Finding CA:GEN Programmers

Where do you find CA:GEN resources today?

This is a question you’re probably asking if you’re an IT shop that is using CA:GEN (aka Allfusion:GEN, Advantage:GEN, Composer or IEF) to develop or maintain systems. No matter what name is used, you are probably having trouble finding skilled experienced resources.

The problem with CA:GEN today is that no one is training new developers on the product. Computer Associates is not training them. There are very few companies in the world that conduct training courses. And, there are no “dummies” books to learn how to program using the toolset.

If fact, if you find a developer who has less than five years with the product it is highly likely that the person either learned the product on their own by reading the manuals or was taught in-house. In either case, there will likely to be large gaps in the programmer’s knowledge of this complex toolset, gaps that cost you money.

So, if no one is training new developers in the product then how are you going to find programmers to maintain your existing GEN portfolio?

The Answer

The answer is to use experienced off-site resources to do the maintenance work. Now before you write this idea off please finish reading this and the following entry and I think I can show you a way to structure an off-site working arrangement that protects your company and meets your needs.

First let’s look at the benefits of using off-site resources.

1. There is a larger pool of experienced developers from which to choose. Many of the early, most experienced resources have dropped out of the market because they are just plain tired of picking up and moving every year. They enjoy programming. They know the tool. And they are available.

2. The experience level of this pool of developers. The GEN product has been around for over twenty years and there are resources out there that have many years of experience with the toolset some even have twenty or more, me included. These programmers started with the product when it was called IEF and was marketed by the creator Texas Instruments. Many, like me, were trained by TI and went on to train and support others in the use of the product. We stayed with it through the Composer years and into the various flavors of GEN such as Advantage:Gen, Allfusion:GEN and it’s latest iteration CA:GEN.

What does this experience buy you? It buys you this.

§ Developers who understand how to use the tool in the most effective and efficient manner.

§ Developers who can work on their own with little oversight and instruction.

§ Developers who know how to debug code rapidly.

§ Developers who can turn around requests in less time and with greater accuracy than less experienced developers.

§ Developers, who have many verifiable years of toolset experience

3. The rate. You can often get these developers for a rate that is comparable and maybe even less than the rate you’re paying for on-site help. Why, because the most experienced developers have made the decision to trade income for quality of life. They want a stable lifestyle for their families and will work for less than they would if they had to pick up and move client to client.

The bottom line to all of this, you get the developers you need at a rate you can afford!

What off-site development is good for and not good for

Let’s take a moment and discuss the conditions in which off-site development is appropriate and when it is not. Off-site development is NOT appropriate for new development. There’s just too much communications and user interaction required in new development.

Off-site development can be used for enhancing a system if there is good systems analysis and the specifications are well though out. This in particular is an area in which the experience level of the developers is critical. The more experienced the developer the more likely the developer will be to look beyond the specifications and identify any issues that might have been overlooked.

The best use of off-site programming is for maintenance. The changes usually require a minimum amount of communication and an experienced resource can quickly identify what is wrong, correct it, test it and return it to production.

If the advantages of off-site development sound like they may fit your needs, read the next entry in the blog where I discuss how to structure an off-site work agreement that protects you and gets the work done in a timely manner.

Resumes of highly experience GEN developers can be found on the right sidebar to this blog. Feel free to contact any of them.

Structuring an Off-Site Work Agreement

The biggest concern I’ve heard regarding the use of off-site resources is the fear that you, the client, will get overcharged for the work. There’s a very simple way to handle this that completely protects you. Simply use a fixed rate contract. Treat each request as a fixed bid. Here are the steps:

1. Establish a contract between yourself and the developer.

• Specify monetary rate to be paid.
• Make this contract a short duration contract, say three months. Once you have a good working relationship with the developer you can increase the length of the contract if you choose.
• State in the contract that all work is to be returned in a satisfactory form (and what constitutes satisfactory).
• Write into the contract that if any rework is necessary because of developer error then the developer will absorb the time without cost to you, the client.

2. When there is work to be done you estimate the number of hours it will take to do the work.

3. The developer looks at the work and agrees to the estimate.

4. The developer performs the required task and returns the finished product.

5. Once the client confirms that the finished product meets the requirements the developer is paid for the number of hours that were estimated. This gives the developer an incentive to do the work quickly and correctly.

Never create an off-site work agreement that is open ended. Always make sure that you are protected. If you follow the suggestions above your off-site development experiences will be positive.