Author Description

From the Inside Flap "It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things." --Machiavelli, 1513 What Is This Book About? This book was written to be the premier resource for understanding the impact that the changeover to the euro currency will have on information systems. Its purpose is to show that the scope of the project is truly as big as the organization involved. The book also aims to teach the importance of aligning an organization's euro strategy with its vision and mission rather than treating the changeover as a mere systems or accounting problem. The sheer number of issues raised is designed to help you communicate the required sense of urgency in tackling this project before your competitors do. There are no technical prerequisites for you as a reader; what you do need to bring is your knowledge of your own company's business methods, accounting procedures, calculations, and systems. You will derive the following benefits from reading the book:You will understand the wide scope and impact of the euro project. You will be able to choose the right menu of approaches to the changeover. You will be able to disentangle the many myths from the facts. You will know more about it than most accountants and computer professionals. The Central Message of This Book Planning the changeover of information systems to the euro is not just a matter of dealing with the technical code or data conversion. Many enterprises will face strategic decisions that will fundamentally affect the way they conduct their affairs. These can change the functionality that is expected from information systems. For this reason, the book's main contention is that the introduction of the euro is a problem of managing requirements. Every business process is affected by the euro changeover. While the central theme of this book is the systems conversion, it emphasizes that that