Author Archive
Take control of your IBM Power Systems output documents natively.
inFORM Decisions has the solutions to help clients get more from their IBM i/Power systems
![IBM i IBM i](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IBM-i_PowerSystems.jpg)
Why the IBM i?
The IBM i is recognized worldwide as one the most powerful and stable operating systems to manage business information today. IBM i is very different from the other operating systems in the industry, and the differences are related to its unique architecture. From the birth of the AS/400, the goal of the operating system was to create a platform that would allow a business to be insulated from the complexity of IT technology.
It allows its users to “run their business, not the computer.” Architectural elements within the OS make IBM i stable, simple, secure and scalable. To protect the integrity of the operating system, and the customer’s data, IBM i cannot have a “device driver” authored by another provider. IBM believes that the only software a typical customer really wants to deal with is the software that runs its business directly — the applications that are developed by the customer or that they buy from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) such as inFORM Decisions. For that reason, the operating system comes integrated with all of the necessary “middleware” a business application might need.
Why inFORM Decisions?
inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena since 1994. We believe that the IBM i/Power Systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i platform forever!
Why iPDF?
Native conversion leverages the power of your iSeries investment and eliminates need to download to a PC or secondary server – delivering more security and faster processing of documents and reports.
Paperless Report Conversion software will copy spool files to PDF or TIF easily, dynamically naming, emailing and archiving without programming or additional hardware. For a quick product demonstration of how to use the iPDF Monitor to convert your spool files to PDF or TIF use the link below:
Convert spool files into PDF files
IBMi and Power Systems NATIVE PCL to PDF converter for Spool Files. iPDF converts standard HP Laserjet output (Printer Control Language) into the popular Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). IBM native conversion eliminates the need to download to a PC (or secondary server) to process PDF files, thus improving security and speed of PDF document conversion. Much more than a simple conversion tool, iPDF enables report distribution, PDF document archival and retrieval, bursting, sorting and outputting PDF reports and custom business forms in the open PDF standard where they can be easily viewed using the free Acrobat Reader.
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
Digital Transformation | Success or Failure?
Digital Transformation
![Digital Transformation Failure?](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Digital_transformation_Failure.jpg)
Digital transformation is essential to remaining competitive in today’s marketplace.
From improving internal processes to providing more efficient customer experiences, digital change is crucial to remaining relevant. However, resistance to change in the digital era can be detrimental to both morale and your business.
What does company culture have to do with adopting digital change? Company culture is closely tied to an organization’s beliefs and values. Frequently, these values have been established for many years and have played a role in the business’s success. Thus, these beliefs are deeply woven into the fabric of the organization. The culture has been long established, which can create an environment resistant to change. Company veterans might think: Our way has worked for us thus far—why change it?
So what can you do to encourage cultural change in your company and foster digital transformation?
Here are a few ideas:
- Start at the top. The culture of the leadership in your company determines your company’s culture as a whole. Leaders must take ownership of digital transformation within their companies, demonstrating its importance to the rest of the organization. Their attitude will undoubtedly trickle down into the rest of the organization.
- Utilize your employees’ desire for positive changes that allow them to perform their job better and reach goals faster. Identify the key players in your company who can use their influence to help you facilitate user adoption of new technologies and strategies.
- Start small. It’s a massive cultural change when a company decides to implement changes. Don’t go in with the expectation of utilizing the solution in every department from the start. Narrow in on one or two departments where there is an immediate need for a capture solution and start there. Once the solution is well understood in that department and the staff is excited about the results, consider branching out to other departments. This creates favorable conditions for the staff to get accustomed to the entire process, and can be a good example for subsequent projects.
- Continue the culture of continuous change. Technology is rapidly improving and will constantly change the way we perform our jobs. It’s important for businesses to take advantage of this forward momentum, instead of fearing it and resisting it at every turn. If you can transform your company culture into one that readily adapts to change, you will be one very significant step ahead of the competition.
- Finding a solid partner is key for your project to succeed and support cultural change. The provider selected must be able to satisfy your business issues as well as meeting your requirements, such as the technology required, the payment terms and discounts, etc. Insure that you ask tough questions before purchasing that clarify the providers’ capacities as well as their commercial terms.
Company culture will not change instantly.
But over time, small, intentional changes can help your company culture evolve and progress toward digital maturity.
Need help?
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite and iCapture products. We can assist you with finding the right products and providing the information necessary to address the cultural challenges, achieve digital maturity and a successful digital transformation.
OCEAN TechCon 2019 | inFORM Decisions
Get all the IBMi training that you need at OCEAN TechCon 19!
![OCEAN Users Group of Southern California OCEAN Tech Con 2019](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/OCEAN_2019.jpg)
IBM keeps rolling out enhancements that not only improve the IBM I platform, but make it easier to use Open source tools. Smart IBM I customers are adapting these new tools rapidly and are requiring some new hires to have some knowledge, not years, of these new features. They also pay a premium for these skills.
Where can you learn these new tools?
OCEAN TechCon19
IBM i Technical Conference
July 25–27, 2019 – Costa Mesa, CA
Three Days of Training, Networking & Insight into the Latest IBM Power Systems IBM i Technologies. Leverage the best of both the native IBM i as well as open-source products.
Topics include:
IBM 7.4, DB2, SQL, RDi, ILE, DB2 Mirror, Node.js, Open Source, IOt, Linux, Clean Code, Python, Systems Management, Cybersecurity, Watson, Continuous Learning, Modern Compute Environments, Best Practices, Managing Successful Projects, and much more!
On Thursday, 7/25/19 at 1:30PM, discover the power to become an “IBMi hero” for your company.
Join Document Management Specialist and IBMi Professional> Orlando Ferrer,
as he shares how inFORM Decisions has been successfully helping IBMi customers automate the processing, distributing, storing, retrieving and sharing of documents natively on the IBMi. See how managing documents goes beyond printing and emailing spool files. Learn about the benefits of using an alternative to the cumbersome and obsolete AFPDS/IPDS printing. Find out how customers have benefitted from strategically managing documents & reports being distributed directly from the IBMi. Discover the power of converting inbound documents into useful information that can be used to run your business more efficiently while eliminating the need for file cabinets. Instead, your laptop or desktop computer can record your business transactions, send and store documents, and keep your financial records without taking up any added space. Multiple staffers can access authorized documents simultaneously boosting efficiency.
Insights of this session:
Attending Orlando Ferrer’s session will benefit you by: 1.) Learning about the power of going paperless; 2.) Experiencing the monitory benefits of automating the monitoring of email accounts, out queues, and folders in the managing of documents; and 3.) Gain knowledge of strategies that have helped other IBMi customers reduce cost, free up time, and improve bottom line profits. 4.) Experience the key technological advances in document management and the future with digitized files.
Often, your savings in paper- and storage-related costs will pay for your document management software in the first year. You’ll do you more than just break even—you’ll get ahead. Join us and discover the power of becoming the IBMi hero for your company. Find the complete #OceanTechCon19 details here.
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our booth at the conference. Hoping to see you there!
The AS/400 has evolved into the modern and powerful IBM i
inFORM Decisions is dedicated to creating innovative solutions to help clients get more from their IBM i/Power systems
![AS/400 to IBM i AS/400 to the IBMi](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/IBM_AS400_PowerSystems.jpg)
IBM i‘s AS/400 heritage and strategic innovation point to a bright future for this strategic server that continues to support organizations in almost every industry around the world.
- The market for the IBM i continues to be extremely stable with 1.3% annual attrition.
- 24% of IBM i shops are planning to expand their IBM i footprint in 2019, which outnumbers those who plan to migrate off the platform.
- 71% rely on IBM i to run more than half of their core business applications, a strong indication of the platform’s stability.
- 92% of the respondents from IBM i Marketplace Survey believe that IBM i with Power Systems provides better ROI than other server options.
The continued reliance on IBM Power Systems hardware and a dedication to keeping current with the latest technology is revealing long-term trends that give insight into the future of this trusted technology. The most popular version of the IBM i operating system is currently IBM i V7R3. The jump to 7.3 speaks to the longevity of platform as organizations continue to invest in keeping current.
Since its arrival, one of the strongest features of this platform has been its upward compatibility. For the most part, you can run a program created for the AS/400 in 1988 on a Power Systems server today with little or no changes. However, there are some IBM utilities such as the IBM Advanced Function Printing Utilities are not supported on IBM i 7.3 OS.
While AFP data stream and protocol might still function, the AFP Utilities and the InfoPrint tool for designing pages are not supported in 7.3 and beyond. This would indicate that you can continue to print existing applications, but that you can’t create a new form overlay or modify an existing one.
AFP is an outdated technology and was always painful to work with. IBM sold off its printing division which subsequently removed support for AFP utilities along with the Infoprint Designer and is recommending 3rd party alternatives such as the acclaimed iDocs Forms Suite from inFORM Decisions. iDocs provides easy-to-use forms design and spool file data mapper with menus to set up business rules for manual or automatic processing and intelligent distribution of merged, formatted reports, forms and security MICR checks. Print in color with graphics and bar codes.
Whereas most of the IBM Solution providers have evolved with the platform, some antiquated or obsolete laser forms solutions such as Jetform, Optio, Createform or Createprint, ACOM, and others, are forcing users OFF the powerful IBM i platform onto a Windows or Cloud based solution with higher costs, higher maintenance and totally new learning curves.
inFORM Decisions offers a seamless, painless, and no-cost migration. Migrate to a continually developed and enhanced Document Automation solution running natively on the IBM i. Our modules include laser forms printing, laser check printing, email with PDF and Excel formats for spool and database files, document scanning and archival and document workflow.
As the platform continues to evolve, becoming increasingly robust, embracing modern technologies, and giving many of the world’s top organizations a competitive edge, so do IBM i providers like inFORM Decisions. inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena since 1994. We believe that the IBM i/Power Systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBMi platform forever!
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
Distribution solutions for the IBMi
inFORM Decisions is dedicated to creating innovative solutions to help clients get more from their IBM i systems.
![inFORM Decisions Distribution solutions for the IBMi](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IFD_Document_Automation.jpg)
Eliminate costly pre-printed forms and checks with laser printing on plain sheet paper with duplex printing supported. Reduce distribution costs with automated delivery by email, fax, and/or print or for indexing and storage in a Web-based archive for easy browser-based retrieval, 24×7. Include scalable bar codes, graphics, signatures and colored text. Positive Pay is an electronic process by which companies and banks can mutually increase their level of security to an organization’s check printing process.
Define complex rules for bursting and processing spool files by individual page. Intelligently sorts, re-bundles and delivers spool content to individual targets for custom distribution. Along the way, spool file attributes may be overridden, and individual pages of the report or business form may be burst, sorted, grouped, bundled and ultimately directed to a target, which can again be redirected.
Convert and distribute spooled files in popular formats such as PDF, Excel, HTML, ZIP, RTF and more. Streamline workflow with automated distribution by email or posting to file servers.
Extract data directly from your IBM database files and output directly into Excel and PDF files. Create custom queries for one or more files.
inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena since 1994. We believe that the IBM i/Power Systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBMi platform forever!
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
Replace discontinued AFP utilities on your IBMi
IBM no longer Supports Advanced Function Printing Utilities
![IBM ends AFP support](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IBM_AFP.jpg)
AFP is an outdated technology and was always painful to work with. IBM sold off its printing division which subsequently removed support for AFP utilities along with the Infoprint Designer and is recommending 3rd party alternatives such as the acclaimed iDocs Forms Suite from inFORM Decisions. iDocs provides easy-to-use forms design and spool file data mapper with menus to set up business rules for manual or automatic processing and intelligent distribution of merged, formatted reports, forms and security MICR checks. Print in color with graphics and bar codes.
The laser form printing module provides menus and business rules for defining dynamic, complex document printing operations on the IBM i. This solution is usable with all iSeries, System i and Power Server accounting/ERP solutions including JD Edwards, Mapics, Lawson, HTE, SAP, ORACLE, Computer Guidance, Optimum, Metalware, Pansophic, DCMS, PRMS, Infinium …any software application that generates a spool or XML file output.
With iDocs, you can replace AFP while modernizing your documents and improving your workflow processes; distributing documents as PDF via email and fax, optionally archiving and importing them into a paperless Electronic Content Management system.
inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena since 1994. We believe that the IBM i/Power Systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBMi platform forever!
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
Keywords: ipds afp printing solutions, advanced function printing data stream, ibm advanced function printing utilities, infoprint designer for iseries, AFP alternatives, AFP to SCS, AFP Document Creation, AFP Printing, AFP PDF Creation, Printing AFP PDF Documents, Printing AFP with bar codes and logos, AFP Document Management, Easily Design and Map Documents compared to AFPU, Alternative to using IPDS Printers
Making Document Imports Work for You
Making Document Imports Work for You…
Leveraging the most out of your resources is a fundamental practice for successful managers and organizations. However when it comes to managing the flow of documents the actual practice can become distorted, failing to take advantage of many unexposed benefits. Reasons for not maximizing and making the most out of document flow ranges from lack of initial training; short comings in initial planning; unfamiliarity with installed products and system usage; being unwilling to implement changes to improve processes; and ignoring or misunderstanding the real needs of end users. Presented here is a snapshot of a few ways to consider in making your document flow manageable, beneficial to end users, and cost effective to your organization. |
![]() |
To figure out where to start look at the end point…
Typically either with the end users or established procedures is where managers can begin to address document management practices. This is a great opportunity and starting point to drill down on actual needs for an organization. The discovery phase could be considered one of the most important parts of the process if not the most important part of the process. However it’s surprising how many managers don’t make the time to dig deeper into the actual needs of their end users. This typically leads to configuring a document solution that only partially meets the needs of the end users.
In the scenario that we’ll be using, as shown on the above diagram, we will be working with three different departments.
|
Although we have three very different needs for each of the departments, they do have some commonality which we’ll use to leverage our solution and make managing the document process easier.
|
Reduce, Reuse, Repeat…
We are going to use two components to provide each of the departments there own unique setup.
The objective is to replace manual repetitive work done by people with machine driven processes. This will reduce the number of times that a worker will touch a document or have to key in data or have to shuffle paper around the office. From a technical managing point of view, we want to reduce and reuse the number of component being used to make it easier to manage the overall document management ecosystem. Once setup, we want the automation of repeated steps to process forward with as few human touch points as possible.
First consider a document management system like iView from inFORM Decisions. This will handle each of the applications separately. We’ll be able to store each of the document images in their own unique directory and write the captured metadata into separate tables. We’ll use the metadata as index fields to look up the documents at a later time and to push/pull data into the different operational systems for the company like the company’s ERP system and Accounting system. Additionally, we’ll use the front end portal; iView Document Center, to manage access to specific document types. This will make it easy to assign users from each of the departments to their own specific documents keeping the segregation of documents and data separate between departments.
Second is document capture system like iCapture that will monitor an entry point for your documents and automate the document capture process to your needs. In our case scenario we want to make it as easy as possible to manage the incoming documents for the technical manager administrating the complete document system and more importantly for the end users at each of the three departments.
In our setup, we are going to have different table top scanners like the Fujitsu Fi series scanners in each of the departments. As each of the departments scan in their originating documents in the different geographical locations, the documents will get funneled into a central collection point. The collection point can be either a single folder or a group of separate folders for each of the documents. The capture software will automatically monitor the collection point for new documents to begin the capture process.
Within the capture process we can apply Classification rules to identify each of the different types of documents. The classification step provides an important point in which we automate the separation of documents by identifying the documents at the entry point. This allows us to apply different handling rules for each of the different document types although all the documents arrive in a central collection spot. As each of the documents proceeds in the capture process, they each will follow their own unique configurations for indexing the metadata from the OCR process, validating the collected data, processing via Quality Assurance steps, and Migration steps. In our scenario, we are delivering the images of the captured documents into the iView Document Center and we are delivering the captured metadata into a database’s separate tables for each of the department’s unique systems.
Simple to complex…
By now you must be saying to yourself… This is a simplistic view to a bigger solution… and you are right.
My objective in this short article is to convey a few principles able to make your document import experience a successful journey.
Take the time to really understand your document management needs.
As managers of technology, operations, departments, and employee experiences it’s easy to become reactive as the pressures of demand push to get quick results. We’ve seen it over and over… those who engage deeper into the discovery of end user experiences and dive deeper into the overall needs of the organization tend to maximize their return in solution investments.
Manage your software tools.
From a technical managing point of view, keep your solution components to a few solutions that really provide you with what you really need and learn to use them. Learn to use your tools to take advantage of as many functions as they provide instead of adding another tool. Many times we run into folks that don’t realize that they have had the functionality in a current software tool they already own. If not sure, reach out to your contact for answers. This applies to putting together a document management system. Use tools that you can really use like iView from inFORM Decisions.
Keep the continuity of steps understandable.
When possible, use the same or similar steps in carrying your documents from the starting point to the end point. Have a central collection point to send documents into from all different locations in your organization; identify the documents using Classification configurations; process the documents with indexing and migration rules that are specific to a document type; and delivery useful data that is searchable to your end users. Keeping the flow of steps linear will make it easier for managing and troubleshooting your document management process.
Times are always a changing.
Always know that the best laid out plan will at some point change. In our modern world technology environments, regulations, and procedural shifts will at some point require your document management configurations to be altered. By having a sound laid out understanding of your document processing and of your tools like iCapture and iView, you will be able to better handle changes without having to reinvent your core document capture ecosystem.
Go beyond this article…
Contact us at inFORM Decisions to learn more about how we handle document management.
inFORM Decisions, Inc.
www.informdecisions.com
Call: (949) 709-5838 | Send email: info@informdecisions.com
IBMi + iView = Complete Enterprise Content Management (Part 2)
inFORM Decisions has been a leader in rapidly growing Enterprise Content Management (ECM) for storing and managing an organization’s process documentation and other content and creating tremendous buzz in the IBMi World, turning spooled file data into information you can access and use..
Having all of your files in paper form can be dangerous. Critical files stored electronically provide a valuable fail-safe should anything happen to your physical records. Having an accessible means of storage for your company files is extraordinarily valuable as it will enable you to enhance workflows/business processes, disaster recovery, document retention, and much more. Access to information is valuable – and both an ECM and a Document management Systems (DMS) can provide unfettered access to valuable information. With the ability to automate workflows and easily share files – both systems can be implemented to improve the efficiency of any paper-intensive business processes.
Enterprise Content Management is much more than just a means for storing and managing an organization’s documents. ECM also includes the tools, strategies, and processes used to capture, store, retain, and manage content. iView performs content management functions to enable the capture, storage, indexing and retrieval of spool files, merged documents and scanned forms so they are accessible via a web browser by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Here they can be annotated or signed by the authorized personnel. The iView archive engine automatically captures spool files with user defined bursting conditions, search indexes, and sorting sequences allowing user-defined sorting of the forms and reports. It eliminates the time and cost of storing, retrieving and sharing documents generated in an iSeries, System i or IBM i environment. ECM appeals to those looking to manage and configure large volumes of structured and unstructured data. Consider ECMS as an Office Assistant, able to automatically recognize the content within a document and know who, where, and when to send it.
![iView Archive Selection](https://informdecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Archive-Selection-Window.png)
Document management Systems are technically a sub-category of ECM – as ECM could not exist without its ability to manage documents (the core function of a DMS). Organizations use an array of scanning devices and document management applications to meet their needs, which are subject to change over time. iCapture is unique in its ability to integrate with any scanning device and route information to more than 60 ECM systems. iCapture will make document processes easy and efficient. It’s designed to meet all of your needs, including document scanning and import, forms processing, data capture, OCR/ICR data extraction and the ability to migrate the information into a document repository.
The benefits of using these systems is apparent – the only difficulty lies in choosing the right solution for your organization. Contact inFORM Decisions and learn the best solution for your needs, or watch the below video for more information.
iView Article 2 of 2.