Updated on Tuesday, October 20, 1998 at 21:19 GMT

Ciba Speciality Chemicals

Ciba Speciality Chemicals solved their millennium issues using MS4. Today Macclesfield, tomorrow the world! After three months of commuting between Ciba's UK headquarters and their various bases here and overseas, the ten IT specialists that make up Ciba's millennium compliance team completed the UK pilot project in early November. They have now embarked on the task of implementing it internationally within the company. The team compromised of both external consultants and internal experts. The project, in particular, addressed the challenge of ensuring that new software is in place long before the millennium. The new software was designed to safeguard Ciba's international Supply Chain Management system and Business Support Centre structures from being affected by the 2000 date change-over. The implementations started in June 1997 within all the BPCS software sites, around the globe. Ciba - A worldwide roll out Terry Gorman, IT Director, discussed the Ciba experience with MS4 News; "Ciba Speciality Chemicals was spun off as a totally independent $10 billion CHF company operating in over 38 countries in March 1997. Initial standardisation had to be focussed on BPCS version 4. However, without remedial action, these BPCS based Supply Chain and Financial systems would cease to function as the year 2000 approaches. MS4 was selected as a simple and effective solution, and work to introduce it is already underway. After a very successful pilot, we are now in the process of a worldwide roll out. A number of environments are already successfully Millennium compliant with MS4. We plan to complete the conversion of over 150 environments before July 1998, using a team of just 8 dedicated specialists."

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