30th Anniversary of the IBM i and IBM Power Systems

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

Congratulations to the IBM i and IBM Power Systems on your 30th Anniversary. (June 1988 – June 2018)

30 years ago IBM, with it AS/400, taught the market about the value that an integrated data base and software could deliver. Way ahead of its time, IBM designed OS/400 (and its descendants i5/OS and IBM i) as a “turnkey” operating system, requiring little or no on-site attention from an IT staff during normal operation. To facilitate this, IBM i has a built-in DB2 database which does not require separate installation. Disks provide multiply-redundant storage and can be replaced online without interruption. Hardware and software maintenance tasks are integrated. System administration has been wizard-driven for years, even before that term was defined. This automatic self-care policy goes so far as to automatically schedule all common system maintenance, detect many failures and even order spare parts and service automatically. Organizations using the IBM Power Systems sometimes have sticker shock when confronting the cost of system maintenance on other systems.

The early IBM System/36 and IBM System/38 series customers were a key target of the AS/400, so OS/400 (i5/OS and IBM i), have built-in subsystems that provide backward compatibility with these earlier IBM general business systems. For this reason, long time users, of which there are many, still refer to the platform as the AS/400. The current user base remains strong and committed and various user groups have played a major part in the evolution of the IBM i. Make no mistake, Power Systems and the IBM i are far from their 30 year old roots and green screens. They have been transformed. Built to crush the most advanced data applications, from the mission-critical workloads run today to the next generation of Artificial Intelligence.

This platform remains relevant for modern businesses today and in the foreseeable future. The Power Systems server and IBM i can accommodate emerging technologies such as mobile access and cloud computing. It can also run and interact with cognitive applications on other platforms. IBM Power Systems are ranked No. 1 in every major reliability category by ITIC and deliver the most reliable on-premises infrastructure to meet around-the-clock customer demands.

The true source of this platforms’ staying power through numerous generations of business computing comes from a wide-ranging group of talented business partners and their commitment to providing essential tools for modern computing. Importantly for Power Systems and IBM i users, partners such as inFORM Decisions have been around to provide innovative business solutions. Since 1994, 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. inFORM’s biggest strength is that their solutions have always run natively on the IBM i and they continue to develop and enhance for this platform. inFORM customers appreciate this commitment and new customers are acquired every month who for various reasons are being forced to a much less efficient and less stable PC based solution.

This platform can do anything and after 30 years of innovation is just beginning. Just ask the users! inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i Power Systems platform forever!

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Combine document management and workflow to digitize and automate your business processes

Written by Ly Dinh. Posted in Blog

Combine document management and workflow to digitize and automate your business processes.

Web-based Content Management Solutions from inFORM Decisions can eliminate the time and cost of storing, retrieving and sharing documents generated in an iSeries, System i and Power Systems environment.

Since 1994, 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. We are committed to the IBM i iSeries AS/400 platform forever!

Want to fully understand the AP automation and discuss your needs? Contact inFORM Decisions today at (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed suite of products and see how we can help you reduce paper, increase productivity and lower your costs.

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What is AP automation?

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

AP automation is a term used to describe the ongoing effort of many companies to streamline the business process of their accounts payable departments. The accounts payable department’s main responsibility is to process and review transactions between the company and its suppliers.

Automating the invoice payment process.
• Invoice Capture: Receives paper or electronic invoices, captures important data, and inputs into a workflow or payment system
• Workflow/Approval: Routes invoice for approval
• Payment and Reconciliation: Processes vendor payments via a number of payment methods (AP Card, ACH, check, wire, Supply Chain Finance)

Why the need? Do the math!
Companies are looking to increase process efficiencies and reduce costs. Let’s look at the average invoice processing costs:
• The average manual AP invoice costs $30.00 and the average AR invoice $4.00 per invoice.
• On average the cost of a fully automated AP invoice is $3.50 and the AR invoice $2.25 per invoice.
• The cost savings for the AP invoice is $26.50 per invoice and $1.75 for each AR invoice.
• That‘s a 90% cost savings for the AP invoice and 44% for the AR invoice.

Then consider the average invoice storage cost:
• A paper invoice storage cost is $3.90 per invoice and the AR invoice is $1.90.
• Whereas the electronic invoice storage cost $1.30 per invoice and the AR invoice is $1.30.
• The cost savings for the AP invoice is $2.60 per invoice and $.60 for each AR invoice.
• That‘s a 67% cost savings for the AP invoice and 32% for the AR invoice.

The cost savings are significant, but even better; there is a 37% error reduction with automated invoicing.

What does AP Automation mean to me?
• Automated entry of invoice information
• Exception Invoices routed to proper workbasket for processing
• Electronically route invoices for review/approval
• Focus on exception and vendor analysis
• No manual filing or retrieval
• Complete audit trail

What to look for in a solution.
The AP automation provider is one of the determinants deciding the success or failure of your AP project. You should consider a vendor that can equip your company with all of the features your AP department needs. iCapture is a typical example that provides a layered approach to the invoice problem, helping you improve efficiency and many other benefits. Check that the software can be easily integrated with your other systems. Learn about the software’s security and compliance options. Most importantly, insure that the solution can be tailored to your organizations size and scope and fits your specific needs and will integrate with your ERP system.

Since 1994, 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. We are committed to the IBM i iSeries AS/400 platform forever!

Want to fully understand the AP automation and discuss your needs? Contact inFORM Decisions today at (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed suite of products and see how we can help you reduce paper, increase productivity and lower your costs.

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Reduce Paper Use, Increase Productivity

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

In spite of many technological advances such as the internet, scanners, e-books and digital cameras, paper documents still play an indispensable role in the modern office. It has been predicted that by 2020 the global paper consumption will reach 500 million tons per year. A half of this volume is consumed in Europe and North America alone. Some paper statistics that provide a deeper insight into this problem:

• The average office worker continues to use a staggering 10,000 sheets of copy paper every year.
• In the U.S., companies spend more than $120 billion a year on printed forms, most of which out-date themselves within three months’ time.
• A typical employee spends 30-40% of his time looking for information locked in email and filing cabinets – filing costs average about $20 per month.
• Each misfiled document costs $125. Each lost document cost $350 to $700 – large organizations lose a document every 12 seconds.

While the technology for going paperless is readily available, the rate of adoption for these tools and this system is quite low. Software plays an important role in a paperless office. Software programs manage the huge quantity of digital files that an office can produce during the transition to paperless. Some of the different types of document management tools available from inFORM Decisions that can be utilized to eliminate paper processes are as follows:

Spool files to Digital forms
System i 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.

E-mail
Email has had the biggest impact, allowing communications to become electronic with the ability to attach digital documents. Our iMail product is an example. This is very suitable for lmost business correspondence with the ability to format spool file reports into popular formats like Excel, color PDF, HTML, ZIP, RTF and more. iMail provides much more than simple email delivery. From your AS/400, iSeries, IBM i, and Power Server, you can send messages, business documents and spool file reports in easily readable formats. iMail enables organizations to upgrade to a paperless environment, saving time and money due to more efficient document management and distribution.

Workflow
Sharing business documents such as sales or supplier contracts that require controlled access on an ad-hoc basis can be accomplished by use of versatile tools like iWorkflow which provides the ability to take any business process, and create a digital copy. A digital workflow allows you to streamline business processes and route documents throughout the organization. Managers now have a looking glass into any process, and readily accessible reporting and metrics. Workflow business apps help you streamline your business processes — expense claims, customer onboarding, travel requests or any other organizational business workflow. Using workflow, data, forms and report are connected to the authorized parties providing efficiency and productivity.

Document Capture and Scanning
Scanners are one of the most essential tools for a paperless office. They can convert paper documents into digital files, which are then ready for mass distribution over an email system rather than through paper memos. Large-format scanners can convert blueprints, contracts and other large documents into digital files. In addition, high-speed scanners can quickly scan multi-page documents, or even books, eliminating the need to store the paper copies.

With an array of scanning devices, capture needs and back-end content management systems, it is ineffective to settle for multiple applications to accomplish one goal. iCapture provides a single capture platform that can meet all the needs of an organization: document scanning and import, forms processing, data capture, OCR/ICR, data extraction and the ability to migrate the information into a back-end. The iCapture advanced capture system enhances the capabilities of any scanning device, providing a powerful on-ramp to any Enterprise Content Management (ECM) or Document Management Systems (DMS).

Mobile Signature Capture
With iSign documents are efficiently captured, stored, secured and backed up with peace of mind that they can’t be damaged by flood, fire or accessed by unauthorized users. Documents can be easily retrieved or routed through a web browser, from any location at any time.

Document Storage & Retrieval
iView is the Web-based Content Management Solution for the iSeries, System i and Power Systems native document archive – retrieval solution performing 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. iCapture extends iView’s capture, indexing and storage capabilities to hard copy documents for a complete browser-accessible repository.

Since 1994, 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. We are committed to the IBM i iSeries AS/400 platform forever!

Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed suite of products and see how we can help you reduce paper, increase productivity and lower your costs.

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OCEAN Tech Con 2017

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

Get Your Tech On!

Three Days of Training, Networking & Insight into the Latest IBM Power Systems IBM i Technologies.

Topics include: Open Source – Modernization – DB2 – SQL – Node.js – PHP – Python – Security – HTML/CSS/JavaScript – RPG – Mobile – Cloud & much more! http://www.ocean400.org/2017-conference

Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our both at the conference.

CONTACT US

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IBM ends AFP support

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

IBM Drops Support for Advanced Function Printing Utilities

Last year it was announced that the 5770-AF1 IBM Advanced Function Printing Utilities will not be supported on IBM i V7R3 OS. While there is no indication that the AFP data stream and protocol are no longer supported, the AFP Utilities and the InfoPrint tool for designing pages will not be supported in V7R3. This would indicate that you can continue to print existing applications, but that you can not create a new form overlay or modify an existing one.

A replacement for APF to consider is the acclaimed iDocs Forms Suite from inFORM Decisions. iDocsTM provides easy-to-use forms designer 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 snap-on Laser form printing module attaches to the iDocsTM Administrator to provide 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 it is clear that the IBM i systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM i. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i iSeries AS/400 platform forever!

inFORM Decisions has been an IBM i (iSeries, AS/400) native, Document Management and Workflow software development company since 1994. Our business partners and customers are worldwide and lend testimony to the state of the art, stability of IFD solutions.

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.

CONTACT US

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There is a future for the IBM i

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

The IBM i (iSeries, i5, AS400, Power Systems) platform has been delivering valuable new business capabilities for many, many years. As new generations enter the IT world, many have diverse backgrounds that lack specific knowledge of the ‘i’. New managers inherit legacy systems that they don’t always understand and may question the future of the IBM i.

IBM has made it easier than ever to develop solutions on IBM i by making the most popular native language (RPG) capable of using some of the newest technologies (services, XML, etc.), They have also added new languages and improved the strategic development tools both in function as well as in platforms supported.

The IBM i development team is currently working on the releases after 7.3 and will be delivering many new capabilities to the platform in the next several years. IBM has always listened to their solution vendors and will empower the technologies they see as important to them and their future. IBM is committed to investing in the programming languages, environments and tools which will be needed to build the solutions.

In the past several years, one of the key technologies we’ve needed to enable is mobile devices. There are now tools that make it easy to transform your 5250 green screens into stunning RPG, PHP and mobile applications by using your existing development skills and IBM i assets. We are seeing software vendors offering frameworks that make it easier for developers to create native applications specifically built so RPG apps can be extended to run natively on the iPad, and other mobile devices. These frameworks are not unique to RPG and exist for other programming languages as well.

IBM i clients predominantly use their systems on site, but in line with evolving technology trends, many are considering cloud options for their everyday business applications. In response, IBM has recently introduced new end-to-end solutions that better connect the IBM i to the cloud. One of the key growth areas for the platform is when it’s used by software providers to provide Software as a Service, or Cloud-based solution. Additionally IBM and its many partners are finding new ways to provide value to some of their clients by providing cloud services, whether it’s backup in a cloud or fully hosting customers. IBM is dedicated to making the combination of IBM i and Power Systems as good in that cloud environment as they have always been if you own the box on site.

Simplified security and availability have been the hallmarks of this platform from the day it was created, and IBM is continually working to ensure they remain strengths making it one of the most reliable, secure and trusted platforms in the industry.

In association with committed software partners such as inFORM Decisions, which 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 it is clear that the IBM i systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM i. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i iSeries AS/400 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.

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Spool Files to EXCEL

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

Seamlessly Convert Spool Files to EXCEL and other formats

Have you ever seen a generic spool file generated report being distributed to the company’s Board of Directors or being presented on an overhead projector at a sales meeting or trade show?

If you query a group of iSeries/AS400 business users about the kind of reporting being generated from the information stored on their machines, the vast majority of them will say via an Excel spreadsheet. Excel has been the reporting tool of choice since replacing Lotus 1-2-3 as the industry standard in 1993. Excel users know just how powerful a tool it can be to analyze numeric data and to present information in a clear, concise and presentable fashion.

Since the data on an iSeries/AS400 isn’t readily accessible to Excel, financial reporting is normally generated with iSeries/AS400 spool files. Without the proper tools, manually downloading and importing these spool files into Excel spreadsheets can be tedious, time consuming and error prone.

Our iMail product transforms these iSeries/AS400Spool files and converts the data to true Excel (XLS or XLSX) and other formats automatically. iMail can also take the load off of IT by turning the spool file management and report distribution over to the users generating reports, without manually converting or re-entering information. Distribute them by email or post directly on your server for easy access by end users. If the information you need resides on the iSeries/AS400, you can format into Excel seamlessly and in an automated fashion.

Using companion products from inFORM Decisions, users can create, customize, sort, burst and distribute reports. Click our iSeries Forms Software for information about our full product suite.

inFORM Decisions has been serving the IBM i family of computers since 1994. iMail and our other products can provide you with the versatility that never existed with computer generated paper forms. Our products provide the perfect solution to accomplish your paperless office initiative.

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Spool Files to PDF

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

Seamlessly Convert Spool Files to PDF

iPDF is a IBM i native spool file to PDF Conversion tool which provides many benefits to businesses running on the IBM i, iSeries or AS400. More than just converting basic spool file text to PDF, iPDF will convert color, logos, images, graphics, bar codes etc, and generate PDF files that are text searchable for ease of use.

A time-saving and more secure PDF document transformation application:

iPDF allows you to easily convert your iSeries spool file reports, forms, checks, invoices, purchase orders and other business documents to the universal Portable Document Format without any programming or manual tasks. It transforms documents to PDF without using IBM’s Navigator on a PC, or System Utilities with a workstation customizing object. This not only saves time, but also eliminates the security issues created with converted documents on external PCs.

With iPDF, converted documents can be emailed or sent directly to the IFS, mapped network drives or servers. It can be integrated with other companion modules to create the ultimate distribution tool directing output to an external repository for private and secure user retrieval.

Spool file management and report distribution can be controlled by the users generating the reports. iPDF can be setup to automatically convert your spool files reports to PDF without any programming. It is menu driven and very easy to use. There are included API’s that programmers can utilize. These APIs can be integrated with all iSeries, System i and Power Server accounting applications like JD Edwards, Mapics, Lawson, Optimum, etc.

Using companion products from inFORM Decisions, users can create, customize, sort, burst and distribute reports. Click our iSeries Forms Software for information about our full product suite.

inFORM Decisions has been serving the IBM i family of computers since 1994. iPDF and our products can provide you with the versatility that never existed with computer generated paper forms. Our products provide the perfect solution to accomplish your paperless office imitative.

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Legacy forms software

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in Blog

Are you at the end of the line with your Jetform, Optio, Createform / Createprint or other legacy forms software?

Are you currently using an antiquated or obsolete laser forms package on the IBM i / iSeries?? Many users of solutions like Jetform, Optio, Createform or Createprint, ACOM, and others, are finding they are being forced OFF the powerful IBM iSeries platform onto a PC 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.

Since 1994, 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. We are committed to the IBM i iSeries AS/400 platform forever! We understand the end-of-life issues faced by the users of Jetform, Optio, Createform / Createprint, ACOM, Quadrant, RJS and other legacy solutions.

inFORM Decisions products address the growing needs of organizations to reduce costs and manage not only reports, but form and check generation environments as well. Our solutions offer a broad range of options for you. From simple laser form and check printing to web based archive-retrieval to document delivery with email and/or FAX to secure and automated electronic payment and banking solutions – we have the products to help you. inFORM’s acclaimed and award winning iDocs Product Suite will give you the ability to design and print laser forms and laser checks as well as electronically burst, format, and distribute reports all the while helping save thousands of dollars in the cost of obsolete document management, usage, inventory, postage and mailing. inFORM Decisions is among the first application providers to be certified on IBM’s new family of expert integrated systems.

Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of products. Lay down new track to swiftly get your train moving again with better speed and effici ency.

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