Re: Cost Justifications

[John Earl <john.earl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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