Is powerhouse dead?
Steve Heaslip
heaslips@ozemail.com.au
Sat, 1 Jun 2002 23:44:13 +1000
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C209C6.82B6FC40
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
It's certainly dead in Australia. You can count yourself amongst a select
few there at Alcoa, but for how much longer?
I've worked with PowerHouse since version 4.01D on the Vax - and it's sad to
see it going the way of the Tassie Tiger. Most of the larger companies have
replaced their in-house PowerHouse systems with the big packages, while some
of the smaller sites have re-developed their systems with tools such as
PowerBuilder etc, because Cognos was too slow off the mark with a viable
Windows version.
What intrigues me though is how company after company keeps making the same
mistake - they're prepared to spend tens of millions of dollars implementing
a package to replace a system that, at the very worst, probably just needs
an overhaul and an upgrade to PowerHouse Web at a fraction of the cost! And,
after they've spent those millions what have they got? A package that (if
they're lucky) does 80% of what the old system did, a room full of
consultants that charge $300 an hour but have no ability to add a new field
or change the way a particular calculation works when the business rules
change, and a capital expenditure request for several million dollars more
to buy the add-ons needed because all the reports produced by the system are
unreadable in their standard form!
I suppose the problem is that company management just aren't looking at
their own IT departments (and therefore places like Cognos) for the big
solutions anymore - they've usually got one of those big accounting firms
whispering in their ears telling them that once they've signed this piece of
paper life will be easy - there'll be a flood of endorphins, there'll be
peace in the middle east and beer will be 20c a schooner again.
If Cognos are serious about PowerHouse having any sort of future, they need
to start promoting their AD Toolset the way they promote the BI tools - and
not just to us propellerheads. They need to start pitching it to
management - to make management aware that there IS an alternative to
spending mega-millions on the big packages.
It's too late here in Australia for the old, large PowerHouse sites as
they've now invested too much money in the packages, but maybe a new
generation of companies might pick up on PowerHouse as a development tool
that will allow them to build customised solutions at a fraction of the cost
of a package, if Cognos can get out there and market it that way.
I wonder if the dinosaurs had dreams like this as that meteor streaked
across the sky? :-)
Steve Heaslip.
-----Original Message-----
From: powerh-l-admin@cube.swau.edu [mailto:powerh-l-admin@cube.swau.edu]On
Behalf Of Olmos, Fernando(Sericon at Alcoa)
Sent: Friday, 31 May 2002 3:45 PM
To: 'powerh-l@cube.swau.edu'
Subject: Is powerhouse dead?
How many of you are now dedicating (or already done so) your time porting
your Powerhouse system(s) to the Windows platform? It seems most large
companies have already signed on the dotted line to either have PeoplSoft,
SAP, Oracle or some other "fancy" system take over the
true-tried-and-trusted text-terminal systems. The logistics of these
exercises make ENRON crashes seem like kids play.
------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C209C6.82B6FC40
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<TITLE></TITLE>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>It's =
certainly dead=20
in Australia. You can count yourself amongst a select few there at =
Alcoa, but=20
for how much longer?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>I've =
worked with=20
PowerHouse since version 4.01D on the Vax - and it's sad to see it going =
the way=20
of the Tassie Tiger. Most of the larger companies have replaced =
their=20
in-house PowerHouse systems with the big packages, while some of the =
smaller=20
sites have re-developed their systems with tools such =
as PowerBuilder=20
etc, because Cognos was too slow off the mark with a viable Windows=20
version.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>What =
intrigues me=20
though is how company after company keeps making the same mistake - =
they're=20
prepared to spend tens of millions of dollars implementing a package to =
replace=20
a system that, at the very worst, probably just needs an overhaul and an =
upgrade=20
to PowerHouse Web at a fraction of the cost! And, after they've spent =
those=20
millions what have they got? A package that (if they're=20
lucky) does 80% of what the old system did, a room full of =
consultants=20
that charge $300 an hour but have no ability to add a new field or =
change=20
the way a particular calculation works when the business rules change, =
and a=20
capital expenditure request for several million dollars more =
to buy=20
the add-ons needed because all the reports produced by the system are =
unreadable=20
in their standard form! </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>I =
suppose the=20
problem is that company management just aren't looking at their own =
IT=20
departments (and therefore places like Cognos) for the big solutions =
anymore -=20
they've usually got one of those big accounting firms whispering in =
their ears=20
telling them that once they've signed this piece of paper life will be =
easy -=20
there'll be a flood of endorphins, there'll be peace in the middle east =
and beer=20
will be 20c a schooner again. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>If =
Cognos are=20
serious about PowerHouse having any sort of future, they need to start =
promoting=20
their AD Toolset the way they promote the BI tools - and not just to us=20
propellerheads. They need to start pitching it to management - to =
make=20
management aware that there IS an alternative to spending =
mega-millions on=20
the big packages. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>It's =
too late here=20
in Australia for the old, large PowerHouse sites as they've now invested =
too=20
much money in the packages, but maybe a new generation of companies =
might pick=20
up on PowerHouse as a development tool that will allow them to build =
customised=20
solutions at a fraction of the cost of a package, if Cognos can get out =
there=20
and market it that way.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>I =
wonder if the=20
dinosaurs had dreams like this as that meteor streaked across the sky?=20
:-)</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN class=3D160101712-01062002>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000=20
size=3D2><STRONG><U></U></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>Steve =
Heaslip<SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002>.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000=20
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D160101712-01062002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
powerh-l-admin@cube.swau.edu=20
[mailto:powerh-l-admin@cube.swau.edu]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Olmos, =
Fernando(Sericon=20
at Alcoa)<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, 31 May 2002 3:45 PM<BR><B>To:</B>=20
'powerh-l@cube.swau.edu'<BR><B>Subject:</B> Is powerhouse=20
dead?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>How many of you are now =
dedicating=20
(or already done so) your time porting your Powerhouse system(s) to the =
Windows=20
platform? It seems most large companies have already signed on the =
dotted line=20
to either have PeoplSoft, SAP, Oracle or some other "fancy" system take =
over the=20
true-tried-and-trusted text-terminal systems. The logistics of these =
exercises=20
make ENRON crashes seem like kids play.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C209C6.82B6FC40--