Revision Control and implementation of Customizations, Dashboards and BAQs

Epicor ERP 10
1

This is an offshoot of the topic
Naming Convention suggestions

What are your preferences for maintaining and deploying changes to customizations, Dshbds, and BAQ’s?

Customizations
Do you create a new customization ID for each version made? Or just a single customization ID that you write over upon deploying the new one?

For example, our current Sales Order Entry program/form uses customization SOE_07. This is our 7th version of the OrderEntry form. When opening the form in developer mode, you can see SOE_01, SOE_02, … SOE_07. This would be the “new ID” method.

Pro’s for the “new ID” method include:

  • Automatic archive of prior versions. No need to Export the customization and maintain archiving it off line
  • Can have access to the prior version version with a “backup” menu item that points to the prior customization. This can be handy if a critical bug is found in the new version after it’s been deployed. Users could just use the “backup” menu item to launch the prior working version (albeit without whatever functionality the new version was supposed to provide).

Cons for “new ID” method:

  • requires menu updates to point to the new customization ID.
  • users favorites may point to an outdated (but still active) menu item (like the “backup” menu)

The reciprocal of those are applicable as the the Pros/Cons for the “single ID”

BAQ’s
Again, new BAQ with unique ID, or modify existing BAQ?

The “new ID” method can be more troublesome (or even impossible) to use, as other elements that reference BAQs (like Dshbds, BAQ Reports, embedded tables, quick searches, etc…) can’t be easily edited to replace CK-OldPartNumReference with CK-OldPartNumReference_02.

I often find myself copying the BAQ to one with the same name, but with the version suffix (ex: .._02). Then making edits on the original. I’m more or less just making a backup within the E10 DB.

Dashboards
Being referenced by another element (the same problem as with BAQ’s) exists with Dashboards too.

Just interested in what other people do. And if it’s by choice, or company mandate.

Also, it would be helpful to understand if your systems are maintained by various people, or you’re like me and are the sole “Chief cook, and bottle washer”.