"Managing the Euro in Information Systems:
Strategies for Successful Changeover" by Patrick O'Beirne. Addison Wesley August 1999 ISBN
0-201-60482-5
Chapter Outline
Chapter 1 presents the history and essential legislation, the timetable, and definitions of terms.
Chapter 2 discusses general business issues, legal and accounting, regulations, impact assessment frameworks and checklists. It covers codes of practice, supply chain agreements, and how to set up a company-wide euro changeover project.
Chapter 3 discusses customer relations, marketing, dual pricing and other issues.
Chapter 4 presents the calculation details and pitfalls in conversion, rounding, and triangulation. It is important to understand these; they are not that daunting. It discusses some workarounds and their implications.
Chapter 5 discusses IT strategic changeover approaches - minimal or maximal, corresponding to conservative or aggressive business strategies. It discusses when is the best time for the internal changeover, and the various things that "euro-compliant" can mean.
Chapter 6 discusses the project management side of the changeover. It gives you a series of checklists, a proposed timetable, and a sample project outline.
Chapter 7 describes the conflict with the Year 2000 project.
Chapter 8 discusses best practices, software quality issues for the euro, requirements management and estimating.
Chapter 9 describes end-user computing special considerations, especially spreadsheets.
Chapter 10 provides a summary of the impact on US businesses. The euro is much more than "just another currency" for you!
Chapter 11 presents an SME hypothetical case.
Appendix A is a contribution from John Gray about the Euro symbol in various fonts.
Appendices B, C, D, and E provide extracts from national research reports and surveys and some case studies.
Appendix F lists package, tool and service vendors.
Appendix G is a complete reprint of Euro-paper 4, as a reference for the exact legal text.
The CD contains all the relevant commission documents and some demonstration software.
Table of Contents
Preface
- Areas covered in the Preface
What is this book about?
Who should read this book?
What is the euro?
Summary
Chapter Outline
Glossary and Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Author
Chapter 1: Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the euro
- History and regulations
Convergence criteria
Stability and Growth Pact
Timetable for the Euro
Conversion Rates
Legal Framework
Euro vs euros: the final word, perhaps
Masculine or Feminine?
Consumer issues
Web Sites
European Union institutions
Member State Euro Enquiry Points
Central Banks
Business and professional organisations
Other Web sites and publications with economic data
Further Reading
Chapter 2: General Business Issues
- The Business Pros and Cons
Business management issues
Questions to consider
No Compulsion?
Code of Practice
Sales and Marketing
Procurement
Supply Chain Co-ordination
Strategic Assessment
Nine step planning process
Further reading
Chapter 3: The effect on Business Operations
- Price transparency
Profit margins on small items
The Price Accordion
Dual Display
Psychological Pricing
Rounding effects on price points
Accounting and Finance
Sales invoicing and price lists
Payments
Taxation
Communications
Human Resources
Legal implications
Quality Systems - ISO 9000 and the euro
Miscellaneous issues
Financial Industry
The Retail Trade
Chapter 4: Conversion Calculations
- Avoidable errors
Triangulation
Unavoidable rounding errors
The effect on Ranges
Historical data conversion
Triangulation - is it necessary?
Chapter 5: IT Strategy and System Change Choices
- General Considerations
Changeover options
If you are currently a package user
If you are currently a single-currency company
If you are using custom single-currency software
If you are currently a multi-currency company
Changeover Timing Strategies
Timing - trading and accounting
How do we handle rounding differences?
Challenges for Software Suppliers
Other Technical Details
"Euro Compliance"
BASDA EMU Accreditation - EU-wide 3.2
Introduction
Disclaimer
Financial Ledgers – Conversion
Conversion
Financial Ledgers – Multi-currency
Billing
Cash Book
Reporting
Consolidation
Treatment of Fixed Assets
Local country requirements - to be specified
Further references
Chapter 6: IT Project planning
- Steps
Contingency Planning
Example Project Decision process
Bibliography
Chapter 7: 1999 and 2000 and all that
- Conflict with the Year 2000 project
Comparison of Year 2000 and euro currency projects
Other comments on Y2K versus the Euro
Media Comments and Myths
Lessons from the birth of the euro
Bibliography
Chapter 8: How to do it right first time
- Benefits from improved processes
How can we do it better?
The Personal Software Process
Quality Standards
Bibliography
Chapter 9: PC Desktop and End User Applications
- Hardware
Operating System
Word processing
Spreadsheets
Other Applications.
The euro currency Symbol
Chapter 10: The Euro and US Companies
- Web sites
Chapter 11: Euro Scenario - SME
- A sample changeover scenario for a small company.
Appendices
Appendix A: A contribution from John Gray about the Euro symbol in various fonts.
Appendix B: Industry Surveys from Neaman Bond
Appendix C: The Leclerc Experiment
Appendix D: Case Study: Cascade Designs Ltd.
Appendix E: Q&A and illustrations on Notes, Coins, and the Euro Sign
Appendix F: Package, tool and service vendors.
Appendix G: A complete reprint of Euro-paper 4 "Legal Framework for the Use of the Euro"
Glossay, Abbreviations, and Index
Accompanying CD
(Users: Please read the support NOTICE about AutoPlay/autorun)
Managing the Euro in Information Systems: Book Table of Contents
List of links to Official Euro information web sites
List of links to Business Euro information web sites
EURO PAPERS 1-28 from the European Commission
EMU & Euro IT Articles
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the euro and IT
BASDA "EMU Compliance" Accreditation criteria
Published articles by Patrick O'Beirne
Contributions by Capers Jones on Software Management
Contributions by John Gray on the Euro Symbol
Euro Tools & Services Vendors
Neaman Bond Survey of Y2K & Euro preparedness
Evergreen Euro Newsletters
Euro Calculators
provided subject to the terms and conditions below.