James Allman | JA Technology Solutions LLC
Software development, systems integration, and cross-platform consulting
Legacy to Modern, Strategy to Delivery · IBM i · Linux · Windows · Mobile · Web · Cloud
I'm an independent software developer, systems architect, and cross-platform consultant, working across IBM i, Linux, Windows, mobile devices, the web, and cloud services. I help businesses support, modernize, integrate, and build the software their operations run on, whether that means strengthening a system that has run for years or building something new alongside it.
That work covers the full lifecycle: keeping critical systems supported and reporting reliably, migrating and modernizing them when they are ready for the next step, integrating them across the business and with outside platforms, and building new applications where nothing off the shelf fits.
Some businesses need help with a single focused project. Others want a long-term relationship with one person who learns their environment and stays with it. I work both ways; the best next step is a short conversation about how I can help your business.
Or call +1-888-882-8735 toll-free, +1-512-870-8510 direct, or ask Ask James.
Explore my free online tools — data converters, file parsers, network utilities, and more →
Remote support is available for clients across the USA and globally.
Why companies work with me
- Deep IBM i expertise with broader cross-platform experience
- Strong background in custom reporting, legacy enhancement, and system integration
- Networking and communications depth that strengthens integration and troubleshooting work
- Practical migration and modernization work that prioritizes continuity
- Experience working across legacy and modern environments
- Clear communication with both technical teams and business stakeholders
Modernization in one picture
Three green screens become one.
A real merchandising workflow: item maintenance, item attributes, and price and cost maintenance are on separate green-screen pages. One modern tabbed view handles all three, with the business logic underneath preserved. More on modernization →
Before
After
Services
Six core services focused on business continuity.
Support & Enhancement
Ongoing support, troubleshooting, and targeted enhancements for business-critical systems. Supplement existing IT staff or provide expertise your organization lacks in-house.
Support & enhancement →Migration
Phased migration for applications, data, workflows, and integrations with an emphasis on continuity, validation, and risk reduction. ETL and data conversion.
Migration services →Modernization
Selective modernization of front ends, back ends, interfaces, and deployment environments. Modern web and mobile interfaces over existing business logic.
Modernization services →Integration
System integration between ERP, POS, warehouse, finance, and external platforms. EDI, JDBC, ODBC, API-based connectivity, and real-time data exchange.
Integration services →Custom Development
Custom business applications, workflow-specific tools, and extensions to existing systems. Building software tailored to how your organization actually operates.
Custom development →Reporting & Analytics
Custom reporting, report automation, operational and management reporting, data visualization, dashboards, and report modernization across legacy and modern platforms.
Reporting & analytics →Who I Help
I work with organizations across industries that depend on long-lived systems and customized workflows, with particular depth in grocery retail, warehousing, and the finance and accounting operations that support them.
Integration Approach
Real-time connectivity across business-critical systems.
Enterprise systems — ERP, warehouse management, finance, point of sale, supply chain — rarely exist in isolation. The value is in how they connect.
POS & External Systems
POS, external platforms, operational inputs, and upstream data sources.
Real-Time Integration
Triggers, message queues, synchronization workflows, and event-driven processing.
ERP & Customer-Facing Systems
Connected operational workflows across enterprise, back-office, and customer-facing systems.
enterprise software
continuously in production
across the USA and worldwide
Insights
Perspectives on enterprise systems.
Inventory Valuation: Where the Numbers in Your ERP Come From
Two companies can buy the same goods, sell the same units, and report different cost of goods sold. The difference is a configuration choice called the cost flow assumption, and most people running reports against it could not say which one their system uses.
Read the article →What an Imported Case Really Costs
The vendor invoice is the most visible number in an import and the least sufficient one. Between the factory and your shelf sit freight, insurance, duty, brokerage, and a three-letter term that decides who pays for each. The margin you think an item earns depends on getting all of it into the unit cost.
Read the article →Teaching the AS/400 to Talk to the Outside World
To move files between an AS/400 and the modem-driven, serial world it was never built for, I wrote the protocols, the asynchronous layer beneath them, and a send-and-expect layer to automate the exchange. The same job, connecting systems that were not meant to talk, is most of integration work today.
Read the article →The AS/400 Machine Interface, and Why IBM i Endures
To build native Xmodem and Ymodem file transfer for the AS/400, I dropped to the machine interface for fast CRC routines, before C was common on the platform. What that low level reveals about why IBM i still runs today.
Read the article →Free Tools
Practical utilities you can use right now.
A growing library of free online tools spanning data formats, IBM i and mainframe, networking, retail operations, and developer utilities. Nothing is uploaded — everything runs right here in your browser.
QuickBooks Explorer
Explore and create QuickBooks Desktop QB IIF and QuickBooks Online CSV files. Parse, validate, convert, and generate, all in your browser.
Data & FinanceBarcode Explorer
Generate, scan, and decode barcodes in 15+ formats. Camera scanning, image upload, batch detection, and CSV export.
Retail & POSEmail Auth Checker
Check SPF, DMARC, DKIM, MX, and BIMI records for any domain in one place.
NetworkingDDS Screen Explorer
Paste IBM i DDS display file source and see the screen rendered with authentic 5250 green-screen and modern preview.
DevelopmentRegex Tester & Builder
Test regex patterns with real-time match highlighting. Built-in pattern builder and syntax reference.
DevelopmentTrusted Across Industries
My core capabilities — custom development, system integration, reporting and analytics, and modernization — apply across every industry.
How I Work
A clear, repeatable process.
Understand
Investigate the existing environment, business workflows, and technical landscape. Work directly with stakeholders to understand the real requirements.
Strategize
Design a practical strategy with clear phases, validation checkpoints, and risk management. No surprises.
Deliver
Execute with accountability. Direct senior-level work, documented results, and ongoing support as needed.
Engagement Model
Secure, remote, and built for long-term client trust.
All work is performed remotely. For each client, I use a dedicated virtual machine and connect through the client's approved secure access methods, including VPN where required.
Engagements may be ongoing or project-based, depending on whether the need is long-term support, reporting and enhancement work, migration execution, or a targeted integration or application initiative.
Platform Experience
Cross-platform expertise from IBM i to modern cloud infrastructure.
Available for ongoing support, project-based work, custom application development, custom reporting, reporting automation, migration planning, troubleshooting, and work involving grocery merchandising platforms, including Grocers Support Systems (GSS).
Broader platform experience includes Unix, Linux, Windows, and Apple environments, along with support for adjacent business applications and selected legacy platforms where needed.
James Allman | JA Technology Solutions LLC
A direct, senior-level consultant relationship.
Many clients know me personally and work with me directly over long periods of time. JA Technology Solutions LLC is the business entity behind that work, giving clients a professional company structure when that matters for procurement or vendor requirements.