Testing and documentation standards were provided to ensure consistency of results in the implementation phase. The most critical aspect of the Year 2000 Project involved testing and certifying the results of all remediation efforts. Much of the Project's time and resources were directed towards certification. Rigorous and intensive testing began as systems were remediated and will continue throughout 1999. This testing will attempt to verify that all systems function correctly in both 20th and 21st century environments.
Testing extends to interfaces with key business partners.
A comprehensive procedure has been implemented to ensure that systems that have been certified as being Year 2000 compliant are not corrupted by the introduction of data or processes that have not been certified. New inventory items, data, and business processes are thoroughly tested before they are put into production environments. New internally developed systems are also subject to strict guidelines to ensure that they are consistent with The Compliance Assurance Process . At the end of the third quarter all four phases of The Compliance Assurance Process are essentially complete. Virtually all of our critical systems, including embedded technology, have been remediated or replaced and have been rigorously tested for compliance.