Re: Cost Justifications

Jerry,


I think power consumption is the wrong track. If you want to cost justify the upgrade, you have to look to the most expensive elements of their IT infrastructure and get better performance out of those items. Chances are, those expense items are YOU, and the IBM i.

You already took a great first step by demonstrating your knowledge of the system and loading Query so that they could more efficiently get reports. Business managers thrive on data bout their business and you ought to just exercise the hell out of Query/400 so that these guys can start to see information about their data they never knew they could ask for.

Show them how you can make this existing machine stand up and dance, and provide them data that helps them run their business better an more profitably. After they get hooked on what YOU can do on this box, let them know that you could do more with a new box. Also let them know that your professional development on current IT infrastructure tools is important to you. If they are smart, they'll invest in you to keep you around. You can let them know that you consider an investment in a new box good for the company, and good for you.


Power consumption savings are trivial and, I don't think, will carry the day. New business intelligence that you can produce using the database and the DB tools is substantial and worthy of their investment.

But that's JMHO.

jte





On Mar 8, 2011, at 11:40 AM, Jerry C. Adams wrote:

I am trying to do some cost justifications that will convince the owners to
discard this Model 250 and upgrade to a better System i. One has to bear in
mind that, when I started here (first week of January), every application
program was written in RPG II and all application files were "flat" files.
Plus one owner uses a dumb terminal and the other one doesn't access the
system. The "network" was built by one owner's son (who is quite good with
PCs). Heck, I recently had to install SQL Development Kit and Query/ 400
(for which they had already paid), but the fact that I was able to build a
simple report using SELECTs, instead of a gazillion logicals, is not the
kind of thing that impresses or motivates them; bottom line does.



I read an article this morning about the energy cost savings of a Power7
machine, but no actual figures were given. Reminded me of a controller I
worked for years ago who justified moving from a 5362 (Baby/36) to the Model
236 (first RISC box) based solely upon the utility bill savings. I'm
looking for that kind of thing (things I can put into a spreadsheet, if you
will), but cannot seem to find any links or reports that I can use to
quantify the benefits in dollars and cents. If anyone has or knows of links
with this kind of stuff, I would appreciate receiving them.



Jerry C. Adams

IBM i Programmer/Analyst

No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and
reason as fear. -Edmund Burke

--

A&K Wholesale

Murfreesboro, TN

615-867-5070



--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

--
John Earl
President and CEO,
Townsend Security
360-359-4418
townsendsecurity.com
The Encryption Company