Re: SOA/Web Services ???

The costliest part? How about re-testing every single aspect of your business? I don't know what your processes are like, but just making a systemic change to, say, the order picking process is typically a multi-week process. Picture having to test it from the bottom up. Allocations? Forecasting? Order entry? Sales analysis? Each of these has to be re-evaluated and tested.

How long did it take you to install BPCS? And how long after that did it take you to get it to work the way you want it? Do you have the same maintainability with Epicor? (I don't know the answer to that, just asking.)

Then there are systemic issues: backup and recovery, security, upgrades, even hardware and networking issues. And heaven help you if you're SOX compliant.

I shudder when someone talks about replacing one piece of a working ERP system with another one - but to replace the whole application suite and the platform and the operating system all at the same time? Ye gods.

Joe

My CEO would like me to demystify what the Microsoft/Epicor SOA ERP suite has to offer - especially what's new or different in comparison to our current System i/BPCS/Lansa for the WEB environment/infrastructure. Also, what might be the costliest part of completely switching over to this technology (ball park numbers)?