Before the problem can be fixed, all the 2-digit date codes have to be identified. It is estimated that the average company has millions of lines of code. Then, the data itself has to be corrected and tested. There is concern that the management of many companies is not focused enough. The Year 2000 problem has initiated an entire industry of consultants and software vendors for those organizations who want to hire outside contractors to fix code.
Many companies prefer to change the code themselves with software tools.
Perhaps the most important consideration is to allow enough time to ensure adequate testing. Even if managers meet the challenge of getting their own system in order by the Year 2000 it will not be enough. It will be necessary to deal with the situation both inside and outside of the organization. Consideration must be given to make sure that the other companies they do business with are also on track to handle the problem. These projections exclude any costs for the other major offshoot of the problem - resulting litigation.