Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Brief: A Second Look At The IBM i Coding Assistant 📹.
AI: Choosing the Appropriate AI Model for Your Business Use Case.
Hiring: The Rising Importance of Older Workers in IBM i shops. Extra Innings for Some RPG Developers.
Learning: Boost your IBM i Skills 🚀. Training Next Gen RPG Developers. Using SQL to keep your systems clean.

IBM i Brief

A Second Look At The IBM i Coding Assistant 📹

If you missed the announcement last week from Steve Will’s Keynote at COMMON about the new AI coding assistant for the IBM i (anticipated), here is another sneak peek at what it is all about.

The key takeaway is that this new IBM i AI coding assistant is not to migrate or transform RPG code to another language but to help understand old code.

This is a game changer for the IBM i community because one of the most complex tasks in modernization is understanding old code.

Think about a developer who is new to RPG having to interpret RPGII code, let alone a seasoned one.

AI

Choosing the Appropriate AI Model for Your Business Use Case

AI is a hot topic in business right now. Understanding the right AI model to use for a business use case is key.

Is GenAI the right tool? Or is ML the right choice? Or do we have an existing tool that will work just fine?

These are some of the questions we should be asking.

Consider the technology-to-problem and problem-to-technology relationship:

Needs: Do you really need Gen AI for this, or can ML or another existing tool accomplish the task?
Capability: Do you have the right capability in place?
Integration: How would it integrate with your existing IT staff?
Skills: Do you have the right skills?

Look for repeatable patterns and then pick the best technology that solves the right problems.

Just like in sports, the key to winning is putting the right player in at the right time.

Something to consider: There is a lot to consider for the IBM i and RPG developer community with regards to how AI can be used. It’s common to rely on familiar tools or methods. However, while an existing approach might be effective, there could be better alternatives.

Hiring

The Rising Importance of Older Workers in IBM i shops

Companies should recognize and harness the extensive knowledge and valuable insights that seasoned IBM i Developers bring to the table, as their expertise and wisdom can greatly benefit the up-and-coming generation of workers.

As highlighted in this article, the aging population and a trend toward later retirement have led to a significant increase in the number of older workers.

By 2031, workers aged 55 and above will make up over 25% of the workforce in the Group of Seven countries, with nearly 150 million jobs globally shifting to this age group by the end of the decade.

It is important to take note that:

This is not just something that is happening in the IBM i market, but also globally in all industries and domain areas.

Given the impending shift in workforce demographics, IBM i shops should reconsider their perception of older workers, who are often nearing or at retirement age but still want to remain active in the workforce.

Companies can leverage their extensive knowledge and valuable insights by implementing programs that integrate these seasoned IBM i professionals. This can help fill talent gaps, reduce turnover, and increase productivity, ultimately benefiting the organization and its operations.

IBM i Shops should note that as workers age, more become Artisans and Givers, which is perfect for helping mentor the younger generation of RPG developers.

Extra Innings for Some RPG Developers

We are seeing an unretiring of sorts in the IBM i community. We find that while there are very talented RPG developers who have or are looking forward to retirement, there are, on the other hand, others who just love to code and want to contribute still. The IBM i and RPG is part of who they are. They love contributing, creating, and giving back to the IBM i community. In a nutshell, they don’t see themselves hanging it up just yet.

IBM i Player Coaches should be part of every IBM i succession planning strategy.

Learning

Boost your IBM i Skills 🚀

Whether you are new to the IBM i or have been around awhile, there is always something to learn.

In fact, learning is the key to your success as an RPG and IBM i Developer.

So, if you are curious on how to learn how to write a webserivce on your IBM i, need to dive deep into subfiles, or need a roadmap on how to start your IBM i modernization project you can find over 100+ lessons on everything IBM i here.

Training Next Gen RPG Developers

If you are an IBM i shop looking to train next-generation RPG developers, look no further than imPower Technologies, a proven turnkey approach to training RPG Developers for the future.

If you are a company or a developer that is looking for an IBM i training alternative, consider a Fellowship Program.

Using SQL to keep your systems clean

Have you recently taken over responsibility for a LPAR?

Or are you concerned there is too much “rubbish” on your systems? Use these techniques to identify the most common wastes of space you have, & plan your cleanup efforts.

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.

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