, whereby the two-digit dates are not changed but the programme or system is set up so that when it encounters atwo-digit date it assumes the century. A typical windowing solution might assume that any year date between 00 and 29 would be a twenty first century date, so that 13 would be assumed to mean 2013. All other numbers from 330 to 99 would be assumed to be twentieth century, so that 49 would be assumed to be 1949.