RE: AS/400 shareware WAS New Opcodes - %SETCELL

My friend, we are in complete agreement.
It is distinctly short-sighted to consider "billable hours" as THE
measurement of corporate (or departmental) success.  What about error rates?
Re-work?  Customer satisfaction?  Time to deliver?  All of these are
enhanced by the suitable application of programmer tools.  I've incurred
official displeasure more than once working on tools, but I can only get
away with so much - in the end, when my billable hours are compared to
corporate standards, they'd better be greater than the averages or I get
dinged.  I have a tendency to stay at the computer for longer than my
official business hours require, just so I can tinker with things.

Buck Calabro
Aptis; Albany, NY
mailto:Buck.Calabro@aptissoftware.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James W. Kilgore 
> Sent: Friday, September 10, 1999 12:37 PM
> To:   RPG400-L@midrange.com
> Subject:      Re: AS/400 shareware WAS New Opcodes - %SETCELL
> 
> 
> 
> Buck Calabro wrote:
> 
> > <<snip>>
> 
> > Our management frown on the
> > development of programmer tools - it doesn't generate billable revenue.
> >
> 
> Really?  The programmer tool providers would be surprised to hear that!
> <G>
> 
> Let's see if I understand their philosophy:  Take longer, bill more?  The
> first
> company I cofounded had a senior partner that felt the same way.  After I
> resigned and started my own firm I found that there is no loss of revenue
> by
> coming in under budget.  The customers are so happy that they request more
> work
> from you.  I would even go so far as to say it increased revenues.
> 
> Granted our tools are home grown, but I would hate to do a project without
> them.
> They not only reduce the mind numbing grunt work, but ensure a degree of
> uniformity throughout the application suite.  I didn't change by bidding
> formula's.  The time the tools saved me allowed for more design and
> testing.
> Improved the quality of the deliverable.  And took some of the pressure
> off the
> deadline.  As the tools became more sophisticated, additional time became
> available.
> 
> They also gave me a competitive advantage.  Maybe management would
> understand
> that one.
> 
> And no.  I'm -not- going to put them out as shareware. <g>
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