Re: how to determine cost savings based on resource utilization

I started this thread & it's great to see everyone's take on this. As I
stated earlier on we are migrating financials to a web based system (runs
on IBM i using WebSphere(ugh!!)) there are several nice things that are
happening during this process. I'm able to finally prove to our user
community (as well as the ones that hold the purse strings) that this
platform can do anything & everything that they require without having to
convert to different databases, etc. another added benefit is that
everything that interfaces with the financials package has to be rewritten
anyway so we are rewriting using fully free format RPG with embedded SQL
(there are a few things that are using RLA when it makes sense). This
allows us to be able to reuse the majority of the code base should the
company ever decide to move off of IBM i (but that's highly unlikely since
the owners LOVE the stability, etc).

Also there is the future issue of the company having to replace me when
they kick me out of the door or I retire. Finding a qualified candidate
that knows and is willing to write, maintain "obsolete" methods of RPG
will be a nightmare if not impossible (I still got at least another 20
years to go to retire lol). So that is also a consideration for this line
of discussion. I don't want to leave the business exposed to the risk of
not being able to maintain the software & I also do not want to leave
whoever comes after me a convoluted mess to deal with.

With all that being said I hope this conversation continues for a while
(unless it becomes a tedious type of holy war that sometimes occurs). If
nothing else it's good food for thought and I've already picked out some
other ideas I hadn't thought of yet (and saving the little gray matter I
have left is a good thing lol). So thanks for all of the feedback!


Thanks,
Tommy Holden



From: Nathan Andelin <nandelin@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 12/04/2014 03:25 PM
Subject: Re: how to determine cost savings based on resource
utilization
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>



First, thanks to Vern for pointing out that OPNQRYF, WRKQRY, and RUNQRY
use
the SQE - beginning with IBM i 7.2.

Regarding John E's point about "risk", I think we should distinguish
between risk exposure to the IT department vs. risk to the business.

IBM i mitigates the risk to the business initially by continuing
faithfully
to support obsolete code structure, syntax, and style. But the risk to the
IT department is high in that the code base may not allow them to adapt
easily to new requirements, which ultimately exposes the business to risk.

When the business senses exposure to risk, the risk to its programmers
skyrockets, as the business begins to consider vendor packages and IT
outsourcing as alternatives.

I'd like to return to the idea of justifying application modernization
based on value propositions. To me, value propositions are best expressed
in terms of cost savings, productivity gains, new revenues or expansion of
services to more customers (users), and providing infrastructure that
facilitates those objectives.

Nathan.