Talsco Weekly - Digital Transformation, Development, Data and EDI for IBM i

Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

Development: Mean Stack Developer Skills for 2022. Javascript, Python and PHP are among the top languages used in automation projects.
Digital Transformation: How to unlock digital business value through effective change management. RPG Developers need to understand the value of Digital Transformation.
Learning: Pattern Recognition And The Ease of Modern RPG Programming.
Data: Databricks, Power BI can be leveraged in your IBM i environment.
EDI: EDI on the IBM i is not standing still.

Development

Mean Stack Developer Skills for 2022

Are you looking to add an open-source development language to your IBM i toolbelt in 2022? You might want to consider one from the "Mean Technology Stack."

MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, Node.js

The core development skill for the Mean Stack is Javascript, so javascript is the best place to start.

Javascript, Python and PHP are among the top languages used in automation projects

IBM i developers often ask, “What open source language should I pick up to compliment my RPG skills?” I typically respond with Javascript, Python and PHP. As this article references they are great for automation-type projects, and I see them being used more and more in IBM i shops.

Digital Transformation

How to unlock digital business value through effective change management

"Gartner research shows that while 87 percent of senior business leaders believe digitalization is a priority, just 40 percent have brought their initiatives to scale."

Why is that you might ask?

It's because most leaders are focused on technologies that are being "sold" to them. Successful digital initiatives happen when leaders are "focused on the outcomes of their projects and the value they’re expected to generate, not adopting a specific technology or system purely for the sake of it."

This article highlights four pillars to successfully implement digital transformation: Value, Business Alignment, Transformation Capabilities and the right Speed.

Key Takeaways:

All aspects of the business must be in sync.
Don't focus on a signal technology stack.
Implementing a new ERP solution is not a 'silver bullet' for business transformation.

Recommendation: Seek an outside, independent perspective. IBM i shops that are looking at Modernization or Digital Transformation projects need to make sure to leverage "trusted, experienced consultants that can provide flexible support – from simply adding external skills such as change management experts, through to advising on and building a transformation roadmap, then aiding as a guide through the implementation."

If you are looking for guidance, contact us today.

RPG Developers need to understand the value of Digital Transformation

This article is a must-read for RPG Developers. It does not matter if you are within 10 years of retirement or have 15+ years left in your career, understanding Digital Transformation is important because the IBM i will play a valuable role as organizations implement new technologies and platforms.

To better understand what that role will be it is important for IBM i developers to have a better understanding of what digital transformation really means. As this article points out, Digital Transformation is segmented into three groups.

The first group feels that digital initiatives should support and improve business fundamentals. They are focused on business profit, cash flow, productivity, etc.

The second group views digital projects as strategic. They don't focus on traditional business values but rather have unclear business outcomes.

The third group believes Digital Transformation is about changing the business model of the company and how they engage customers and deliver solutions.

Think about your current organization. What group is it in?

Learning

Pattern Recognition And The Ease of Modern RPG Programming

RPG programmers are creatures of habit. Have you ever said to yourself, 'this is the way I’ve always done it.'

Of course, you have. It's human nature to repeat things that have worked in the past, however, what happens when we try to use old techniques in a new way?

More specifically, what happens when you try to use old design patterns in an ILE application?

Frustration.

It might be time to unlearn what you have been doing and relearn new design patterns.

"There’s more to learning ILE than understanding the concepts. There’s also a new design pattern to learn. Whether you realize it or not, if you’ve been a programmer for many years, you’ve developed your own design patterns. You’re good at programming with these patterns because you’ve used them for years. Anytime you switch from one programming paradigm to another, you have to learn new patterns."

If any of this sounds familiar, you will find this RPG Tutorial by Nick Litten incredibly worthwhile.

Data

Databricks, Power BI can be leveraged in your IBM i environment

We are seeing a number of our IBM i clients move to implement data warehouse solutions leveraging the following technologies: Power BI, AWS, Azure, and Databricks.

Like any major technology project (ERP, modernization, digital) implementing a data warehouse is a significant undertaking. It's more than a technology project because it involves creating a scalable foundation and framework that an organization can build upon for years to come.

Picking the right path is not just about selecting the right technology, but also about having the right people in place who understand the IBM i and how it can be connected to cloud platforms and services.

Databricks has a new option for organizations "that want to run traditional enterprise BI workloads but don’t want to involve a traditional data warehouse."

EDI

EDI on the IBM i is not standing still

EDI has seen a big uptake in 2020 and 2021 on both the customer and vendor side. As a result, in our practice there has been an increase in demand for EDI talent on the direct hire as well as consulting side. "EDI has facilitated “frictionless” commerce" worldwide and continues to evolve and grow. Here's a good article highlighting the EDI landscape and it's future.

Join

Contact us

If you are an RPG programmer looking to explore opportunities or a client who is looking for a talented IBM i professional, please contact us. We look forward to assisting you.

Do you know of someone who could benefit from Talsco Weekly? If so, please use the social media buttons to spread the word. Thank you!