Need much input

All.

We are on 405cd, heavily modified (40-45% mods), and have lately
developed some awesome Browser based add-ons using LANSA for the WEB.

The problem is that we heavily use the BPCS database, and will soon need
a new Power IBM i server to handle all the transactions. Of course, to
get the new IBM O/S to work at V6 or V7, we will have to ante up and
re-instate Maintenance with Infor for three years!

We have had a couple of in-house demos and sessions with Infor pre-sales
regarding the new features in their version 8 software - which we would
get 'free' by going back on the 3-year maintenance plan - and with the
new IBM server.

What we have been told is that 80% or so of all the mods we made over
the years will be a base part of the BPCS version upgrades. We have
seen what Webtop looks like, and have seen what IDF can present.

At this point we are confused. We have three main Functional areas
which are pushing for more Software functionality: Purchasing,
Scheduling/Capacity Planning, and Finance and Accounting.

We have been informed that most of the major System changes for BPCS
were actually contained in their version 6. What we are looking for is
a company or two who would be able to talk with us and advise us
regarding:

1) Is the version 6 that great? Are you happy with it? Better yet,
how happy are you with version 8 (if you are there yet)?

2) Would it be possible for our key people in those three areas to
contact and chat with your counterparts in those three Functional areas?

a) How they have progressed (benefited) from the old way of
doing things under the 405CD version VERSUS the version 6, and/or the
version 8 itself?

b) If the conversion was made to version 6 or 8, maybe they could
briefly discuss the effort and time and overall cost expended to get
there?

c) Maybe they could talk just about how they use or have modified
the 405CD version, and share some 'special' way to use and.or
manipulate aspects of the system which we both know about, OR about some
things in the software which we MAY NOT even know about?

3) Have you taken a different route going forward? Have you paid the
fee to Infor just to get the new IBM i on board, and then continued on
with your current mode of operation - making all of your own in-house
mods and Web bolt-ons?


PLEASE - due to integrity issues, I feel that you should ONLY respond to
this 'off-line' to my personal Email at dcavaiani@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Thank you much to anybody who can respond to this!