I will share our hands-on experience with a cloud native (container) transformation that is currently unfolding. Technically, implementing an Open Shift Container Platform (bare metal) is pretty challenging. Doing this in a way that we will have pretty stuff in our data centers and at the same time making sure that our technical possibilities are actually being used effectively by product developers ... is a different challenge all together.

Join this session if you'd like to hear what we figured out about the people side of this kind of change!

Target Audience: Architects, Management, Developers, Operational Heroes, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of DevOps concepts
Level: Advanced

Extended Abstract:
In this session I will share our hands-on experiences implementing a container-based architecture in our organisation. Choosing to implement Open Shift (bare metal) as your container platform is pretty difficult and challenging technically. It is also rather exciting and not too difficult to find smart people willing to help you build and run this new platform. However, it turns out that there is far more to this challenge than just the technology. Therefore, we are adopting an evolutionary implementation approach - stringing together small experiments - towards a flexible, more experimental and proactive culture that will allow us to actually benefit from the technical possibilities our new platform offers. This session is our story of our evolutionary and experimental approach and what we discovered along the way that works in this kind of transformation. Our main "discovery" is that even though at first it seemed mostly a technical transformation, it actually is far more of a human challenge.

We are right in the middle of this transformation so in this talk, I will bring you the latest and most valuable insights and experiences regarding this organisational and cultural transformation that is needed to turn the potential of our container platform into actual value for our organisation. We will summarise our ideas in a practical "this might work" list (bear in mind however there are no best practices, just patterns that might work in your specific situation).

An example of an experiment that turned out useful in our situation is: "create a small separate team that will drive this change". In our organisation we strive to build end-to-end teams, so at first we tried to get this new platform started from within the regular Infra DevOps team (as a huge Epic on the backlog). But people however got swamped in work and annoyed by all the context switching this required. Team members got tired and frustrated with the huge amounts of work, sky high ambitions and lack of progress. So, in the end we did a small experiment by creating a separate, dedicated, core team to get things going. This experiment turned out to be successful (and was thus extended) because it allowed team members to focus on the development of the platform and to build, document and share their experiences along the way, so that this team is also able to incrementally onboard the other teams along the way. Busy OPS-teams and product teams can't just develop the new platform on the side, next to all their other ongoing work. Building a container platform is epic and needs dedicated time and focus, also to keep people in their best energy.

I will share some of our most useful experiments and experiences, all having to do with the human side of this container transformation.

This session is not meant for decision making on going cloud native or not. If you do go cloud native, please bear in mind it is still about people, most of all!

Firmen können kaum noch IT-Systeme neu entwickeln, ohne dass existierende Funktionalität mitwandert. Vor die Aufgabe gestellt, ein System von einem Fremdanbieter in eine Public Cloud zu überführen, hat sich gezeigt, dass hilfreiche Wanderführer rar sind.
Diese Session strukturiert Entscheidungswege und Erkenntnisse bei Cloud-basierten Migrationsvorhaben - abgeleitet aus der Migration und Modernisierung von einem Konsumenten-Service mit 6 PB Daten und ca. 2 Mio. Nutzern.

Zielpublikum: Business-Architekt:innen, Entwickler:innen, Projektleiter:innen, Manager, Entscheider
Voraussetzungen: Erfahrung mit IT-Projekten
Schwierigkeitsgrad: Anfänger

Extended Abstract:
Wanderungen versprechen Entspannung, Panorama oder Sehenswürdigkeiten auf dem Weg. Selten steht bei der Planung die erwartete Anstrengung im Vordergrund. Ähnlich ist es mit Cloud-Migrationen: Der positive Beitrag zur geschäftlichen Entwicklung lockt, aber nicht ohne Mühe.

Wir streifen die folgenden Etappen:
1. Tourenplanung: Wie wähle ich den richtigen Migrationsweg, aka. die "Migrationsstrategie"
2. Lohnt sich der Weg: Wie überzeuge ich Entscheider, ein solches Vorhaben zu sponsoren
3. Auf dem Weg bleiben: Wie managt man den Migrationsfortschritt?
4. Bleibende Erinnerungen: Wie begegnet man übergroßen Erwartungen und vermeidet Enttäuschung bei Endkunden und Produktverantwortlichen?

Modernization projects are not a straight line as there’s no one-stop shop. Balance is definitely the right word: we talk here about finding the proper trade-off between quality/costs/timeframe requirements and customized patterns for a successful legacy system modernization. Based on actual use cases, we’ll discuss the available solutions (ERP implementation, code rewriting, middleware, cloud…), and see why combining the relevant tools is key.
Let us take you on a modernization journey and get your IBM mainframe to embrace innovation!

Target Audience: Architects, Developers, Project Leaders, Chief Information Officers
Prerequisites: IBM i (AS400) and IBM z environments, mainframes, software development
Level: Advanced

Extended Abstract:
Trusted by major players in the insurance, banking, industrial and public services, IBM i and IBM z mainframes are undoubtedly powerful and reliable. Yet, the core business applications developed decades ago are no longer suited for today's requirements nor for tomorrow's innovations. Issues are piling up: maintenance, regulations, cybersecurity, mobility, UX/UI, technical debt … all made worse by the lack of skilled and motivated developers able to untangle layers of spaghetti legacy COBOL or RPG codes.

When the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is rising, some may consider simply shifting to modern architectures. Remember the massive rush to a famous ERP in the 2000s? Disarray, downtime, sleepless nights dreading data loss … History has taught us that forced march towards efficiency is possible but also that balance to consider the actual business environment and needs could have been a far better solution, both for systems and people.
Successful modernization is about making the most of the existing mainframe (remember, IBM i and IBM z systems are powerful and reliable!), adapting it to the latest IT trends and strategically relocating applications, inside or outside the mainframe.

Let us introduce you to an interesting use case we had a few years ago: this financial institution, specialized in consumer loans, is struggling with the obsolescence of its mainframe core business applications:
•    Accounting
•    Human resources and payroll
•    Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
•    Documentary reporting

Lately, legacy applications had had issues to address new demands from their various users (accountants, HR, sales, management):
•    How to work over 2 accounting exercises?
•    How to add new data and issue monthly statements of account?
•    How to call an external webservice to check customer solvency?
•    How to cope with the stricter compliance checks requested by financial regulations?
•    How to secure remote access for other branches?
•    How to provide a modern, secure and multi-session interface?
•    How to offer mobile access to all kinds of devices?

We’ll discuss a fully customized and easy to implement solution to modernize:
developers’ workstations: Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
systems and software: migration, decommissioning, revamping, middleware, runtime, mobile connectivity, web services, cloud
Let’s dive together into this real-world use case and deploy the full array of modernization tools to support this financial institution in her quest for innovation.

There are many discussions, slogans, and myths out there when it comes to sustainability. But what is behind all those slogans? What does “carbon neutral” really mean and how does it compare to “net-zero”? Is my cloud really running on renewable energy? What are the low-hanging fruits when it comes to reducing carbon emissions? And how does “carbon offsetting” really work?

This session explains all those slogans and concepts, sheds some light at common myths, and provides the audience with a solid understanding of the topic.

Target Audience: Architects, Developers, Managers, Project Leaders
Prerequisites: No prerequisites
Level: Basic

The topic of Green Software is very important because software is everywhere and affects the environment indirectly through the usage of hardware. Jochen Joswig explains what Green Software means and more detailed how energy demand can rise through software usage. There are different degrees of software effects on the environment that can be considered and evaluated. Jochen Joswig is furthermore researching green software metrics, approaches, quality criteria and how they can be applied in the daily business of software development.

Target Audience: Software Engineers, IT-Architects, IT-Consultants, Manager, ESG-Consultants, Sustainability Manager
Prerequisites: None
Level: Basic

Extended Abstract:
Information and communication technology (ICT) is both a curse and a blessing when looking for solutions to environmental problems like the climate crisis. On the one hand, things like video calls and instant messaging reduce the need for travel and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the total energy consumption and natural resource demand of ICT is growing. Therefore, in his opinion it is the responsibility of everyone involved in software development to use these resources as sparingly and efficiently as possible. Ideally during all parts of a software’s lifecycle.

There has been extensive research in recent years about Green Software. In this talk, Jochen Joswig will introduce some of the key ideas and methods from his research and make the matter of Green Software more accessible. Furthermore, he will introduce some areas in which in his opinion research is still lacking and provide a personal view on how this could be changed.

Change happens one person at a time. As a leader, you are responsible for helping to persuade people to accept the change. Many of us have been taught persuasion techniques that focus on giving information … and then more information. How is this working for you? Might there be a better way? This session will give you the opportunity to prepare other methods of persuasion for the changes you want to make.

Target Audience: Anyone who sees problems in their organization and would like to help make change happen
Prerequisites: A desire to learn (and have some fun while you do)
Level: Basic

Extended Abstract:
Change happens one person at a time. As a leader, you are responsible for helping to persuade people to accept the change. Many of us have been taught persuasion techniques that focus on giving information … and then more and more information. How is this working for you? Might there be a better way? This session will give you the opportunity to prepare other methods of persuasion for the changes you want to make. These will include an "elevator pitch" with a wake-up call, an "imagine that" exercise, and some stories to build an emotional connection with the people you are trying to persuade.

Sustainability needs change-ability. This 90-min panel will have on three speakers on change. How to move many people or a company to change the status quo. This question addresses the needs of organizations and likewise the needs of our society.

Target Audience: Change Management People, Everyone
Prerequisites: None
Level: Advanced

Extended Abstract:
We will combine three speakers with 20 min Impulse talks. There will be biological brewed beer in different flavors to accompany the tasteful and inspiring talks. The audience will be able to ask questions and supply suggestions, the speakers will respond to that. Anke and Hannes will serve as referees and sommelier(e)s.
The three talks are:

Gina Häußge: Adventures in Open Source Development - how to change OS
Oftentimes when imagining how Open Source Software is developed, the following sort of picture is painted: teams of dozens of developers coordinating happily, handling constant software maintenance with a smile on their faces and often provided with company funding. This is an ideal picture that sadly and all too often doesn't reflect reality. So, the question remains: what is it like to create, develop, and maintain an Open Source project independently or with a small-sized team and an unsure funding situation?

Michael de Zan: Sect or state religion? Agile rituals from a cultural-historical perspective
As a team, do we enjoy going to the retro as much as young people go to church on Sundays? Do we help shape agile events, or do we delegate them to priestly rite experts? Are we passionate about agile values, or do we live with the agile framework as with a state religion whose rituals we have to serve externally? The lecture takes a look at the agile rituals from a ritual-theoretical and cultural-historical perspective, shows parallels and offers a change of perspective in order to reflect on and further develop one's own rituals.

Anke Nehrenberg: “To boldly go …” - Definitions - Reflections - Observations - Predictions on ‘Culture of Growth’
We will start by exploring the concept of culture and continue with a self-localization: where are we today, what aspects does ‘growth’ bring to the party? Culture and organization not only are interdependent, they affect each other reciprocally. Most of this will sound familiar and may be boring, so let’s take it a bit further and explore the edges of our known universe: I will draw on observations and reflections of organizational culture and what may become important in a (galaxy) future not so far away.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its sub-domain, Machine Learning (ML), have been developing quickly. Your organization could be planning for or be in the middle of an AI transformation.

In this talk, I will speak from my own experience managing the strategy and delivery for AI/ML programs and discuss practical steps for the executive leadership to ensure the success of their AI strategy and delivery.

Target Audience: Project Leaders, IT Leaders, Executives, Decision Makers
Prerequisites: None
Level: Basic

When you want to make a change, the skeptics are lying in wait throughout the process. You must continually recognize them if you want the change to be sustainable. Who are they and why are they resisting?

We want to be understanding but oh, they can be annoying. We are told to increase communication, but before shouting more information, we must understand why they are irritating us.

This presentation will provide some practical tips for identifying and dealing with resistance in your organization and perhaps in your personal life too.

Target Audience: Everyone who sees a need for change but also sees resistance
Prerequisites: None
Level: Advanced

Extended Abstract:
When you want to make a change, whether it be agile, AI, cloud, microservices, or anything (!), the resistors are lurking everywhere throughout the process. You must continually recognize them if you want to create a sustainable change. Who are they and why are they resisting? We want to be understanding but oh, they can be annoying. We are told to increase the communication, but first we must understand why they are irritating us before we are tempted to shout more information at them.

This fits into the conference theme of Finding the Right Balance because leaders must continually handle skepticism surrounding the change while, at the same time, moving the process forward at a rate that attempts to work for everyone. As the Signature Track describes, this presentation will, “illuminate the area of tension in which decisions can be made, but also to show practical tips and empirical values so that teams can make the appropriate decisions.”

In a fun and enlightening way, it will point out why resistors annoy us and offer some practical tips that attendees can use on Monday morning for identifying and dealing with this resistance in their organizations and perhaps in their personal lives too.