Case Study: Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. achieves 50%+ productivity gains with ARCAD Software's ARCAD-Transformer

Arkansas Electric improves productivity by over 50% using ARCAD-Transformer to convert to Free Form RPG

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a Little Rock–based generation and transmission cooperative serving 17 distribution members, needed to modernize decades-old fixed-format RPG on its IBM i platform, bridge a generational skills gap as senior developers approached retirement, and reduce the learning curve for new hires while moving to modular, Free Format RPG. To achieve these goals the IT/BFS team evaluated modernization tools and selected ARCAD Software’s ARCAD-Transformer RPG.

ARCAD Software implemented ARCAD-Transformer RPG as both a conversion and teaching tool, enabling AECC/AECI to methodically convert legacy code and write all new programs in Free Format. The change delivered measurable gains: developer Kody Robinson reports productivity increased by at least 50%, a sample report turnaround dropped from as much as three days to less than one (about a 66% improvement), the first conversion went live within a month, and the cooperative is now positioned for faster onboarding, lower maintenance cost, and continued modular modernization.

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.

Kody Robinson

Developer