Here's a somewhat summarized list of the advice for implementation (I
have left in repeated advice - it has more impact if it is coming from
more than one person):
* Get LOTS of unconditional support from management at the highest
level.
* Train, train and train again - especially sales people!
* It took us 3 months of testing before we were ready to start training
and 1 month to get the procedures ready for "go live".
* We put together a procedure manual that detailed how to enter jobs,
post material, PO entry, etc., etc. Came in handy that first year.
Learn RB well for those quick on the fly inquiries as to what is in your
data base
* Make sure those populating fields are diligent and check their work.
* Above all SMITE THE UNBELIEVERS.... it only takes one unbeliever to
make the whole thing crumble.
* Vantage requires lots of home grown work arounds if yer gonna keep
the doors open.
* I would focus real hard on understanding Product Group and Part Class
and how they affect the triggering of transactions. How you define the
products you build has a direct impact on the General Ledger by virtue
of the Control Account setup used in Vantage.
* Assign a dedicated implementation leader who has some previous
ERP/database background (it's full-time++ job for the implementation and
for those first 3-6 months live)
* Assign a implementation team comprised of a representative from each
department to make decisions, push the system, train their people, etc.
Get feedback from the department representatives regarding decisions
that will affect them (whenever feasible)
* Have your implementation leader attend many of the epicor training
classes, work with the epicor implementation manager / epicor support
and spend A LOT of time becoming a master of vantage.
The implementation leader should write procedures for every aspect of
vantage and train the users. (I found making screen shots with arrows of
what information goes where as part of my procedure worked great).
* Learn report builder and duplicate reports your company needs that
are not standard vantage and add them to your menus.
* Learn crystal reports and modify Vantage forms to fit your needs
* Develop a thorough database back-up and recovery plan.
* Use Vantage tech support and this users forum to work out procedural
issues
ahead of time.
* Do write a procedure manual and make good use of the training
database.
* Determine carefully which modules to bring up in which order, and
leave toughies like CRM for absolute last (do not EVEN load the license
codes for it until you are ready to go there.)
* Turn on GL interfaces only after each module (A/R, A/P) is verified
and open loaded. Do not under any circumstances turn on the inventory
interface until your inventory is balanced, procedures are air-tight and
you have kept it within 2% for several months. It will be an absolute
nightmare if you do turn it on before you are ready.
* The most valuable piece of info I can give you is to be absolutely
certain that you understand your configuration and master files and what
each choice would mean to your company. Set those as a team. They have
to be right at the outset or you can suffer heavily for it later.
* Attend Perspectives.
* Anything you setup - Once it has been attached to a record in the
database is there forever !!! I learned this lesson well testing reason
codes.
* One thing that really helped with our implementation is to have a
test database that is kept current. This will enable your users to try
something in the test database before doing it in the live database.
* In the beginning, making sure all of the default and variance
accounts are setup correctly is very important.
* There are batch files you can run to copy the live data to a test
database that you can give the appropriate users access to for testing
environment.
* Make sure you use data collection.
* Make sure purchasing and accounting go live at the same time.
* You really want the production methods to be right.
* Test a lot and get good procedures written. Vantage can forgive
some things, but not all. There's a point of no return in many areas.
* Tight timeline can be met for implementation if each area manager is
involved from start in learning/training/practice of system. Each area
manager in our company participated in learning basics of entire system
flow. It really gives everyone a good understanding of how their work
affects the next person down the line (ex. sales order and PO setup
affect job details and eventually accounting.)
* Procedures are a must. Controllers class is excellent and should be
a requirement for your financial officer. It really helps with set up
if you have a good understanding of the flow and how it hits general
ledger.
* Make sure your implementation group knows the system inside and out.
Then start putting your own data in..... and run tests, tests, tests.
Did I say test?
* Next develop your procedures. I can't tell you how important it is to
have procedures for all your people. The keyword is procedures,
procedures, procedures!
* Do not schedule any vacation for yourself or your implementation team
for the next 5 months.
* Planning and involvement for all departments affected is crucial.
* Line up purchasing with AP
* I'm confident that Vantage is worth the effort.
Thank you,
Sue
-----Original Message-----
From: Cheryl Connolly [mailto:cherylwoodworthconnolly@...]
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 11:04 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Thank you!
Susan,
We are also new to the group as of yesterday. We are a
specialty printing company and most of our jobs are custom jobs. We are
in the process of setting up our test company. We are planning on going
live in April 2004. We would be very interested in your condensed list
of advise. This is my first experience with changing to an ERP system.
We are currently using a system known as Hagen (DOS based).
Is anyone else using the Configurator? We are going to try to
use this to help with our quoting process. Any words of wisdom would be
appreciated.
Also, Pros and Cons between Progress and Sequel. Both these
programs are foreign to me.
Cheryl
Ford Garratt <fgarratt@...> wrote:
Susan,
I did not read all the replies, although I am sure they were all
quite sage
in nature and this one may have already been mentioned. We found
the
suspense accounts to be very helpful in quickly identifying
those things
that "did not quite work as planned". Best of luck and welcome
to the group.
Ford Garratt
Kinematic Automation
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Iverson [mailto:siverson@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 4:45 PM
To: Vantage User Group
Subject: [Vantage] Thank you!
I would just like to say "thankyou" to everyone who responded to
my post
requesting your sage advice/wisdom on our installation of
Vantage 6.0. I
haven't seen one response that was not helpful. Thank you also
for the
much appreciated injections of humor - I'll keep that Greek
restaurant
in mind and the GPS transponder is a great idea. I look forward
to
helping other new members "down the road" once we have become
"experts".
My team and I have been through at least one miserable
implementation of
a far inferior ERP system that you all have never even heard of
- nor do
you even want to know.
I will make a condensed list of the advice we received that we
might
post for future new members - I will not name names to protect
the
innocent.
I'm sure you will be hearing from my other team members, Stephen
H. and
Todd S. We'll try to help out on OT subjects as we combined have
an
array of skills that may lend ourselves useful to this group.
Thanks again!!!!
Sue (aka: BC)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note:
You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable
access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report
Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links>
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note:
You must have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable
access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report
Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=256694.4002236.5216697.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1705
007183:HM/A=1784493/R=0/id=noscript/SIG=11q7p9e7k/*http://webevents.yaho
o.com/universal/intolerablecruelty/>
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=256694.4002236.5216697.1261774/D=egrou
pmail/S=:HM/A=1784493/rand=963911253>
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note:
You must have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable
access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report
Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
have left in repeated advice - it has more impact if it is coming from
more than one person):
* Get LOTS of unconditional support from management at the highest
level.
* Train, train and train again - especially sales people!
* It took us 3 months of testing before we were ready to start training
and 1 month to get the procedures ready for "go live".
* We put together a procedure manual that detailed how to enter jobs,
post material, PO entry, etc., etc. Came in handy that first year.
Learn RB well for those quick on the fly inquiries as to what is in your
data base
* Make sure those populating fields are diligent and check their work.
* Above all SMITE THE UNBELIEVERS.... it only takes one unbeliever to
make the whole thing crumble.
* Vantage requires lots of home grown work arounds if yer gonna keep
the doors open.
* I would focus real hard on understanding Product Group and Part Class
and how they affect the triggering of transactions. How you define the
products you build has a direct impact on the General Ledger by virtue
of the Control Account setup used in Vantage.
* Assign a dedicated implementation leader who has some previous
ERP/database background (it's full-time++ job for the implementation and
for those first 3-6 months live)
* Assign a implementation team comprised of a representative from each
department to make decisions, push the system, train their people, etc.
Get feedback from the department representatives regarding decisions
that will affect them (whenever feasible)
* Have your implementation leader attend many of the epicor training
classes, work with the epicor implementation manager / epicor support
and spend A LOT of time becoming a master of vantage.
The implementation leader should write procedures for every aspect of
vantage and train the users. (I found making screen shots with arrows of
what information goes where as part of my procedure worked great).
* Learn report builder and duplicate reports your company needs that
are not standard vantage and add them to your menus.
* Learn crystal reports and modify Vantage forms to fit your needs
* Develop a thorough database back-up and recovery plan.
* Use Vantage tech support and this users forum to work out procedural
issues
ahead of time.
* Do write a procedure manual and make good use of the training
database.
* Determine carefully which modules to bring up in which order, and
leave toughies like CRM for absolute last (do not EVEN load the license
codes for it until you are ready to go there.)
* Turn on GL interfaces only after each module (A/R, A/P) is verified
and open loaded. Do not under any circumstances turn on the inventory
interface until your inventory is balanced, procedures are air-tight and
you have kept it within 2% for several months. It will be an absolute
nightmare if you do turn it on before you are ready.
* The most valuable piece of info I can give you is to be absolutely
certain that you understand your configuration and master files and what
each choice would mean to your company. Set those as a team. They have
to be right at the outset or you can suffer heavily for it later.
* Attend Perspectives.
* Anything you setup - Once it has been attached to a record in the
database is there forever !!! I learned this lesson well testing reason
codes.
* One thing that really helped with our implementation is to have a
test database that is kept current. This will enable your users to try
something in the test database before doing it in the live database.
* In the beginning, making sure all of the default and variance
accounts are setup correctly is very important.
* There are batch files you can run to copy the live data to a test
database that you can give the appropriate users access to for testing
environment.
* Make sure you use data collection.
* Make sure purchasing and accounting go live at the same time.
* You really want the production methods to be right.
* Test a lot and get good procedures written. Vantage can forgive
some things, but not all. There's a point of no return in many areas.
* Tight timeline can be met for implementation if each area manager is
involved from start in learning/training/practice of system. Each area
manager in our company participated in learning basics of entire system
flow. It really gives everyone a good understanding of how their work
affects the next person down the line (ex. sales order and PO setup
affect job details and eventually accounting.)
* Procedures are a must. Controllers class is excellent and should be
a requirement for your financial officer. It really helps with set up
if you have a good understanding of the flow and how it hits general
ledger.
* Make sure your implementation group knows the system inside and out.
Then start putting your own data in..... and run tests, tests, tests.
Did I say test?
* Next develop your procedures. I can't tell you how important it is to
have procedures for all your people. The keyword is procedures,
procedures, procedures!
* Do not schedule any vacation for yourself or your implementation team
for the next 5 months.
* Planning and involvement for all departments affected is crucial.
* Line up purchasing with AP
* I'm confident that Vantage is worth the effort.
Thank you,
Sue
-----Original Message-----
From: Cheryl Connolly [mailto:cherylwoodworthconnolly@...]
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 11:04 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Thank you!
Susan,
We are also new to the group as of yesterday. We are a
specialty printing company and most of our jobs are custom jobs. We are
in the process of setting up our test company. We are planning on going
live in April 2004. We would be very interested in your condensed list
of advise. This is my first experience with changing to an ERP system.
We are currently using a system known as Hagen (DOS based).
Is anyone else using the Configurator? We are going to try to
use this to help with our quoting process. Any words of wisdom would be
appreciated.
Also, Pros and Cons between Progress and Sequel. Both these
programs are foreign to me.
Cheryl
Ford Garratt <fgarratt@...> wrote:
Susan,
I did not read all the replies, although I am sure they were all
quite sage
in nature and this one may have already been mentioned. We found
the
suspense accounts to be very helpful in quickly identifying
those things
that "did not quite work as planned". Best of luck and welcome
to the group.
Ford Garratt
Kinematic Automation
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Iverson [mailto:siverson@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 4:45 PM
To: Vantage User Group
Subject: [Vantage] Thank you!
I would just like to say "thankyou" to everyone who responded to
my post
requesting your sage advice/wisdom on our installation of
Vantage 6.0. I
haven't seen one response that was not helpful. Thank you also
for the
much appreciated injections of humor - I'll keep that Greek
restaurant
in mind and the GPS transponder is a great idea. I look forward
to
helping other new members "down the road" once we have become
"experts".
My team and I have been through at least one miserable
implementation of
a far inferior ERP system that you all have never even heard of
- nor do
you even want to know.
I will make a condensed list of the advice we received that we
might
post for future new members - I will not name names to protect
the
innocent.
I'm sure you will be hearing from my other team members, Stephen
H. and
Todd S. We'll try to help out on OT subjects as we combined have
an
array of skills that may lend ourselves useful to this group.
Thanks again!!!!
Sue (aka: BC)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=256694.4002236.5216697.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1705
0071
83:HM/A=1784493/R=0/id=noscript/SIG=11q7p9e7k/*http://webevents.yahoo.co
m/un
iversal/intolerablecruelty/>
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=256694.4002236.5216697.1261774/D=egrou
pmai
l/S=:HM/A=1784493/rand=816891155>
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note:
You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable
access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report
Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links>
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note:
You must have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable
access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report
Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=256694.4002236.5216697.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1705
007183:HM/A=1784493/R=0/id=noscript/SIG=11q7p9e7k/*http://webevents.yaho
o.com/universal/intolerablecruelty/>
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=256694.4002236.5216697.1261774/D=egrou
pmail/S=:HM/A=1784493/rand=963911253>
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note:
You must have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable
access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report
Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]