The Big 3 and Y2K Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors have something new to offer again, but this time you can't drive it home. It's a strategy to use EDI to communicate with them for suppliers. The temporary solution interprets two digit years when transmitting data. As long as transactions continue with just two digits, a commonly easy solution to connect applications being made 2000 compliant is needed.
Trading partners have to know what the other one is doing and agree to do it that way.
GM will be the first to make the switch. Chrysler plans to use the temporary way to interface EDI that already exists for a couple of years and use four digits in new EDI efforts. But, for now, they will also do things temporarily. As the BIG 3 update their standards, suppliers will have to use the four digit date format.