I'm an enabler.

One of the companies I work for has an archaic system
that runs EVERYTHING. They teach accounting seminars.

The system does reservations, billing, scheduling,
accounting, certificate issues, past due notices, etc.

It is 15 year old, runs in a DOS box, and they have
a love/hate relationship with it.

The core software is called Arev, which is a Pick database
on DOS implemtation.

I HATE IT.

We have explored moving them to a new system, and found
it will run between $80K and $300K. For no payback other
than being assured they have future support.

Since they really haven't had any support for the last 5
years, it's kind of hard to convince them to pay that kind
of money for no ROI. These ARE accountants after all.

So anyway: They have a particular seminar type that can't
be handled based on the current system. So they track it
outside the system, using Excel.

It will cost around $5K to modify the syatem to handle it,
or $10K to write a new system based on the new needs, and
then lay a foundation for growth. The rewrite is really
the best thing to do for the business in the future.

Or, I can hack together a series of Perl scripts to read
and write the Excel file to exctract the data they need
for reporting and update it based on external events.

They KNOW this is wrong, I'm the 1st one to tell them.
And I would make no money on a rewrite, so it is not like
I'm pitching something to make money.

But something tells me they'll pay me to band-aid it and
keep using the spreadsheet, than any alternative.

Post #212,608 by broomberg 6/25/05 11:06:53 PM Reply	I'm an enabler. One of the companies I work for has an archaic system that runs EVERYTHING. They teach accounting seminars. The system does reservations, billing, scheduling, accounting, certificate issues, past due notices, etc. It is 15 year old, runs in a DOS box, and they have a love/hate relationship with it. The core software is called Arev, which is a Pick database on DOS implemtation. I HATE IT. We have explored moving them to a new system, and found it will run between $80K and $300K. For no payback other than being assured they have future support. Since they really haven't had any support for the last 5 years, it's kind of hard to convince them to pay that kind of money for no ROI. These ARE accountants after all. So anyway: They have a particular seminar type that can't be handled based on the current system. So they track it outside the system, using Excel. It will cost around $5K to modify the syatem to handle it, or $10K to write a new system based on the new needs, and then lay a foundation for growth. The rewrite is really the best thing to do for the business in the future. Or, I can hack together a series of Perl scripts to read and write the Excel file to exctract the data they need for reporting and update it based on external events. They KNOW this is wrong, I'm the 1st one to tell them. And I would make no money on a rewrite, so it is not like I'm pitching something to make money. But something tells me they'll pay me to band-aid it and keep using the spreadsheet, than any alternative.
Post #212,636 by mmoffitt 6/26/05 11:24:07 AM Reply	PICK on DOS???? Sheesh. bcnu, Mikem It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
Post #214,075 by a6l6e6x 7/8/05 7:33:23 PM Reply	But, it's Box's wet dream! :) Alex The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell
Post #214,080 by boxley 7/8/05 8:03:24 PM Reply	nononononono Pick is an OS/DB no DOS required Just call me Mr. Lynch \\ Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 49 years. meep questions, help? [link\|mailto:pappas@catholic.org\|email pappas at catholic.org]
Post #215,356 by mmoffitt 7/18/05 12:37:23 PM Reply	True. But there is uniVerse for *nix. bcnu, Mikem It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
Post #216,193 by Meerkat 7/23/05 12:42:17 AM Reply	Yep, it's still (sort of) the underpinnings for DataStage Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #216,232 by CRConrad 7/24/05 5:30:39 PM Reply	DataStage?Whazzat; that clone of SAS one used to hear about?
Post #216,235 by broomberg 7/24/05 6:13:39 PM Reply	Google. Ever hear of it? [link\|http://www.ascential.com/products/datastage.html\|http://www.ascential...ts/datastage.html]
Post #216,237 by CRConrad 7/24/05 6:23:50 PM Reply	I gots ta hear this "Google" from YOU, mr Saline Scrotum?
Post #216,240 by broomberg 7/24/05 7:14:46 PM Reply	Yup Obviously my Google-Fu is so strong it protects me from the pukey stuff and lets the good tech through!
Post #216,298 by mmoffitt 7/25/05 11:49:19 AM Reply	Huh? We're about to purchase DataStage. My uniVerse background is around a decade old. Why do you say that? Did DS grow up on uniVerse or something? bcnu, Mikem It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
Post #216,444 by Meerkat 7/26/05 8:28:07 AM Reply	Yup, uniVerse was where everything was kept. Jobs, logs, etc Which, for nonuniversians like myself, makes it a right bugger in the few times you have to get into the guts of it to see what it's doing. Datastage, IMO, is fab. Been using it nearly 5 years now, so lemme know if you need any help. Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #216,487 by mmoffitt 7/26/05 11:09:41 AM Reply	Thanks! I'll remember that ;0) bcnu, Mikem It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell

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