29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

Talking About Modernization Isn’t Good Enough

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

As an IT leader, what strategies are you trying to achieve? Don’t say modernization.

I overheard this statement a few months ago: "Management won't upgrade our systems because our systems aren't modern and aren't worth the investment...because management won't upgrade our systems."

A year and a half ago, I moved from working for an IBM i customer to working for an IBM Business Partner. Since then, I’ve done many IBM i upgrades. In one particular month, I probably did more upgrades in my new job than in my entire career previously. In fact, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting C9002967 (applying PTFs) tattooed on my arm because I see it so often. Most of the upgrades have been from 7.1 to 7.3, but a few went to 7.2 because some application vendors didn’t receive the memo that Java 6 has been unsupported since December 31, 2017.

While a lot of progress is being made in getting people to move to a supported operating system release, I have to say that there’s still a need for a major mentality shift in the way companies approach modernization.

How many businesses are still running System/36 environments? Trust me; they’re out there. I see old RPG code, flat files, green-screens...they all can make that step into the world of free-form RPG, open source, and SQL tables. Bit by bit, program by program, interface by interface. Moving applications into the future can and should be thought of as imperative, rather than special projects.

Yes, applications can be modernized. Processes can be modernized. But to modernize a business? That’s far trickier but not out of the ordinary. The opportunity is there, but we may not see it as IT people.

I’ll get to that shortly.

The saying “you’re only as old as you feel” is the result of a mentality shift. It’s looking in the mirror and seeing experience rather than age. One of my daughters asked me once what my graying hair meant. I told her, “It means I know what I’m doing.” I’m getting older, but I don’t feel old. I don’t think I ever will. My body is showing signs of age, and I could use some more cardio work, but I can do an upgrade, have dinner, and then put down some deck joists or repaint the bathroom.

It’s all in how you look at things. Your house, job, family, car…they all need work. You can be a better homeowner and keep up your property value by continually performing maintenance and upgrades. You put oil in the car and check the tires. When the car gets too expensive to maintain, you trade it in for something more efficient. You try to talk through problems with your family and coworkers without letting your emotions get the better of you. You self-reflect. You reassess. You keep building and improving. If something doesn’t work, you try again. Then you try something totally different or just a different approach. You talk to your partners about how things could be better if you just worked on them.

And, yes, you do see the same in business…usually as a manager of quality and continual improvement. Here are a few bullet points from a job advertisement that spells out some of the common responsibilities.

  • Facilitate the development of a plan to deliver long- and short-term business objectives through system deployment and capability building focused on alignment, the elimination of waste, and 100% employee engagement
  • Establish monthly, quarterly, and annual deployment strategies, plans, and tactics
  • Own the identification, facilitation, and tracking of functional cost improvement projects
  • Coach and facilitate the leadership team
  • Build capability and deploy systems to optimize value streams and work processes
  • Assure integration of all PACS (Processes, Applications, Capabilities, and Systems) and effective governance to standards and master plan priorities
  • Implement corporate loss analysis, idea generation, and promotion process
  • Ensure that objectives are passed down and understood

I worked for 15 years in manufacturing companies, and this type of position is nothing new. However, one thing that I find looking back is that those positions were never really involved with systems discussions. Nor were systems people really given much time to help facilitate any continual improvement. Perhaps other people have had different experiences. But in my time as a customer, IT has always been on the outside looking in: an entity not aligned with the company, more like an afterthought once a decision has been made. “We’re doing this project. Make it work. It shouldn’t be too hard or take much time.”

A manager of continual improvement can certainly use Information Technology to help achieve goals. I would go one step further. I would look at this position as an Information Technology position or one at least closely aligned with it. This is exactly where IT needs to be as it’s exactly what IT does. And the position already exists; it just needs to be slightly altered to include IT. Or maybe IT needs to alter to fit the business. Or maybe the business needs to alter in order to properly utilize IT as a partner in order to achieve real continual improvement. That means proper budget allocations for projects, training and staff, plus a seat at the table to advise other business leaders how technology can work for them—rather than the other way around.

A company’s culture is the hardest to change. It’s like turning an aircraft carrier. You’re not going to do it by putting a paddle on one side of her. That direction needs to come from the bridge.

So when we talk about modernization, are we thinking tactically or strategically? Converting DDS to SQL is tactical. Converting to free-form RPG is tactical. Graphical interfaces, open-source tools, Linux partitions, upgrading to 7.2 or 7.3, converting System i Access for Windows to Access Client Solutions? Tactical, tactical, tactical, tactical, and tactical. They’re all tactical. And there must be an overall strategy that these tactics aim to support.

So as an IT leader, what strategies are you trying to achieve? Don’t say modernization. The strategy must be aligned with and supported by the business.

Steve Pitcher
Steve Pitcher works with iTech Solutions, an IBM Premier Business Partner. He is a specialist in IBM i and IBM Power Systems solutions since 2001. Feel free to contact him directly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: