With all the discussion of mainframe staffing difficulties (i.e., who will replace our knowledgeable staff when they retire in a few years), surprisingly few organizations have identified and addressed exactly what resources they will need. Here are a few tips to help you build a case and create a proactive approach to solving your staffing concerns.
First, start by listing the key skills and staff you use now, what you expect to need in the future, and a projection of when current staff might not be available. For example, your list might include this type of information: “We have one VTAM systems programmer who is 61 and is likely to retire in the next five years; there are few candidates available to replace him. We have three Windows administrators, all in their 30s or 40s. If one of them left, we expect to find replacements relatively easily. If necessary, the two remaining administrators could cover for the departed third for a short time.” Review this list with your key managers and HR staff experienced in similar exercises.
For each key position, list possible ways to cover any future staffing gaps, including cross-training other staff, eliminating the need for the position, simplifying the position, hiring an apprentice, outsourcing the position, hiring temporary staff or consultants as needed, offering part-time consulting contracts to certain valuable retirees, or automation using robots to mount tapes and software to simplify administration.
IBM is developing methods to simplify mainframe administration. Ask your representative what they offer, and plan to offer, to address staffing needs. Don’t be surprised to learn about a Windows GUI interface to simplify VTAM administration, DB2 administration, blade server management, or system software upgrades.
Recognize that mainframes and distributed platforms are becoming increasingly interconnected and dependent on each other. Standardize administration of distributed platforms across your organization to simplify consolidation, relocation, and staffing. Inventory distributed systems and consider use of blade servers to reduce staffing needs as well as other costs.
The economics of blade servers will push you to consolidate distributed systems onto blades, often moving them into the mainframe data center. This can be an opportunity to cross-train your Windows and UNIX staff on the mainframe. Prepare a summary of relative salaries and career options for someone who knows just Windows, someone who knows just mainframes, and someone who knows both. Explain that the scarcity of good mainframe skills will make experienced mainframers more valuable in the marketplace than experienced Windows staff.
Of course, there are certain basic steps you should take no matter what. Make your organization an attractive place to work, one that encourages staff loyalty. Ensure that each key employee has documented the relevant procedures, option settings, naming standards and definitions, so that in an emergency, someone else could step in and carry out the job.
Through the IBM Academic Initiative, IBM partners with colleges and universities worldwide to educate students on mainframe curriculum. Visit www.ibm.com/developerworks/university/academicinitiative/ for more information. By teaming up with local universities, you could have the first pick of the best graduates.
Ask IBM and other vendors how they would support you in a mainframe staffing emergency. What steps would they help you take?
Of course, you must consider the ultimate solution to the mainframe staffing problem: outsourcing your entire operation. However, some business functions and resources should almost never be outsourced because they’re so critical. If your organization depends on information systems to stay in business, outsourcing can make your entire organization dependent on some third party.
Outsourcing companies face the same expenses and problems you do, plus they need to make a profit on your business. Likely the only way they can do this is through economies of scale, putting your workload on the same computer with their other clients. You lose control over access to your customer master file and other key assets. An outsourcer offering you “virtualization” is adding to costs: Windows will run faster directly on your computer than it will on top of VMware on top of that same computer belonging to an outsourcer. With blade servers in your data center, especially the zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension (zBX), you can balance workloads across servers to reduce overall hardware needs.
Report briefly to your management the nature of the problem, your approach to solving it, the expected cost-savings, and the support of HR.
Follow these steps and you will greatly reduce your staffing problems.
