IBM i: the challenge of generational transition

Nov 8th 2021

Summary

An inevitable challenge
A seat at the table
Modernization
New talent

1. An inevitable challenge

IBM i was born over thirty years ago, and has seen many innovations and transformations that have served to keep the platform ahead of the field. Alongside this storied history of a bedrock platform is the story of the professionals who have trained and evolved with IBM i over the years. These developers have a deep knowledge of the IBM i platform and decades of experience. But naturally, we are seeing these long term core employees, who hold deep wells of information and know-how, now facing retirement. With looming staffing changes comes the inherent challenge of closing the knowledge gap and keeping the legacy of IBM i alive and well.

2. A seat at the table

Younger developers are taking over the workplace with fresh energy, ideas, motivation, and a depth of intuitive tech know-how, but they are not always able or willing to manage legacy code in the form of a column developed for a “green screen”. With the many evolutions of the platform over the decades comes a mountain of accrued knowledge required to work, and training new employees with this in mind can be a daunting task.

This challenge can cause companies to consider abandoning the IBM i platform, and forcing them to redevelop their internal applications, or use a more “off-the-shelf” approach to modernization. Clearly there are a lot of risks in either method. Luckily these are not the only choices when faced with a generational transition in your IT team.

3. Modernization

An IBM i modernization project can close the knowledge gap and allow seasoned, 5250 developers to work alongside new talent, all while monetizing both the high-value IBM i application assets and the reliablity and security benefits of the underlying platform.  Automated tooling can accelerate modernization by transforming legacy source code and databases, updating user interfaces, creating security layers, and ultimately help to bridge the generational gap that many organizations are facing. Why lose decades of a reliable, secure platform when you can bring it into the 21st Century with greater ease than ever before? Modernization preserves decades of intellectual property, while at the same time increases productivity and profitability.

4. New talent

Of all the obvious benefits to a IBM i modernization project, one should stand out above the rest – the ability to easily bring in new talent to join your team and integrate into the existing work structure. With user friendly interfaces, modernized code and industry standards employed throughout, training new employees becomes an evolutionary project, instead of a preservation project.

Learn more about how to get started on your IBM i modernization project with our ARCAD for IBM i Modernization Tools.

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