About CHEP
While CHEP is justifiably known for the quality of its pallets, containers and other industrial equipment, it is the information systems that control the movement and maintenance of this equipment that enables the company's customers to reap efficiency benefits. Without this state-of-the-art technology, CHEP and its partners would have a difficult time – more... ensuring the right equipment arrives at the right location at the right time. Because of the critical nature of these information systems, CHEP has been on the forefront of meeting the challenges arising from the Year 2000 issue.
For most of the CHEP customers, Year 2000 computer issues are a major concern. The CHEP operating areas shared this concern and started Year 2000 projects more than two years ago. The Year 2000 was identified as a potential problem and the company's information technology departments commenced planning to reduce the impact. CHEP then employed cross-functional teams consisting of external systems consultants, internal technical experts and business managers to begin to figure a solution to the problem. These teams have been working on the Year 2000 readiness effort since 1997.
The good news for the company's hundreds of partners around the world is that all of the CHEP operating areas are actively working toward Year 2000 readiness for all of its computer systems. Managers have already implemented several new Year 2000-ready applications and processes, and are working diligently to ensure that all externally developed systems are also Year 2000 ready.
In Australia, the critical systems have been identified and analyzed for the Year 2000 readiness within CHEP. This work resulted in conversion of their production databases to be Year 2000 ready and development of a plan to replace several systems before the end of the year. The effort is now nearing completion and the company anticipates that all of CHEP Australia's internal computer systems will soon be Year 2000 ready. In addition to the remedial work on CHEP Australia's internal systems, all new development since 1995 has been designed to be Year 2000 ready.
More important to CHEP Australia customers are developments with the two computer systems used to assist in the management of CHEP hire equipment. The current release of CHEPMate (6.43), the PC-based package for recording of pallet and other hire product movements and electronic reconciliation of CHEP invoices, will be designed to address all known Year 2000 issues. Testing of CHEPMate is expected to be completed soon.
CHEPCard, the real time system for the tracking of pallet and product movements in the supply chain, has two components; CHEPCard terminals installed in the dispatch/receipt docks and the CHEPCard Management Software. CHEPCard Management Software (CCMS) is written using Microsoft Access 2.0, which Microsoft has announced is not Year 2000 ready.
While the actual non-readiness of Access 2.0 should not affect CCMS, CHEP is upgrading CCMS to Access 97, which Microsoft has announced to be Year 2000 ready. The CHEPCard terminals are reliant on a communications service that is not currently Year 2000 ready, but the vendor has indicated to CHEP that it expects to have Year 2000 readiness for this service shortly.
CHEP Americas developed the Year 2000 ready version of CHEPInfo (v6.0), a proprietary order tracking and pallet inventory-management software, in October 1998. It is CHEP Americas' goal to ensure that all existing CHEPInfo users be upgraded to this version. At the end of first quarter 1999, the upgrade instructions and upgrade diskettes were mailed to all known installed locations.
In the area of electronic communication with its customers ("EDI"), CHEP Americas prefers to use Year 2000-compliant Version 4010 EDI documents. All EDI documents that CHEP Americas exchanges with its customers are Year 2000 ready. However, CHEP Americas is dedicated to reducing burdens on its customers, and thus does not require customers to convert to this Year 2000-compliant version; CHEP Americas' systems are capable of interpreting the century properly. For those customers who have decided to switch to Version 4010, CHEP Americas' EDI department is working with them to convert successfully to the new format.
CHEP Americas continues to survey the systems of its suppliers, transportation carriers, and other third-party service providers for their Year 2000 readiness status. It is CHEP Americas' goal to discontinue using any third parties that cannot represent to be Year 2000 compliant. In addition, where feasible and where CHEP Americas is unable to discontinue using non-compliant third parties services, CHEP Americas is developing contingency plans to address possible failures by these third parties.
CHEP Americas has analyzed its internal computer systems and is developing and testing Year 2000 remedies where appropriate. The test team comprised of technical staff and user experts is currently working on this critical step to ensure Year 2000 readiness. Year 2000 readiness solutions for all critical technology components have been established and are in the process of implementation. Year 2000 test plans are being executed where necessary to ensure readiness.
CHEP South Africa started its Year 2000 project during the early part of 1997. Guidelines, methodologies and reporting requirements were laid down and a project team was then formed. This team compiled an inventory of the systems and applications likely to be affected by the change to the year 2000, which was then analyzed to assess the business critical problems and to prioritize the list of critical systems. Plans were then made for the testing and of the delivery of solutions to any Year 2000 concerns.
The inventory was broken down into computer and non-computer issues. Among the computer issues, hardware, operating systems and software were reviewed. The mainframe was found not ready and is currently in the process of being replaced. A program for the replacement of PC equipment throughout the business has been on going since the start of 1997, and non-ready PC's were identified and replaced first. Upgrades to all file servers have taken place, and networking equipment has either been replaced or upgraded.
Thorough tests of all the ledger systems took place in May and June 1998. All programs, screens and reports were tested in separate test environments using dates before, during and after 1 January 2000 as well as dates before and after the leap to year 2000. During 1998 Impact, the financial system, was replaced with the Encore version and moved to a new machine. Office software is in the process of being upgraded and user's awareness on Year 2000 issues is being addressed.
Early in 1997, CHEP Europe initiated the process of reviewing the impact of the Year 2000 date change upon its complex systems infrastructure. With board sanction, a high level team was established under a European Year 2000 Project Manager to prepare and implement a wide-ranging plan with the goal that all the Information and Operational Systems of the European businesses will be Year 2000 ready.
At the first stage, the program for Year 2000 readiness followed a series of steps to define the magnitude of the problem, establish options for resolution and to select and implement the chosen approach. Following completion of that first stage, a budget and people were allocated to the project, which will address the remedy and replacement of all non-ready CHEP Europe systems. The project team has successfully driven the program forward to date and is now undertaking the remaining testing and associated activities (including contingency planning) to attain project completion. CHEP Europe's goal is to ensure the continued delivery of reliable pooling services to all its customers.
Although CHEP is actively engaged in the Year 2000 readiness effort, given the uncertainty of this process and the reliance on third parties, contingency plans are being formulated for any possible disruptions in CHEP services as well as any supplier of services to CHEP. – less – More from ZoomInfo »
