RE: The Future of BPCS

[jdyer@xxxxxxxxxx]

Our consulting practice has focused on supporting manufacturing companies
using BPCS on the AS/400 architecture since 1986. Although we have clients
using JD Edwards, and experience with other ERP suites as well, BPCS has
been our staple commodity.

Although over the years I have experienced my share of frustration and
disappointment with the company, I have always thought that the product
weighs in favorably against its contenders.

It has a strong database design, correctly drawn interfaces between modules
and the applications are generally well thought out.

SSA made choices around version 4 that were not particularly good for its
AS/400 customer base. I did not welcome the ASSET tool, their strategy for
EDI or their client-server initiative.

I am encouraged, however, by a sense of renewed vigor under the Gores
umbrella and by statements from their leadership that suggest rededication
to the AS/400 segment of their business. I hope they will prevail, and I
believe they will.

Could I have selfish motives in waving the flag for SSAGT? Sure, I would
miss them. In a way, they built my house. But I have been in this business
too long to be a fan any more. If SSAGT were to fail, the waste would be
the real tragedy.

Think about how much time, effort and money has been spent to bring BPCS to
where it is now, by SSA itself and all its customers, all these years. We
might have enough of our GDP invested to think of it as a natural resource.
If full-featured ERP products were a dime a dozen, or BPCS  lacking in
virtues then perhaps we could say "so what".

But I don't think familiarity is the only reason we prefer BPCS engagements
over others. We haven't seen everything, but we've seen enough to know that
you could do a lot worse. In our practice, we see the bones of these
products, and some bones look better than others.

Are they worth looking at? Sure they are.

Will they make it? That's up to the customer. I hope they know that.


Regards,


John G. Dyer, CDP
Vice President
Information Management Consultants, Inc.
812.421.0045 ext. 203
jdyer@imcedi.com
http://www.imcedi.com