Re: SMG questions

[BBilgen@xxxxxxx]

SMGs provide an interactive interface in and out of BPCS making use of the 
same technology utilized by BPCS C/S.  The CHECKEMI program was not meant to be 
a production program but rather a methodology to test whether or not the smg's 
were up and operational.   The problem with using CHECKEMI is that you need 
to create a script before executing the program which in effect is reducing the 
interface to a batch job rather than an interactive one.  If you want to make 
use of the interactive capabilities without the need to write C++ Object 
Oriented code, SSA has in the past offered another package called BPCS 
Exchange.  
This package makes use of any of the SMG's shipped or created for BPCS and 
provides a variety of options for interfacing both inbound and outbound from 
files, data queues, message queues...

If the interactive capability is not necessary, than another alternative 
would be to use ECM.  SSA took their old CIMPath product and moved the 
capabilities of that product into ECM.  You can post both inventory and labor 
transactions directly thru ECM.  ECM also uses the SMGs, but the beauty of this 
interface 
is that it is already written, works and is supported by SSA if there is any 
issue with it.  Another positive note is that ECM comes built in with its own 
error handling and correction programs - for any other interface, these would 
need to be built.  There is also an ECM adaptor already created which will 
create orders (for the person wishing to create RO's and transact against them).

Barbara Bilgen