When you are running a large mainframe for your business network and information, you must improve the efficiency of the system on a consistent basis. There are a few tips listed below that will help you keep your mainframe safe and efficient. Plus, you need to work with your employees to determine what your next step should be. A business owner cannot decide what to do alone, and your staff must be made aware of all the policies you created to keep the mainframe in good condition.
Define Your Company’s Mission
The COBOL mainframe can perform many tasks for you, but that does not mean that it is perfect. You must define your mission so you know what the mainframe is supposed to do. If you are storing big data, you need to set up your mainframe to store massive files. If you are storing customer information, you must create programs that safeguard sensitive data like credit card numbers or Social Security Numbers. When you know what your mission is, your mainframe will perform those tasks without wasting time and energy on functions you do not need.
Talk to your programmer or developer about the mission of your business. Someone who has industry experience can convert your mission into a plan for the mainframe. If you do not have a mission, your mainframe can perform the specific tasks that you need to do business every day.
Measure KPIs Every Week
You must measure your KPIs every week. The Key Performance Indicators for your mainframe should be determined before the mainframe goes online. Measure how fast the mainframe responds, security gaps, turnover time when sharing files, and other things that are important to you. When you measure these things every week, you will uncover code that is performing poorly.
Your IT staff or support company can change the code to something that is far more efficient. Plus, you can shift your code as the market changes or performance indicators change. Your mainframe is not a static device that sits in the middle of your office and never changes. The mainframe should be a flexible device that you adjust to meet your needs. This is why using a COBOL program is best for businesses.
Use Automation As Much As Possible
When your business handles thousands of small transactions per day, you do not have time to do everything manually. You can create automation within the mainframe that will close security gaps in file folders, send alerts to the right people, and clear bottlenecks in the system. Automation will send data to the right people on your staff at the right times, and you will never need to ask your IT staff to perform tedious assignments during the day. Your focus can remain on the efficiency of the mainframe.
Collaborate With Your Staff And Developers
You must work collaboratively with your staff and developers. You likely have an idea of what you want your mainframe to do, but that does not mean other ideas should be dismissed. Ask your staff what they think the mainframe should do, and hire an IT developer who can tell you what the market demands.
If you are collaborating on the KPIs you measured above, you can decide how to improve the mainframe in meaningful ways. If you need to add automation to the system, you should tell the staff that you think more automation is necessary. You may learn that many people on your staff want more automation, are experiencing slowdowns in the system, or do not like how they must access private files. You can change the mainframe in real-time to meet their needs, and you will keep everyone happy.
Final Thoughts
When you are setting up a mainframe for your business, you need to do more than setting up a system that stores data. The mainframe can perform many automated tasks for your company, and you should work with your employees to determine what the mainframe does. Hire an IT company or staff to create the mainframe, maintain the mainframe, and make changes when needed. If you have upgraded your mainframe on a regular basis, it will keep up with the growth of your business.
