posted 18 November 1998 01:04 AM               

From: "Patrick O'Beirne"
Subject: Re: Q: Y2K Issue in IT /Cottier/O'Beirne

>I find it interesting in applying some quality management principles and
>perspectives to the Y2K panic.

I've posted this before to this group, in Sept. 1997 and March 1998, but
here it is again now that people are listening
----------------------------------------------------

I have permission from Chris Hawkins (Perspective Technica) and Margaret Ross (Southampton Institute) to share the following ideas with you. Their paper (with Geoff Staples) is in "INSPIRE II - Process Improvement Training and Teaching for the Future", the proceedings of the BCS QSIG INSPIRE'97 conference in IVF, Gothenburg, Sweden, August 1997. ISBN 1 899 621 18 0 Published 1997 by SGES Publications : Ms Kit Stones, The Conference Team, 17 Spring Road, Kempston, Bedford MK42 8LS, UK.

Failure to commence to take adequate and effective action has already resulted in major non-compliances issued against Clause 4.14.3 (Preventive action) which in its sub-clauses places requirements on the organisation to: (a) To detect, analyse, and eliminate a potential cause of non-conformity;
(b) determination of the steps needed to deal with it;
(c) initiation of preventive action [and also] the application of controls
to ensure it is effective.

Evidence of a disorderly 'Year 2000' programme might raise a nonconformity
against clause 4.2.3 (Quality Planning)

An insufficient budget might raise a nonconformity against Clause 4.14.1, action taken shall be to a degree appropriate to the magnitude of the problems and commensurate with the risks involved.

If sufficient care is not taken relating to the organisation's suppliers,
then it might be vulnerable against:
4.6.2 Evaluation of subcontractors
4.6.3 Purchasing data
4.10.2 Received inspection & testing

Embedded processors could be involved in:
4.9b use of suitable production installation and servicing equipment
4.9g suitable maintenance of equipment to ensure continuing process capability
4.11 Control of inspection, measuring and testing equipment

Supporting guidance documents ISO 9004-1:1994, Clause 11.3, reminds us that "Attention should be paid to computers used in controlling processes, and the maintenance of the related software".

New development and maintenance activities could be nonconforming against:
4.4.4 Design input
4.4.7 Design verification
4.4.8 Design validation
4.10.4 Final inspection & test

If a large organisation has not been doing enough to educate its product managers, a nonconformity against Clause 4.18 (Training) might be raised.

If a supplier has product maintenance or servicing commitments, then failure to alert or upgrade a customer to Year 2000 compatible product reissues could be a nonconformity against clause 4.19 (Servicing).

Chris Hawkins may be contacted at Perspective Technica
Tel +44 118 947 7441
Fax +44 118 946 4532