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❓ROI, Business Case, and Tuning for Value: Round Two

Jul 27, 2026

Cost Optimization, Trivia, z/OS Tuning

ROI, Business Case and Tuning for Value

Sonja Soderlund

Sonja Soderlund is an Oregon-based B2B freelance writer. Whether writing about mainframe computers, educational technology, or sustainable retail, she strives to bring clarity to complex issues. Connect with her or LinkedIn.

This month at Planet Mainframe Trivia, we’ve been exploring how organizations maximize the value of their mainframe investments. Creating value doesn’t end once a project is approved. Organizations continually look for ways to improve performance, optimize resources, and ensure technology investments continue delivering results over time. From capacity planning and workload optimization to performance monitoring and cost avoidance, even small improvements can have a significant business impact. Take our quiz and see how much you know!

1. Which outcome best demonstrates the business value of improved system availability?

 
 
 
 

2. A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) differs from a general metric because it:

 
 
 
 

3. Why do organizations invest in continuous performance monitoring rather than relying only on periodic reviews?

 
 
 
 

4. Which statement best summarizes the goal of “tuning for value”?

 
 
 
 

5. Which of the following is an example of cost avoidance rather than direct cost savings?

 
 
 
 

6. Which benefit is most likely to improve the long-term ROI of application modernization?

 
 
 
 

7. A business case for improving system performance is often easier to justify when it demonstrates:

 
 
 
 

8. Which of the following is most commonly tracked as an operational KPI?

 
 
 
 

9. Which practice is most likely to improve business value without requiring major infrastructure changes?

 
 
 
 

10. Why are projects with shorter payback periods often attractive to decision-makers?

 
 
 
 

1 Comment

  1. Bruce McKnight
    Bruce McKnight on Jul 27, 2026 at 1:51 pm

    Following the marketing hype about moving processing to the cloud or betting the company’s future on AI aren’t going to yield the same level of cost savings as taking a good look at what’s already running, then optimizing that.

    You’ve already invested in the code that runs your company. Application and system performance optimization is by far the easiest, lowest cost and lowest risk activity companies can take to make a significant difference to their IT costs.

    Bring in true application performance analysts and transition architects to figure out how it works and how to make it work better.

    Reply

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