The LUG – Giving to Gain

The IBMi25 anniversary celebration enters the home stretch with Lynne Benedict’s commentary about a grass roots customer effort that evolved into a strategic partnership with IBM – the LUG (Large User Group). Lynne is the Director of Operations and Administration for the LUG and has led the group for thirteen years. Her background is in database programming at IBM Rochester and Rockwell Shuttle Operations Company at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She also serves on the board of First Farmers & Merchants Bank in Stewartville, Minn.

So how did this paragon of collaboration form? Representatives from six companies, all pushing the AS/400 as hard as they could, met in 1994 at COMMON in San Antonio, Texas. It became obvious to them that they were all experiencing similar challenges, so they agreed to keep the synergy going by meeting at each other’s sites, sharing experiences and trying to solve problems. The next logical step was to lobby IBM for information and assistance, and IBM responded positively, understanding that hearing collectively from their largest AS/400 customers was an opportunity. In 1996 the LUG created its first 11 requirements and delivered them to IBM, where they were accepted into consideration in the development planning. A Lotus Notes based website hosted by IBM brought the requirements process online where it could be easily accessed and updated. This process is now considered one of the formative deliverables of the LUG, boasting more than 1200 written requirements since its inception. IBM has delivered on over 75 percent of approved entries.

Another key deliverable of the LUG is the Strategy Presentation delivered in Rochester, Minn., every year during the deep freeze of February. The concept has been stretched, twisted and taken to the drawing board numerous times over its history until today, when it has come into its own and hit its stride. The big change is that, instead of being a super-secret creation of the LUG, the doors have been opened to include IBM as part of the six teams that have been formed, each focusing on a single area that has been identified as strategic. The LUG has embraced the idea that good strategy should not change much from year to year (thank you, Steve Will). What’s truly exciting is that, instead of delivering a great presentation and then putting it away like holiday decorations until the next year, these teams are staying in contact, tying strategic ideas to existing tactical requirements or writing new requirements to support their ideas.

Now that you know a little about the concrete deliverables through which the LUG collaborates with IBM, let’s look at the organization and the true benefits of membership. LUG was incorporated in 1999 and is not owned or operated by IBM. Membership applications are approved first by the LUG Board of Directors and then vetted by the entire membership. Annual dues of $3,000 per company cover the operational expenses of the corporation. The only additional costs to members are the travel expenses incurred to attend the required meetings (two per year for US based members and one for international members). Without exception, LUG members find this to be an incredible value as they take advantage of technical information provided by IBM, access to the development and support teams and the opportunity to network with their peers. LUG members know that their management truly grasps the value of membership when they ask: “What would LUG members think about this?” or “Can you find out how LUG members solved that?” The IBM i community is recognized as passionate about the capabilities and possibilities surrounding their favorite platform and the LUG is no exception. It is not particularly visible in the media or even very vocal outside the confines of the LUG website, but there is no secret handshake or codeword, just a group of dedicated professionals and the companies they represent, willing to share their knowledge and give the time to participate and contribute.

As the LUG celebrates IBM i at 25 with the rest of the world, it prepares to mark its own 20-year anniversary in October 2014. If your company has two or more Enterprise Power Systems running at least 100,000 CPW, perhaps you would like to become part of the group that proves time and again that by coming together and forming a single voice, the static is cleared, the messages are received and change does happen. 

i Colleagues Learn New Skills Through Hands-On LUG Activity

This PowerUp blog post was written by Laura Ubelhor, who owns and operates Consultech Services, Inc., a Rochester, Mich.-based consulting company established in 1992. Laura has extensive hands-on experience specializing in IBM i application technologies and working with a long list of clients in a variety of businesses.

When pondering how to encourage and help local i colleagues enhance and broaden skills and how to enthuse local i colleagues to participate in user group activities, the thought came to mind to use a hands-on activity to provide LUG members an opportunity to learn new and current skills. It was an idea that I knew would require time commitment and funding to put into action. I was pleased to see a grant offered by the Maxava iFoundation and filled out the application. My local user group, SEMIUG, received the grant and the plan was put into action.

The objectives included providing a means for LUG members to learn new skills through a hands-on experience, working on a live project, to encourage LUG organizations to use new technology and to drum up enthusiasm to participate within LUG activities. The starting point was aligning a box to complete the hands-on activity. Fortunately Larry Bolhuis (iDevcloud) was kind enough to provide a reduced rate. I decided to use a PHP project–knowing it is a current and hot technology, the cost would be minimal and it’s a skill that I am comfortable with.

The plan was to use a LUG member organization project for the learning experience and to enlist local user group members as participants. Once the concept of having a project coded for free was understood it was not difficult to find organizations willing to provide a project for the activity. The only requirement for an organization or individual to participate was they had to be a current LUG member.

It was easy to round up a group of 20 participants with varying degrees of skills and exposure to Web development. We split into teams, not to compete but to allow all participants an opportunity to roll up their sleeves and actively work on the project. The chosen project was quite robust including add, change, delete, inquiry, internal user application, external user application, email notification with attachments, creation of PDF and excel documents, call to an RPG program, and security requirements. Detail specifications were provided for the project.

The first meeting kicked off with an overview of PHP and a review of the project plan. Participants were given homework to start the learning process. It was interesting to see how each team took a different approach to creating applications, how quickly teams were able to begin coding and also to see how the teams bonded during the learning process. Participants had varying skills and did a great job working with and helping each throughout the activity. The meetings/sessions were completed with participants joining in remotely using GoToMeeting. We had on-site interaction before and after regularly scheduled user group meetings. Most participants were from SEMIUG and a couple from WMSUG. The activity was completed over a three-month period. We used Zend studio for coding and everyone was set up with the capability to sign on to the box remotely. Part of the project requirement was to code and test the applications and also to create user documentation.

At the end of the set timeline we scheduled a big reveal. The activity was a fun gathering held as a regularly scheduled user group meeting. Zend's Mike Pavlak was onsite for the big reveal of the completed projects. Each team showed its completed applications followed by a panel critique of the finished projects. Zend provided support throughout the project and also furnished prizes for meeting attendees and project participants including t-shirts, pins and copies of Kevin Schroeder’s book “You Want to do What with PHP?” After the finished applications were reviewed closely, a project was chosen and feedback was provided. Based on the system users’ feedback, all participants pitched in and did a final round of enhancements on the chosen application.

The outcome of the activity was beyond what we set out to accomplish. Forming teams and completing a project from start to finish also included developing and using project management and team interaction skills. Participants walked away with new skills. Several participants have already put their new skills into action, a member organization has a PHP application running in production (a new technology for their environment), and user group attendance and enthusiasm took a boost.

It was exciting to see how much effort participants put into the activity encouraged by their desire to learn new skills. I would like to see the hands-on LUG activity grow to include other user groups and provide an opportunity for more LUG members to learn/expand skills. Discussion and plans are already in motion to expand the activity to include other user groups. We are hoping to have another activity later this year. The first round proved the idea works with participants joining in remotely. The long-term success of the activity is dependent upon resource and funding. By including other user groups it is more likely the hands-on LUG activity will continue and will reach more i colleagues. We likely will do more PHP activities, but it is also a great fit for the development of other skills, such as RPG Free, ILE, SQL, WebQuery, iSeries Access for Web, RDp, RPG Open Access, mobile applications, etc. What are your thoughts on hands-on LUG activity?

LUGs Thrive in the i Community

This PowerUp blog post was written by Laura Ubelhor, who owns and operates Consultech Services, Inc., a Rochester, Mich.-based consulting company established in 1992. Laura has extensive hands-on experience specializing in IBM i application technologies and working with a long list of clients in a variety of businesses.

Some years ago when I began my journey into a career as an IBM midrange system professional, I purposely sought out others locally with the same interests. I realized early on as an IT professional there would always be change--something new to learn, new tools, new technology, new methodologies, new ways to improve and enhance solutions.

Exploring how to meet the need to keep current I sought training, education and also interaction with like colleagues. With some research I found several local user groups meeting on a regular basis with the guiding purpose of IBM midrange systems education. After visiting each group I settled in and haven’t waivered as a dedicated member of SEMIUG. 

LUGs (local user groups), an important component of the framework within local i communities, shouldn’t be overlooked as a source of learning and interaction with other i colleagues. LUGs across the country differ greatly. Some are more formal than others. Some groups are larger and have more volunteer resources to meet the local community education needs. Meeting times vary from group to group. Some have chosen morning or afternoon gatherings while others meet in the evenings. Some LUG meetings are held at local IBM sites, i community organization sites, restaurants, conference facilities, libraries, community centers or a combination of sites. All have a website for i community members to visit to find out about upcoming and past events and activities.

Volunteers are the driving force behind running a LUG. User groups have strived to provide a comfortable environment for i colleagues to get together, interact and learn. Some hold webinars, monthly meetings, one- or two-day conference events, hands-on learning activities and a variety of other activities focused on providing the local i community with education opportunities. Some areas/regions have more than one group. Often groups within regions coordinate activities including conference events or having a speaker visit multiple groups in a whirlwind tour. One thing is constant, however; activities are organized by volunteers. So you may find some sites that aren’t as elaborate as others or some may not have the latest name or logos included on group sites or communications. All are nonprofit volunteer-run organizations. LUGs are dependent on membership dues, which vary, but all are reasonably priced. Dues fund the LUG activities and provide a means of bringing education to your local area.

Don’t overlook the power of the LUG. Although, our numbers may not be as big as they were at one time, we’re still out there thriving, and recently seem to be experiencing some growth. COMMON is the super LUG that reaches many people throughout the world. Not everyone can attend a COMMON conference or COMMON activities because of cost or logistics. No fear or need to be left out, likely a group in your area is just waiting for you to participate. LUGs provide current topics presented by world-class experts and provide a great opportunity to meet and greet fellow i colleagues.

I fondly recall many user group activities. Even when it might not have been a presentation or education event focused on something that I was using or had used, I’ve always appreciated the impact of being able to learn something new and interact with other i colleagues. I’ve never been let down through any user group activity that I have attended. I always walk away learning something new. The interaction, learning and insight are invaluable. 

So where do you find contact information on a LUG in your area. Here and here are a couple of websites that list most of the LUGs. If you don’t readily find one in your area don’t hesitate to contact and reach out to a LUG within your region or to COMMON. LUG members are a friendly bunch and will go out of there way to help i colleagues find answers and learn. What does it take on your behalf? Not much. Seek, participate and you shall be rewarded.

Are you a LUG member? If not–why? If you are a LUG member, what are some of your favorite experiences?