Your Roadmap to a Successful IBM i Modernisation

Enterprise-level organisations run on the IBM i. IBM i-based systems form the backbone of business, providing the powerful data capture and analysis processes that keep businesses running smoothly.

As organisations grow over time, IBM i systems grow with them. Parts are changed and added to fit demands. Eventually, however, this will leave you with a slow, out of date IBM i system, that no longer serves your needs well.

You know that you need to modernise. Your outdated system is difficult for new designers and developers to use – let alone the non-technical staff and executives who need critical data, and as a result, the system is devalued in the eyes of your colleagues. Your IBM i system doesn’t integrate easily with desktop and other systems, and onboarding of new employees can feel like an uphill battle, thanks to old-fashioned green screens.

In short, it’s time to update your IBM i systems.

Modernisation is a daunting task. How to even begin modernising? And what happens if you break something, and bring the whole system crashing down?

You need someone with expertise in IBM i management and modernisation.

We work with Fresche Solutions, as their Power Partner in the UK and Ireland, to provide development, modernisation and mobilisation solutions for IBM i programmers. The suite includes Presto, WebSmart and X-Analysis.

But even with these tools and the support of our IBM i modernisation experts, it can be hard to know where to begin.

That’s why Fresche has provided a free roadmap to IBM i Application Modernisation. It’ll teach you the six steps that lead to a successful modernisation, so you know exactly how to start (and how to proceed) with your modernisation project.

The six steps to a successful iBM i modernisation are:

1. Analyse your application environment: The first step forward it to take a step back, look around, and analyse where your IBM i currently stands
2. Find the right strategy: You need the identify the strategy that is right you’re your business. Every situation is different, and what works for others may not work for you. Identify that strategy and you know you’re going in the right direction
3. Align IT projects to the creation of business value: It may be hard to get support for your modernisation efforts, of decision-makers can’t see the value a modernisation will bring to the business. Align your modernisation strategy to overall business goals, to gain the highest value
4. Define a timeframe with quick wins: Alongside a clear timeline, identifying some quick wins will give everyone involved in the project an early boost, as they see how much success a modernisation can bring
5. Seek input from application stakeholders: By seeking input from everyone else involved in the application, you’ll get them involved and onboard with the modernisation project
6. Seek external validation on strategy and approach: Don’t go it alone – IBM i modernisation is a huge undertaking, and it is easy to become blinkered when you’re heading up a project like this. Advice from an expert is crucial, to evaluate every aspect of your modernisation

This whitepaper should answer all your questions about IBM i modernisation, and guide you on your way to a successful application modernisation.

Download the IBM i application modernisation modernisation roadmap whitepaper on our resources page.