If you need to rethink how your company did business when the pandemic struck, you are not alone. The closure of many organizations, offices, stores, and clinics that rely on IBM I applications has pushed them to adapt to modern reality. Based on your industry, this may mean maintaining remote employees, switching from brick and mortar retail to e-commerce, or giving virtual health care assignments. As retail sales plummet and e-commerce sales soar, logistics and transportation companies require to satisfy desire as more consumers buy goods online. Business Insider reports that United States e-commerce will rise by 18 percent by 2020. This comes after a February report forecast 2.8 percent increase. IBM i modernization has acquired greater significance these days.
These changes will no doubt present difficulties for many, but they also signify an opportunity to innovate. In the contemporary digital economy, the role of IT (IBMI!) Is vital. IT leaders need to meet with business partners to consider how to provide for the growth of the business.
Digital breakdowns have been happening in all industries for years as companies compete for customer consideration and loyalty. Growing your business by concentrating on customer experience is the driving force of digital transformation and where IBM i Series modernization comes into a key process. This can seem unusual if you are not sure which ventures to invest in to give highest value to the business.
In a recent IT Jungle section, a report was there, which describes the role that web and mobile applications can work in providing quick profits to your digital conversion efforts. Modernizing existing green screen applications or developing new strategic applications is a great place to begin. If you have not previously learned the capabilities offered by web-based technologies, your internal users and customers are more liable to request it. They demand modern, intuitive applications that are straightforward to access and navigate.
As technologies have evolved, IBM has developed its business abilities to distribute web and mobile applications.
Organizations often have many questions when commencing a web and mobile development project. Here are my top 5 questions and my opinion on how to make your project as successful as achievable.
I am a busy IT manager with a lot of competing preferences, but many complain that my applications are outdated. What sort of project should I start?
I usually advise concentrating on income-generating or income-sustaining growth areas to find value-driven enterprises. It can be a necessary e-commerce application with mobile functionality or a B2B order entry application that permits clients to set orders quickly online. The green screen upgrade is another immediate benefit, reducing training and supporting remote access for your agents. The common IBMI web development project takes three to eight months. These projects solve important challenges while giving quick successes according to ROI.
I also noticed these ventures lead to different projects and opportunities for IT departments. Modernizing an application and presenting a browser-based solution is often very obvious. If you extend an upgraded application that provides real business value, other sectors of business will understand the value of IBMI and its ability to deliver IT. This usually leads to other innovation initiatives.
Many business people are looking to expand the functionality of their ERP, whether it is a third-party ERP system (e.g. Info BPCS), or a homegrown method. In most cases, the organizations we serve with need self-service B2B solutions that simplify the process of setting orders, inventory verification, and more for employees, customers, and partners.
Some organizations require to improve their internal operations. In connection with an expert team, many healthcare firms have improved the functionality of their green screen applications by providing a modern web interface. WebGUI has developed end-user productivity with a more intuitive UX that leads their RPG code and facilitates access to lab outcomes. The organization also understands fewer data listing errors as the data is entered directly into the application.
If you’ve already upgraded an app, it’s time for you to see how you can improve it. MedAxcess is a browser-based IBMI application developed in 2006. It presents Medoxiom members with analytical data presented on interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards, and has recently experienced a major design and improvement to better support mobile devices and improve the user activity for members.
How can I complete my work with short time and resources?
Its often heard that IBMI development shops are being required to do more with fewer resources and, as a consequence, they are not available to take on current browser-based application development. Developing a team of individuals with web development and IBMI expertise is a significant thing that needs significant investment.
Partnering with an industry like Vofox Solutions INC will make web development more efficient and often reach the market faster, as we have a great experience with IBMI, browser-based, mobile-friendly application development projects, integration with APIs, and other technologies.
This program allows you to build a team, create a task and move ahead. You can move forward to the next stage of improvement without the long-term cost of new employees. At Vofox, they advocate step-by-step IBMI innovation. The terms of every organization are unique, so we do not believe in a cookie-cutter method.
I have a concept of what I want to accomplish, but I do not know how to move from point A to point B.
This is very simple. Most clients request us with a vision of what they want to accomplish, but there is no obvious path to get the job performed. This can lead to a self-service way to apps or upgrade to a green screen interface that will drive your sales team mad. This is excellent if you do not have a complete list of technical specifications. It is more essential to know what you want to achieve for your company than to know what technologies and clarifications you want to use.
In most circumstances, the two-stage development process presents the best success in terms of market value and time to market. The primary step is to find an IBMI application, where the team investigates the client’s system to register their business, define project goals, and evaluate costs. From there, they cooperate with the client to build a wireframe that serves as an overall roadmap through the development phase.
During the wireframing process, we will include a new user interface and a new user experience for the client. In most scenarios, the specific application will integrate with their existing practices. For instance, you may already have an engagement completion or inventory management system, but you require a front end for your sales team or clients. The effect is an unlimited innovation solution that does not force you to start changing your business practices.
The development follows the second phase. The Fresh service team can take over or collaborate with our client’s technical resources. For example, we are currently working with a client to utilize existing resources and skillsets to develop RPG storage procedures that return data required for the front-end application. We disconnect the front end from the back end, which allows them to concentrate on the section they know best and develop the area specialized in.
I am concerned about the risk. We all know about software development projects that cost more than one million dollars and go sideways and throw away.
Adopting a step-by-step approach to collaborating with web development reduces the risk because you are directly involved from the beginning. A thorough examination and wireframing process increase your possibilities of accomplishment because it gives you an impression of how the application will work before development starts.
My recommendation to anyone looking for modernization and digital innovation is to start around. Doing zero is no longer an alternative, adopting a step-by-step procedure allows you to expand. Begin by developing a B2B app that you will presumably encounter a customer and continue to it over time. Web and mobile development can be a stepping stone to your digital transformation course, and if you take small steps forward, at least you are growing forward.
IBM i application management and modernization solutions is vital these days. Safety is the main purpose to think about upgrading your IBM I system. As IBM software ages, it is no longer safe. One of the most significant culprits is software built into an operating system. According to OS adoption from SpiceWorks, 52% of businesses yet run Windows XP. If you rely on the old OS because your platform is not cooperative with the most modern versions, the OS is not very safe because it is an unsafe area that affects your business.
The consequence of upgrade goes beyond needing to make your app run more comfortably. Over time, security protocols such as multi-factor authentication and encryption have developed and will proceed to do so. You can leave your legacy system to catch up. Vendor applications will stop and your important information will be attacked for an extended time. The worst part is that the vendor for delivering the patches no longer supports the software.
