Upgrade or Start Fresh

Yahoo Archive
1
To start fresh may work out for you, depending on what you have for work centers. In converting over to 9 you will have to step thru 8.0, 8.03, 8.03.4xx and then 9, you will then need to clean up the resource groups that get created.

By starting fresh you may also have a chance to clean up other things that have built up in your database.

Best of luck.
Brz in Mpls.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Toby Boogerd" <tboogerd@...> wrote:
>
> We are currently on Vantage 6.10.540 and are planning on moving to
> Epicor 9. We are trying to decide if we should convert our data and
> carry it all over to 9 or if we should start fresh. If we start fresh we
> will want to carry over gl history, boms, parts, custs, vendors, and
> open orders (and any other recommendations).
>
>
>
> I am just fishing for thoughts here, if anyone else has contemplated
> this or gone through it, and if you have would you be willing to contact
> me?
>
>
>
> What are the pros and cons to each and does anyone have a good way of
> showing value and cost for either method?
>
>
>
> The OTHER option would be if we decide we want to start fresh, then do
> we explore another ERP system and drop Vantage? Oh I think this one may
> stir up some conversation. J
>
> Toby Boogerd
> Information Systems
>
> 712.324.4854 | tboogerd@... <mailto:tboogerd@...>
>
>
> NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and proprietary information
> of Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc. By opening any enclosed files, the
> recipient agrees not to use, reproduce, disclose, or manufacture its
> contents, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of
> Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc.
>
> Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
2
We are currently on Vantage 6.10.540 and are planning on moving to
Epicor 9. We are trying to decide if we should convert our data and
carry it all over to 9 or if we should start fresh. If we start fresh we
will want to carry over gl history, boms, parts, custs, vendors, and
open orders (and any other recommendations).



I am just fishing for thoughts here, if anyone else has contemplated
this or gone through it, and if you have would you be willing to contact
me?



What are the pros and cons to each and does anyone have a good way of
showing value and cost for either method?



The OTHER option would be if we decide we want to start fresh, then do
we explore another ERP system and drop Vantage? Oh I think this one may
stir up some conversation. J

Toby Boogerd
Information Systems

712.324.4854 | tboogerd@... <mailto:tboogerd@...>


NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and proprietary information
of Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc. By opening any enclosed files, the
recipient agrees not to use, reproduce, disclose, or manufacture its
contents, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of
Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
3
That's basically what we did when we went from a non Epicor software to Vantage 8.03. Except we didn't bring over gl history. Instead, we closed out the year in our old system and started with a new year balance in Vantage (we switched January 1st). The nice thing about starting fresh is that we were able to create a new accounting code structure and we redid some of our part numbers. If you want to change things in your ERP system, the best time is when you are switching software.

The best advise I can give you is test, test, test. And then before you go live, test some more. And think long and hard before switching to some non Epicor software.. The conversion of data will be more difficult and the learning curve will be longer, and in the end you may not be any better off.



________________________________
From: Toby Boogerd <tboogerd@...>
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 4:56:23 PM
Subject: [Vantage] Upgrade or Start Fresh





We are currently on Vantage 6.10.540 and are planning on moving to
Epicor 9. We are trying to decide if we should convert our data and
carry it all over to 9 or if we should start fresh. If we start fresh we
will want to carry over gl history, boms, parts, custs, vendors, and
open orders (and any other recommendations) .

I am just fishing for thoughts here, if anyone else has contemplated
this or gone through it, and if you have would you be willing to contact
me?

What are the pros and cons to each and does anyone have a good way of
showing value and cost for either method?

The OTHER option would be if we decide we want to start fresh, then do
we explore another ERP system and drop Vantage? Oh I think this one may
stir up some conversation. J

Toby Boogerd
Information Systems

712.324.4854 | tboogerd@rosenboom. com <mailto:tboogerd@rosenboom. com>

NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and proprietary information
of Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc. By opening any enclosed files, the
recipient agrees not to use, reproduce, disclose, or manufacture its
contents, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of
Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
We have contemplated this a bunch and have officially opted to re-implement rather than migrate. We will go directly from 6.10.543 to 9.05 or 9.1 (depending on 9.1 availability) and plan to go live 1/1/11 (nice binary sort of number).

Reasoning for us:
1. We want to completely revamp Chart of Accounts and there is no really good way to do this without a fresh start
2. We want to completely revisit all our resource codings (Departments, Work Centers, Machines, Employees, etc...) to line up with new CofA.
3. We very much want to shed a lot of data baggage...customers long gone, obsolete parts, labor transactions from years ago
4. We would eventually get to 9.x anyway so skipping 8.x.x relieved users of several transitions
5. Our people will take a re-implement more seriously than an upgrade

Downsides we are willing to deal with...
1. Massive hardware requirement (maybe eased in 9.05)
2. Loss of history in same system (will probably keep old DB running for reporting via Access)
3. Extra large training requirement and learning curve
4. Cost of Service Connect (assumed route to bring selected master file data for Customers, venders, etc...)

At the Business Without barriers event it was sort of made clear that for 6.10 sites a re-implement may be the way to go. Aside from avoiding all the intervening conversions it will likely be more stable and has a lot of desirable features. Sites will want to get to 9 anyway so why not make the big leap?

-Todd C.



________________________________
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Toby Boogerd
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:56 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Upgrade or Start Fresh




We are currently on Vantage 6.10.540 and are planning on moving to
Epicor 9. We are trying to decide if we should convert our data and
carry it all over to 9 or if we should start fresh. If we start fresh we
will want to carry over gl history, boms, parts, custs, vendors, and
open orders (and any other recommendations).

I am just fishing for thoughts here, if anyone else has contemplated
this or gone through it, and if you have would you be willing to contact
me?

What are the pros and cons to each and does anyone have a good way of
showing value and cost for either method?

The OTHER option would be if we decide we want to start fresh, then do
we explore another ERP system and drop Vantage? Oh I think this one may
stir up some conversation. J

Toby Boogerd
Information Systems

712.324.4854 | tboogerd@...<mailto:tboogerd%40rosenboom.com> <mailto:tboogerd@...<mailto:tboogerd%40rosenboom.com>>

NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and proprietary information
of Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc. By opening any enclosed files, the
recipient agrees not to use, reproduce, disclose, or manufacture its
contents, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of
Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
5
There is enough that has changed since 6.10 that a new implementation would make sense. Clean out the old data (especially Parts, Methods, Customers, GL Accounts), rethink processes that weren't working, and retrain staff like a new implementation (as others have commented) without letting them fall back into old habits and decisions made long ago by others. In fact, review your users and decide if they are the right people in the right positions given the new technology and functionality.
Â
As for selecting new or implementing what you know, you have to decide what changes in your business model have occured over the years, where the company is trying to position itself, and do what anyone else is doing in considering an upgrade and/or major implementation and make sure your critical requirements are being satisfied. There is benefit in being an "Epicor Shop" but if you have recently changed over staff considerably it could be those people are easily retrainable on any of the leading vendors.
Â
As always, the devil is in the details so re-examine the core processes and make sure management gives direction as to where the business is headed so that by the time you upgrade you aren't already obsolete in your new business processes

--- On Wed, 5/6/09, Toby Boogerd <tboogerd@...> wrote:

From: Toby Boogerd <tboogerd@...>
Subject: [Vantage] Upgrade or Start Fresh
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 4:56 PM








We are currently on Vantage 6.10.540 and are planning on moving to
Epicor 9. We are trying to decide if we should convert our data and
carry it all over to 9 or if we should start fresh. If we start fresh we
will want to carry over gl history, boms, parts, custs, vendors, and
open orders (and any other recommendations) .

I am just fishing for thoughts here, if anyone else has contemplated
this or gone through it, and if you have would you be willing to contact
me?

What are the pros and cons to each and does anyone have a good way of
showing value and cost for either method?

The OTHER option would be if we decide we want to start fresh, then do
we explore another ERP system and drop Vantage? Oh I think this one may
stir up some conversation. J

Toby Boogerd
Information Systems

712.324.4854 | tboogerd@rosenboom. com <mailto:tboogerd@rosenboom. com>

NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and proprietary information
of Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc. By opening any enclosed files, the
recipient agrees not to use, reproduce, disclose, or manufacture its
contents, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of
Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Inc.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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



















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