If you knew then what you know now

Yahoo Archive
1
Thanks to those who responded, I appreciate the input and time you took. For the short time I have spent with Epicor, understanding the backend is real important, knowing where the data resides and the relationship(s) is huge.

@Jose - I have decent programming skills and understand logic flow. The syntax of a new language can be a challenge! :-)

@b_ordway - I have not heard about the Business Logic Tester, I will look into that.

@Brian - I have been reviewing SSRS, to determine if the other CR developers could handle the 'change'. I don't like to customize client screens, makes the next upgrade that much harder - fighting with customizations my predecessors did while I prepare for the Epicor 9 upgrade.

Hopefully I can assist this group as you guys have done.

Tim


--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Roberts" <broberts@...> wrote:
>
> I'd suggest learning BAQs and BPMs and the bits of Progress ABL you'll
> pick up as part of that process. That will give you a background of
> what Epicor is doing behind the scenes, and that will help with
> understanding when & why to customize client screens. Take a look at
> dashboards too, as an alternative to customizations.
>
>
>
> Since you're comfortable with SQL, look at SSRS reporting. Not the
> canned reports Epicor provides, but your own reports, directly to a view
> on your SQL database. An alternative to Crystal report server, YMMV.
>
>
>
> For the Epicor training classes, they now offer many courses online -
> less time & travel costs. Choose a location of "web" in the search
> screen.
>
>
>
> Brian.
>
>
>
> From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
> Of timlester67
> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 3:58 PM
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] If you knew then what you know now . . .
>
>
>
>
>
> I am fairly new to the world of Epicor, just over 1 year as the
> administrator for our company - I have a lot to learn! Curious on what
> training people have had, what was useful and what was not.
>
> So if you were going to give someone a roadmap for training, what order
> would you tell them to go? For me, I have strong skills in VB but not
> .NET and we are on a SQL and I have some decent skills there. I have
> experience doing Personalization and some basic Customizations within
> Epicor. I have almost no experience with BPM's and BAQ's, all reporting
> is done outside of Epicor using a Crystal Report Server. I need to learn
> the Administration of Progress related bits, BPM's, BAQ's, Reports in
> Epicor and using of UD tables but don't know what the best route to get
> there. I am sure there is a number of items that I also need to learn.
> My company is willing to send me to training at Epicor or where ever it
> would best to enhance my skills. Currently we are on 8.03 but are
> testing 9.05.
>
> Lastly, there is a great deal of experience and helpful individuals in
> this group. To those of us that are new to the world of Epicor - THANK
> YOU!
>
> Tim Lester
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
2
I am fairly new to the world of Epicor, just over 1 year as the administrator for our company - I have a lot to learn! Curious on what training people have had, what was useful and what was not.

So if you were going to give someone a roadmap for training, what order would you tell them to go? For me, I have strong skills in VB but not .NET and we are on a SQL and I have some decent skills there. I have experience doing Personalization and some basic Customizations within Epicor. I have almost no experience with BPM's and BAQ's, all reporting is done outside of Epicor using a Crystal Report Server. I need to learn the Administration of Progress related bits, BPM's, BAQ's, Reports in Epicor and using of UD tables but don't know what the best route to get there. I am sure there is a number of items that I also need to learn. My company is willing to send me to training at Epicor or where ever it would best to enhance my skills. Currently we are on 8.03 but are testing 9.05.

Lastly, there is a great deal of experience and helpful individuals in this group. To those of us that are new to the world of Epicor - THANK YOU!

Tim Lester
3
My 2 cents, learn to program. I am not talking about C# or VB or PHP or
Python I am talking core concepts logic flow, looping DB design etc. VB or
C# are just Syntax you can find that on Google. If you've got the core
concepts down its not hard.

On the Epicor side spend a GREAT deal of time getting familiar with the
data, its not hard to get something done as long as you know and understand
where the data is coming from and where it is going.

After that get familiar with the SOA (Service Oriented Architecture)
understand that every button /every menu has an equivalent in code which
you can take advantage of when modifying the application.


Learn Progress I know the SQL people are going to grown but seriously all
the server side logic of Epicor is written in Progress (even for the SQL)
people. Knowing how progress works and how to tweak it will save you weeks
of work.

Get familiar with this list, it helps when you are stuck, most of us are
willing to help as long as you put an effort on your side, don't come and
say do this for me, show initiative and you'll probably get what you need.

Go to Insights and attend all the technical classes, specially the one
which the have sometimes 1 on 1 with the Devs you can pick their brain and
its awesome

PS: I have been doing Epicor for about 5 years and programming for about 10
so it will take some time :)


Thanks!

*Jose C Gomez*
*Software Engineer*
*
*
*checkout my new blog <http://www.usdoingstuff.com> *
*
*T: 904.469.1524 mobile
E: jose@...
http://www.josecgomez.com
<http://www.linkedin.com/in/josecgomez> <http://www.facebook.com/josegomez>
<http://www.google.com/profiles/jose.gomez> <http://www.twitter.com/joc85>
<http://www.josecgomez.com/professional-resume/>
<http://www.josecgomez.com/feed/>
<http://www.usdoingstuff.com>

*Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?*



On Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 3:57 PM, timlester67 <tlester@...>wrote:

> **
>
>
> I am fairly new to the world of Epicor, just over 1 year as the
> administrator for our company - I have a lot to learn! Curious on what
> training people have had, what was useful and what was not.
>
> So if you were going to give someone a roadmap for training, what order
> would you tell them to go? For me, I have strong skills in VB but not .NET
> and we are on a SQL and I have some decent skills there. I have experience
> doing Personalization and some basic Customizations within Epicor. I have
> almost no experience with BPM's and BAQ's, all reporting is done outside of
> Epicor using a Crystal Report Server. I need to learn the Administration of
> Progress related bits, BPM's, BAQ's, Reports in Epicor and using of UD
> tables but don't know what the best route to get there. I am sure there is
> a number of items that I also need to learn. My company is willing to send
> me to training at Epicor or where ever it would best to enhance my skills.
> Currently we are on 8.03 but are testing 9.05.
>
> Lastly, there is a great deal of experience and helpful individuals in
> this group. To those of us that are new to the world of Epicor - THANK YOU!
>
> Tim Lester
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
> Learn Progress (ABL)
> getting familiar with the data,
I second these.

If you haven't already, locate the Business Logic Tester too. Playing with it was what finally opened the system up for me.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, Jose Gomez <jose@...> wrote:
>
> My 2 cents, learn to program. I am not talking about C# or VB or PHP or
> Python I am talking core concepts logic flow, looping DB design etc. VB or
> C# are just Syntax you can find that on Google. If you've got the core
> concepts down its not hard.
>
> On the Epicor side spend a GREAT deal of time getting familiar with the
> data, its not hard to get something done as long as you know and understand
> where the data is coming from and where it is going.
>
> After that get familiar with the SOA (Service Oriented Architecture)
> understand that every button /every menu has an equivalent in code which
> you can take advantage of when modifying the application.
>
>
> Learn Progress I know the SQL people are going to grown but seriously all
> the server side logic of Epicor is written in Progress (even for the SQL)
> people. Knowing how progress works and how to tweak it will save you weeks
> of work.
>
> Get familiar with this list, it helps when you are stuck, most of us are
> willing to help as long as you put an effort on your side, don't come and
> say do this for me, show initiative and you'll probably get what you need.
>
> Go to Insights and attend all the technical classes, specially the one
> which the have sometimes 1 on 1 with the Devs you can pick their brain and
> its awesome
>
> PS: I have been doing Epicor for about 5 years and programming for about 10
> so it will take some time :)
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> *Jose C Gomez*
> *Software Engineer*
> *
> *
> *checkout my new blog <http://www.usdoingstuff.com> *
> *
> *T: 904.469.1524 mobile
> E: jose@...
> http://www.josecgomez.com
> <http://www.linkedin.com/in/josecgomez> <http://www.facebook.com/josegomez>
> <http://www.google.com/profiles/jose.gomez> <http://www.twitter.com/joc85>
> <http://www.josecgomez.com/professional-resume/>
> <http://www.josecgomez.com/feed/>
> <http://www.usdoingstuff.com>
>
> *Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?*
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 3:57 PM, timlester67 <tlester@...>wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> >
> > I am fairly new to the world of Epicor, just over 1 year as the
> > administrator for our company - I have a lot to learn! Curious on what
> > training people have had, what was useful and what was not.
> >
> > So if you were going to give someone a roadmap for training, what order
> > would you tell them to go? For me, I have strong skills in VB but not .NET
> > and we are on a SQL and I have some decent skills there. I have experience
> > doing Personalization and some basic Customizations within Epicor. I have
> > almost no experience with BPM's and BAQ's, all reporting is done outside of
> > Epicor using a Crystal Report Server. I need to learn the Administration of
> > Progress related bits, BPM's, BAQ's, Reports in Epicor and using of UD
> > tables but don't know what the best route to get there. I am sure there is
> > a number of items that I also need to learn. My company is willing to send
> > me to training at Epicor or where ever it would best to enhance my skills.
> > Currently we are on 8.03 but are testing 9.05.
> >
> > Lastly, there is a great deal of experience and helpful individuals in
> > this group. To those of us that are new to the world of Epicor - THANK YOU!
> >
> > Tim Lester
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
5
I'd suggest learning BAQs and BPMs and the bits of Progress ABL you'll
pick up as part of that process. That will give you a background of
what Epicor is doing behind the scenes, and that will help with
understanding when & why to customize client screens. Take a look at
dashboards too, as an alternative to customizations.



Since you're comfortable with SQL, look at SSRS reporting. Not the
canned reports Epicor provides, but your own reports, directly to a view
on your SQL database. An alternative to Crystal report server, YMMV.



For the Epicor training classes, they now offer many courses online -
less time & travel costs. Choose a location of "web" in the search
screen.



Brian.



From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of timlester67
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 3:58 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] If you knew then what you know now . . .





I am fairly new to the world of Epicor, just over 1 year as the
administrator for our company - I have a lot to learn! Curious on what
training people have had, what was useful and what was not.

So if you were going to give someone a roadmap for training, what order
would you tell them to go? For me, I have strong skills in VB but not
.NET and we are on a SQL and I have some decent skills there. I have
experience doing Personalization and some basic Customizations within
Epicor. I have almost no experience with BPM's and BAQ's, all reporting
is done outside of Epicor using a Crystal Report Server. I need to learn
the Administration of Progress related bits, BPM's, BAQ's, Reports in
Epicor and using of UD tables but don't know what the best route to get
there. I am sure there is a number of items that I also need to learn.
My company is willing to send me to training at Epicor or where ever it
would best to enhance my skills. Currently we are on 8.03 but are
testing 9.05.

Lastly, there is a great deal of experience and helpful individuals in
this group. To those of us that are new to the world of Epicor - THANK
YOU!

Tim Lester





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]