A Publication of iSeries 400 Experts Total Information Service

Projects in iSeries shops are all about staying current

      A top priority in iSeries shops in 2005 is staying current — from designing and developing Web-based iSeries applications, to modernizing and improving legacy applications, but these initiatives add weight to the list of 2005 projects iSeries shops are tackling.

      According to the iSeries 400 Experts Market Trends Survey of 938 iSeries professionals, the top projects in iSeries shops this year are:

      1. Creating a better Web presence. iSeries shops have been working toward bringing their applications to the Web for years, and finally it has reached the top of their to-do lists in 2005.

      “We use a home-grown Web page right now, but we would prefer a more professional look, and we would like to add the ability to allow for more customization by each user. So, we are implementing WebSphere Portal Express for displaying Net.Data macros,” says Michael Perkins, director of information technology, Ferguson Metals, Hamilton, OH.

      2. Implementing new packaged software. Most companies are continually striving to stay current with the latest software packages and updates. Implementing new software ranks second in the list of projects in 2005.

      “This year, we will be installing the PeopleSoft ERP9 Package and converting the JDE 7.3 ERP system. We will also be converting 3,000 green-screen programs to run on PeopleSoft OneWorld using those development tools,” says Wendell McGrath, systems analyst, The Raymond Corp., Greene, NY.

      3. Upgrading hardware and software. With the advent of the new i5 models, iSeries shops have indicated a hardware upgrade is in their future this year.

      “In 2005, we are upgrading our iSeries to i5 Model 520s, and possibly an i5 Model 550. We are working towards upgrading a Model 810 with four LPARs to a Model 520 with six LPARs, and we are also upgrading a Model 820 with four LPARs to a Model 520 with eight LPARs. This year, we are installing a new i5 system with five LPARs and four Linux partitions,” says Ted L. Bogert, Sr., systems and operations manager, Fiserv CBS Worldwide, Lake Mary, FL.

      i5/OS is also a hot topic in iSeries shops for 2005. Many survey respondents indicated that an i5/OS upgrade and/or OS/400 upgrade is in their near future. “We are upgrading our existing iSeries (models 820 and 800) to i5/OS V5R3, and are migrating to a new iSeries i5 Model 550 with LPARs. The Model 820 will be upgraded from V5R1 to V5R2, the Model 800 will be upgraded from from V5R2 to V5R3, and another Model 820 will be upgraded from V5R2 to V5R3,” says Wendell McGrath, systems analyst, The Raymond Corp., Greene, NY.

      4. Modernizing and continuing to develop applications. 2005 continues to be another year of modernizing and updating legacy applications for iSeries shops. “All of our applications are home-grown, and most were written for the S/36 environment. The code is extremely intertwined on the system, and we have been working to untangle the mess — as well as get all of the specs for PKMS so that we can modify and remove legacy applications. This project will continue into Q2 of 2005,” says Bruce Hanson, operations manager, Christmas Tree Shops, South Yarmouth, MA.

      5. Improving and creating an ERP system. The core application in many iSeries shops is for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Because of this, iSeries shops are working toward integrating their ERP packages with the rest of their applications in 2005.

      “This year, we will implement a new CRM package and integrate it with our current iSeries ERP package. We are also going to implement a new iSeries asset management system and integrate it with our ERP package,” says Charles Charalambous, Group Operations Manager, Heatcraft Australia P/L, Milperra, NSW.