Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

Leadership:  Has your AS/400 Department Been Sidelined?
EDI:  Is EDI outdated? Breaking down the meaning and importance of EDI.
AI:  Understanding the Different AI Models. AI and The Ethics Fishbowl.
News:  IBM i Market Perspectives for 2023.

Leadership

Has your AS/400 Department Been Sidelined?

Take a look at the inner workings of any successful company, and you will notice a web of departments — marketing, IT, HR, Engineering, etc.

“As business priorities change, certain parts of the company will command influence and visibility while others get sidelined.”

For years, IT may have been an afterthought at your company, however, today, this should no longer be the case.

In fact, we believe “every company is a tech company.”

The IBM i is more than a platform, it is a way of thinking.

Now is the time for IBM i leaders to step up.

Where should you start?

If you feel your department is being cast aside, here are five strategies to help you get a seat at the table.

Five Simple Strategies to get started.

Determine the root cause: For AS/400 shops, chances are things may appear to be outdated. Green screens vs GUI front ends is a good place to start, but as you likely know, it is only the “tip of the iceberg when it comes to technical debt.”
Focus on projects that tie to business needs: “One way to recapture influence if it’s been lost is to demonstrate how working with your team will yield benefits for the overall business.”
Perceived value: One of our very good clients is doing just this. They have picked a handful of business automation projects, for which they are building browser applications that streamline a number of core business processes. These projects are low-cost but are delivering a massive ROI by improving efficiency for internal users.
Drive Results: Rise and repeat. By continuing to focus on quick-win-type projects, you will be able to build credibility within the organization. You will get noticed.
Build a team to follow you: “No matter who includes you or excludes you, you can always choose to lead others from where you are. And by doing so, you elevate your influence across the next generation of talent.”

Are you ready to “help the IBM i lead the way?”

EDI

Is EDI outdated?

Not really.

“Over the years, it has been predicted that EDI would become outdated with the development of the internet, the XML programming language, and now application programming interfaces (APIs).

“But this hasn’t happened. What’s happened is that we now have EDI for AS2, EDI for AS4, web-based EDI, and mobile EDI to name just a few variations. Organizations have viewed APIs as a supplement to EDI rather than as a replacement since they can quickly and affordably integrate with their current electronic data interchange infrastructure. Due to its dependability and versatility, EDI has survived.”

EDI, like other technologies, continues to evolve. And while traditionally it has only been used by larger organizations, today, we are seeing more and more cases where small and mid-sized businesses are reaping the benefits of EDI.

Breaking down the meaning and importance of EDI

As a technology on the IBM i platform (AS/400) you either love or hate EDI. Many of you know what I mean.

While most IBM i shops leverage all facets of EDI, it may surprise you that many don’t.

As this article points out, there is more to EDI just as a tool. There is the whole “EDI Integration” piece. Integration refers to the “laws data collection as well as the protection guidelines, privacy laws, business intelligence guides, etc.”

If you are like many IBM i shops that are re-evaluating their approach to EDI, here is a quick article that covers:

What is EDI integration?
Why EDI integration is important?
The Benefits of EDI Integration.

Over the past three years, we have seen an increase in the focus put on EDI due to end customer demand as well as a result of more and more organizations seeing an increase of sales generated via eCommerce.

AI

Understanding the Different AI Models

“As Artificial Intelligence (AI) models become more important and widespread in almost every sector, it is increasingly important for businesses to understand how these models work and the potential implications of using them.”

Here is a guide that provides an overview of how AI models can be used and their possible use cases.

This article highlights the following:

Concepts of AI vs. ML vs. DL
What is an AI model?
What is an ML model?
What is a DL model?
Value of AI models for businesses
The most popular AI models

Key Takeaways:

When applied to real-world problems, AI models can solve tasks that would otherwise be too difficult or time-consuming for humans to do.

In summary, AI models are used for solving different problems, from self-driving cars to object detection, face recognition and pose estimation. Therefore, being aware of the models is essential for identifying the one best suited for a particular task. With the rapid improvement in artificial intelligence adoption, these models are certain to be applied across all industries in the near future.

AI and The Ethics Fishbowl

AI is an amazing and powerful segment of technology that is touching so many areas of our lives and businesses, many of which you might not even be aware.

It is time to take a step back and remember one of the most things about AI.

“AI models are trained by someone (software development folks).”

So, who is watching over them?

Good question.

“Live AI systems, already operating at scale, can have dangerous consequences – and concerning downsides. In theory, the AI ethics movement should provide a corrective force. Yet so far, it has failed to do so. What is AI ethics getting wrong?”

This article is an eye-opener because it talks about the elephant in the room – the dark side of AI.

We are not talking about how AI will take our jobs away (remember, they said that about the internet as well). We are talking more about use cases where AI might be used unjustly.

There are levels of bad behavior we should be aware of.

As you read through them, I think you will find, AI could be one of the most “ethically challenged” technologies of our time if we are not careful.

News

IBM i Market Perspectives for 2023

“The IBM i installed base moves with the general IT tide, which makes these hot topics for all. But what about specific IBM i things, like the availability of IBM i jobs and the difficulty in finding a good RPG developer?”

These are topics that are tackled in IT Jungles’ IBM i Market Predictions for 2023.

At a glance, there are a variety of predictions, many of which depend on your perspective of the IBM i market. Much of it depends on the kind of services offered and the company’s positioning.

See our take as well.

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