While the overall IT budget look strong, with more than one-third of all respondents predicting double-digit increase this year, wholesalers' IT departments may be feeling the pinch: no respondents in this category predicted an increase of 25% or higher, and about 17% of wholesalers predict their budgets would decrease in 1999.
R> Increase More
Than 25% 15.9% 21.1% N/A
Remain the same 13.8% 14.1% 13.0%
Decrease 7.5% 4.2% 17.4%
Even with some last-minute scrambling, virtually all respondents believe their year-2000 efforts will bring mission-critical systems into compliance in time for the new millennium. Respondents' confidence levels about their trading partners, however, are much lower: more than 60% said they were moderately or extremely concerned about others' state of readiness. The point-of-sale is likely to be a particular problem area: among companies that have already experienced year-2000 difficulties, nearly three-quarters involved credit- and debit-card acceptance, with another 17% relating to POS functions.
How would you characterize your company's progress in ensuring that all mission-critical systems will be year-2000 compliant in time?
Y2K: Confidence and Concerns
Total Retailers Wholesalers
On Target, Testing Under
Way or Scheduled 84.5% 81.1%9 5.6%
Behind Schedule but
Expect to Meet
Deadlines 13.4% 16.2% 4.4%
Concerned About Ability
to Achieve Y2K
Compliance 2.1% 2.7% N/A
How concerned are you about your trading partners' year-2000 readiness?
Total Retailers Wholesalers
Extremely Concerned 14.4% 16.2% 8.7%
Moderately Concerned 47.4% 43.3% 60.8%
Mildly Concerned 33.0% 35.1% 26.1%
Not Concerned 5.2% 5.4% 4.4%
If you have experienced Y2K-related problems, which areas have been affected? (Multiple responses allowed.)
