Re: hi, need some manuals

   I have not updated my web site in eons, but the guide to basic BPCS
   navigation is still pretty valid at
   http://radio.weblogs.com/0107846/stories/2002/11/08/bpcsDocSources.html
   many of the links are broken, but you can Google on the names of the BPCS
   companies to get their current web sites.

   BPCS Manuals are very reasonably priced, in my opinion, for around $150.00
   to $400.00 (US $ plus delivery costs) each from several different places,
   with varying degrees of presentations suitable for different audiences.

   You may find manuals on subjects you interested in, but not for your
   version of BPCS.  There is a lot of overlap between versions, such that a
   manual for a nearby version is probably 85% valid for your version.  What
   is more critical than version can be if you are on mixed mode or something
   else.

   Ask your employer what outfit you get tech support from.  Most tech
   support places have extensive resources to help newbies to BPCS get up to
   speed pretty fast.  Some of them have extensive on-line resources and BPCS
   newsletters available ONLY to their clients.  Also ask if your company has
   access to the BPCS source code ... many places save $ by not purchasing
   this, but if you have the library of source code for the help screens,
   this can be a life saver, since you are then able to look at the text that
   is the help for various programs, without running those programs.  In the
   USA, these classes run a few thousand $ a week, plus lodging and air
   fair.  I know there are counter part organizations around the world, I
   guess they probably cheaper in your part of the world.

   At time of original BPCS implementation, there was a wealth of
   documentation appropriate to learning a lot about BPCS, such as a net
   change document identifying what all got enhanced from one version to the
   next.  This documentation comes with a directory of the functions of the
   files.  There is a cross-reference tool that comes with BPCS ... see if
   your security will let you get into that.  We developed our own, because
   (a) at our version of BPCS, there are security problems with the tool
   (b) we are in a very low profit margin industry
   (c) developing solutions is very educational for us

   Since you are working for a consultant firm, you might ask about the
   company training programs.  They ought to send you to BPCS University for
   several weeks of Basic BPCS Training.  Depending on class size, this can
   cost less than comparable time at IBM University.

   Different people on this list are intimate with manuals from different
   suppliers ... if you search the BPCS-L archives for "manual" "documention"
   other suitable key words, you can find what people have to say about the
   various choices out there.  Depending on your fluency in different human
   languages, there may even be a nitch market out there to work with some
   firm to translate their BPCS manuals into other human languages, such as
   those supported by BPCS.

   There is a wealth of info in the BPCS-L archives.  Look at BPCS menu
   programs and functions you interested in, then search the archives for
   discussion of those program names or functions.  Remember that we have
   varying degrees of BPCS know how, and once upon a time we were all
   newbies, so sometimes what comes out of our e-mouth can be a little
   ignorant, but usually someone else in same thread will illuminate such
   e-oops with a correction.

   The manuals from UPI are aimed at a high level of understanding how BPCS
   functions and how the various files and applications interact ... think
   like a flow chart of what pieces of software ought to be run in what
   sequence, and what files they update, and the structure of the data.  But
   this is from perspective of how people operate BPCS like it is supposed to
   be operated.  The UPI manuals do not speak to coping with modifications,
   or tailoring exceptions to rules.

   They have some sample pages from their manuals on their web site, so you
   can see if this is the kind of material you are looking for.
   http://www.unbeatenpathintl.com/bpcsmanuals.html

   The ones from SSA tend to resemble the menus, and what happens when you
   take the various menu choices.  There is also on-line variant in BPCSDOC
   which has some very detailed stuff using PDM source members for each of
   many applications.  The quality of this is such that looking stuff up is
   exceedingly time consuming, and forget about meaningful indexing.  At
   least one member is bigger than the SEU ceiling, so we had to split up
   ours to make for more manageable.

   There's other manuals and documentations suited more to computer
   management people concerned with nuts and bolts of modifying BPCS.
   http://www.dssolutionsinc.com/OverviewManual.asp

   If you are new to the iSeries or AS/400 world, you might consider getting
   the IBM Red Book on BPCS.  Warning, it is not for computers beginners, but
   rather is extremely technical, and has nothing about BPCS applications per
   se, it is more of an implementation perspective..
   http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg245410.html

   On the BPCS Logo screen there is a string of words that are not in a
   sentence, that look like some kind of marketing.  Place cursor on one of
   those words, then try enter key, other keys, see if your security gets you
   into where those words can take some of us.  When you are on a BPCS menu,
   try using IBM Attention Key emulation.  Depending on your BPCS security,
   there's another universe of behind the scenes perspectives available
   through some poorly documented keys ... I know about them because I been
   to BPCS University, plus sometimes when modifying BPCS I stumble across
   things and ask "What the Heck is THIS for?"

     Hi Forum,

     I am Bannerji Bhat. I am new to the forum as well as new to bpcs.
     so, anyone, can u please provide me some manuals so that i can get the
     initial concepts and i can get the main files.
     I am working on Supply Chain Management of BPCS ver 6.2
     Please do the needful as soon as possible,
     i would appreciate your concern,

     Thanks and Regards,
     Bannerji Bhat
     Tata Consultancy Services Limited
     Road No. 7,Marol - MIDC
     Andheri (E)
     Mumbai - 400093,Maharashtra
     India
     Ph:- 02266471217
     Mailto: bannerji.bhat@xxxxxxx
     Website: http://www.tcs.com
     =====-----=====-----=====

   -
   Al Macintyre
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:AlMac
   http://www.ryze.com/go/Al9Mac
   BPCS/400 Computer Janitor ... see
   http://radio.weblogs.com/0107846/stories/2002/11/08/bpcsDocSources.html