Antiquated Software

[GCC Consulting]

Linda Hapner
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 12:15 PM


Salesmen at my biggest client are calling my database system "antiquated".
It is a very nice suite of integrated databases, and we work very smoothly.
 
I suspect his "antiquated" comments are due to the fact that we are
character based.  All of us that actually do the entry and upkeep do not
want a GUI interface, but I'm starting to think that perhaps I should have
the sales folks in the GUI mode. 
 
We are running on a unix server - from what I've read, I can have GUI
version for some and character base for the others.
 
I've not gotten into the GUI at all - can someone give me an idea of
learning curve time, and will all my programs have to be altered in some
fashion?  What headaches am I in for to give these guys their little
mousies?  And will they still see my programs as "antiquated"?
 
Right now, the program the sales people work in, I have an number of @key
functions to draw windows into outside files.  Ideally, a click of a button
would do the same, and then they want to be able to print to their local
printers.  Right now I'm using Anzio to hook them up to the unix system.
 
Been away and not checking e-mails and am just reading this thread.
Fairlight presented one test method.

Just a point, one of my clients has 4 order entry clerks who enter orders
from preprinted order forms.  Each order can consist of one to 300 line
items.  On average the orders are about 100 line items.  Each clerk enters
between 150 and 250 orders a day.  

All data entry is numeric.  In addition to entering the order, they must
print out the associated bar code labels and address labels for each of
their orders.  

These clerks can't afford the time to move their hand away from the numeric
keypad.  A GUI would slow them down too much.

I have linked the UPS shipping program to the order system.  When an order
is accessed, if it has been shipped by UPS, the tracking # is there.
Pressing <I> passes the information to IE, using a system call, and loads
the UPS page with the tracking information. 

I have another client whose partners were used to ODBC (read SQL) databases.
They questioned filePro.

Once they saw the speed with which programs could be written and/or modified
they were impressed.

I a discussion, they asked me if I could present the 12 questions they were
using I a questionnaires) that was answered.  They walked out of the room
and when they returned 15 minutes later, I had the request up an running.

Their response, you did that in 15 minutes?  We thought it would take at
least a month or more.  That's what they are accustomed to with the "modern"
GUI front ends.

If all those salesmen need to do is access static information, Give it to
them as an HTML document.

If the need to query the database, add FPSQL and let the create their own
queries.  Not GUI but "modern".

By the way, fpsql has been available since 1988.

Richard Kreiss
GCC Consulting