BPCS 6.02/6.04/6.1

We currently have two facilities on BPCS 6.02, three facilities on 6.04, and
two facilities will go live in 2-3 months (currently piloting 6.04).  Given
the problems with 6.02, we are looking at two options:

(1) upgrade the 6.02 facilities to 6.04, and keep everyone on 6.04 for a
couple of years, then go to a newer version (if BPCS is still viable then).
(2) upgrade everyone to 6.1 starting with the 6.02 facilities this year, and
upgrade the rest to 6.1 next year.

Our modifications to BPCS are mostly reports; few inquiry screens; and minor
interfaces to three other systems...   We want to have everyone on the same
version (for obvious reasons).   Option 1 is more appealing because effort
is significantly less...

Can anyone please provide information as to why we should go through all the
trouble now to go with option 2 ...

Thanks,
David

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rob [SMTP:stagis@fansteelvrwesson.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2000 8:00 AM
> To:   BPCS-L@midrange.com
> Cc:   'Hydro, Bill Wagner'; billw71@hotmail.com
> Subject:      RE: Events at SSA
> 
> We're also on 4.05CD as well as running 6.1 at two other plants.
> Personally, I don't use SSA tech support at all at the 4.05 plants.  We're
> content with the product - anything it's missing from my company's point
> of
> view we simply code.  I've got no reverence for maintaining teh virgin
> code
> in BPCS.  We DO keep up the prescribed method of doing additions (user-
> and
> user-file libraries), and our installation is mostly 'stock' with the
> exception of forms-changes.  Mostly what we've done has been additional
> reporting and we're satisfied with the product.
> 
> I've got my permanent key, the system is stable and known to the users and
> the MIS staff (all 2 of us) and we won't be changing in the short-term
> future.
> 
> The shops on 6.1?  A slightly different story - this was a new
> installation,
> thankyouverymuch.  Due to problems and DP personnel abandoning ship during
> what was seen as a 'hopeless' conversion, I was sent in as the cavalry
> along
> with an outside consultant and we went live on our Y2K-necessitated
> conversion on Thanksgiving weekend, 1999, whether they were ready or not.
> They've got a plain-vanilla package that we're currently coding additional
> reports for, and they're on the phone to SSA techies constantly.  These
> shops could have issues if there's problems with response, etc...and I
> might
> have problems if management deems it necessary for my shops to go to 6.1
> in
> order to be the same as the other shops.
> 
> There's always consultants/SSA partners, and these guys won't be going out
> of business anytime soon.  They ARE expensive (picture me dodging bullets
> from consulting companies here) but when you've got the right one, they're
> much more responsive than SSA as well as just as knowledgeable, without
> having the 'reverence' for the product that SSA promotes...they're willing
> to see what it'll do when you don't use it according to SSA's master plan.
> 
> For us?  As a stable company, BPCS meets our needs.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-bpcs-l@midrange.com [mailto:owner-bpcs-l@midrange.com]On
> Behalf Of Bandit Motorsports Inc.
> Sent: Monday, May 03, 1999 10:22 PM
> To: BPCS-L@midrange.com
> Subject: Events at SSA
> 
> 
> I've been ready the posts from this group for the past 6 months. It's a
> great learning tool to read everyone's issues and replies.  Thanks!!
> 
> We are on 4.05 CD.  With the recent melt down at SSA, I'm not sure, how
> much life this product will have at my company. Managment's patience is
> running very thin. Havn't seen much written on the subject here.  Will
> people in the group please share their thoughts on the subject?
> 
> Thanks.  George.
> +---
> | This is the BPCS Users Mailing List!
> | To submit a new message, send your mail to BPCS-L@midrange.com.
> | To subscribe to this list send email to BPCS-L-SUB@midrange.com.
> | To unsubscribe from this list send email to BPCS-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
> | Questions should be directed to the list owner: dasmussen@aol.com
> +---
> 
> +---
> | This is the BPCS Users Mailing List!
> | To submit a new message, send your mail to BPCS-L@midrange.com.
> | To subscribe to this list send email to BPCS-L-SUB@midrange.com.
> | To unsubscribe from this list send email to BPCS-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
> | Questions should be directed to the list owner: dasmussen@aol.com
> +---
+---
| This is the BPCS Users Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to BPCS-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to BPCS-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to BPCS-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner: dasmussen@aol.com
+---