Native IBM i PDF Conversion Versus Paperless Reporting
As of IBM i 6.1, IBM now provides native PDF creation capabilities inside the operating system with the licensed Transform Services product (5770TS1 for i 7.x, and 5761TS1 for i 6.1). While this is a welcome enhancement, it’s important to understand what Transform Services can and can’t do as part of an IBM i report automation environment […]
4 Ways IBM i Paperless Processing Helps Banks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you need a programmer to set up and use a commercial software package, you’re implementing an outdated software model. This is particularly true when buying an IBM i paperless processing solution (report automation & document management) to use in a banking environment.
3 Costly Errors of Manually Converting IBM i Reports to Excel Files
Manually converting an IBM i report into an Excel spreadsheet is messy. The process is time consuming, a waste of technical & financial resources and can produce unreliable data. In my opinion, it’s reckless and financially dangerous to manually convert existing IBM i reports into Excel XLSX files for analysis, especially when there are good […]
5 Key Benefits of Archiving IBM i Forms and Reports
A good IBM i paperless processing solution can archive distributed electronic forms and spooled file reports in universal file formats; PDF files, excel spreadsheets, and HTML files. Archived files can be stored on an external file server or on the IBM i Integrated File System (IFS). A paperless digital archive is the treasure trove of information […]
How Much Can IBM i Paperless Processing Save You?
Managing paper documents can consume up to 15% of the annual revenue in an organization. Paper document automation and reduction can have a major impact on any organization’s balance sheet. Although it’s not tracked in the general ledger, paper processing is a major cost. And eliminating paper documents can have a much bigger financial impact […]
3 Steps to Setting Up Better IBM i Report Automation
There’s more to IBM i report automation than emailing reports to users. IBM i spooled files (reports) contain compiled information on an organization’s health, operations, and opportunities. These reports are secondary databases that with the right software, can be accessed, reformatted, and delivered to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
5 Things You Need to Know About IBM i to Excel Data Transfer
There are changes coming if your shop is running an AS400 or iSeries or Power System with IBM i and uses the Excel data transfer function that comes with IBM i Access for Windows (AS400, iSeries) . Recent versions of the Excel data transfer add-in aren’t compatible with Microsoft Excel 2013. IBM is no longer supporting the […]
How Report Distribution Software Guards Protected Health Information
In an earlier blog, I talked about how IBM i report formatting and distribution software can smooth out integration issues when small health care facilities affiliate with each other or large medical centers. Report distribution software is also good at meeting day-to-day compliance challenges in the health care industry, including requirements from the American Recovery […]
Come for the Report Distribution, Stay for the Spooled File Management
I saw an interesting set of articles in IT Jungle the other day that talked about how dangerous it was to keep old spooled files on your IBM i system. When you retain old spooled files (SPLFs, pronounced “spliffs”) on a system, every job containing a SPLF takes up a system job table entry.
Have You Bursted an IBM i Report Today?
Seasoned IT veterans may remember, or even still use, bursting machines, or bursters. They’re big clunky devices that physically separate printed multi-part forms for easy distribution. The idea is simple. You feed a printed two-, three-, or four-part form into one end of the burster. Using belts, wheels, and cutting edges, the burster ingeniously separates […]