SML Assembler Estate Audit

Definition of Service

Background

The applications run on your most expensive computing platform and in addition, being written in Assembler, are twice as expensive to maintain than if written in any other language.

Experience in Assembler is ever shrinking and knowledge experts are approaching retirement age.

These factors leave organisations with one certainty – they have to plan a defined future. But, before being able to do this effectively, customers are telling us that they need two vital pieces of information - A detailed and accurate inventory of the Assembler estate and analysis of the individual systems and components.

Only with this information do they tell us that they can decide upon the best way forward.

Purpose of the Service

SML has comprehensive knowledge and experience of Assembler and the Assembler environment. Through regular contact with our customers and those responsible for Assembler systems and applications vital to the operation of the organisation, they have told us that what they really need is a baseline of what their systems look like at the moment.

Once provided with this quantitative analysis of the existing estate, they tell us that they can approach the question of strategic direction and focus on where specifically they should be directing their efforts, and when, in order to provide a grounded future for these critical applications.

SML has developed the Assembler Estate Audit to meet these customer defined needs, and precisely with the requirement in mind, provide a baseline from which to build an effective system route map.

What is Provided?

Following extensive analysis, SML will provide you with an Estate Report which details the system’s make-up through:

1. A complete inventory of your Assembler estate.
2. Analysis of the inter-relationships between the elements of the system.
3. Analysis of the complexity of :-
   • The entire estate
   • Each system
   • Each individual module
4. An analysis of the areas of the system which require special consideration.

The service has been developed to ensure minimal impact on your time and resources.

The work is carried out offsite by SML so as not to interrupt your operational services.

It requires only the source for your applications or systems.

SML, using its unique Assembler analysis tools, will run extensive and detailed analysis of your code.

In addition, we apply the knowledge that comes from many years of Assembler specialisation to provide essential information required to assist in choosing the right path.

All work is carried out under a strict non-disclosure agreement.

We provide the results, in a pre-agreed format, direct to you at a fixed price and agreed timescale.

What is the Value?

We cannot overemphasise the value that a comprehensive analysis of your Assembler systems will bring you.

Central to our proposition is that we provide all of the data relating to your Assembler estate plus quantitative and qualitative analyses of that data.

The combination of these provides the information you need to deal with the problems that any Assembler estate poses.

You will judge for yourself the value in relation to your unique requirements. However, in addition to the improvement you will gain in control over your Assembler assets, there are values that apply to everybody, which include:

• Having accurate and timely information when you need it most when dealing with internal activities: For example:
• Evaluation of future strategies of the Estate, System or individual Module Management e.g.
• Leave as-is
• Replace
• Modernise
• Outsource
• Rewrite
• Sunset
• Re-platform
• Budget evaluation and calculation.
• Risk and Compliance Management Audit.
• Control over your Assembler assets.
• Management reporting.
• Having the right information to be of significant benefit when you need it most when dealing with external stakeholders. For example:
• Budget preparation and discussion cycles.
• Compliance Management.
• Risk Mitigation and Management.
• Change Request Management.
• Discussion and debate support information.

Without SML the time and cost to provide this comprehensive level of information would be prohibitive.

In addition you will have access to our analysis capabilities on an ongoing basis, thereby ensuring that you stay up to date cost-effectively. You will have peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that you have used the Assembler experts and have the information you need.

How long ?

Between 2 and 4 weeks from receipt of source code, depending on the number of lines of code.

Conclusion

You may be some way along the route map already or just embarking on its development. In either case the SML service will provide the level of information that supports your strategy.

For further information on how SML can help you with the greater comprehension of your Assembler systems, contact: