Everyday programmers go to work to create new shiny custom pieces of work that have the bling and entertainment value to satisfy consumer’s digital appetites. The objective is to turn the bling into dollars. In some circles I’ve heard it referred to as creating the “sexy stuff” while playing with the latest and greatest programming tools and techniques.
But.
There are also programmers that go to work everyday to solve problems for what I call the plumbing and work flow areas of the business. This is the non-sexy stuff. Yet it’s the essential stuff. This is the programming that automates business process, eliminates manual workflow, and connects disparate systems so they can trade information.
Some of these programmers work on computing platforms with computing languages originally developed over 30 years ago. These are the programmers that wade through years-and-years worth of business rules and customizations to determine how to put in another piece of logic. They don’t work with fancy GUIs or create mobile applications. You’re more likely to see them moving and transforming orders, invoices, reports, and purchase orders from one place to another.
Did someone say that working on the programming that moves millions of transactions through a system and across systems is boring and outdated? There’ s no bling I’ll admit. But there is cha-ching. It’s the work of turning bits and bytes into pennies and dollars.
The next time you see a programmer that does this for your business tell them thank-you. If you are that programmer then smile and give yourself a pat on the back.