Vantage Configuration

I apologize for not being clear. We do have an implementation team working on this project. Including business process and accounting / finance.

Thank you for the links you have listed below. I will look into those as soon as possible.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, sysadmin@... wrote:
>
> OK, it's clear you're not part of IT, but you didn't really say from which
> functional area of your company you're coming at this "task". So, first of
> all, if you're not in Accounting/Finance, you absolutely need someone from
> that functional area as a critical implementation team member, as Ned
> pointed out. Next, if you don't already have the following, get as much as
> you can:
>
>
>
> 1. Manufacturing and Distribution User Guide for v. 8.03.400 (call
> your CAM or go here
> <https://epicweb.epicor.com/Education/Pages/UserGuides.aspx> );
>
> 2. Transaction hierarchies (call Financial Support);
>
> 3. AnswerBook documents related to company configuration and basic
> system setup (call Support, ask for an Application Support Team Leader and
> explain your situation);
>
> 4. Online education classes and/or archived webcasts (available here
> <https://epicweb.epicor.com/Education/Manufacturing/Pages/default.aspx> )
>
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> bturner101@...
> Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:57 PM
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] Re: Vantage Configuration
>
>
>
> I couldn't agree with you more. The individual who was initially in charge
> of implementing Vantage and training is gone. His implementation strategy,
> once I discovered what it was, would make you laugh. But that would be a
> different topic. I am now heading the reimplementation project and doing my
> best to keep IT at bay until the system is stood up.
>
> I really appreciate any of the help you can send my way.
>
> --- In vantage@yahoogroups <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> .com, "Ned"
> <TechnoBabbly@> wrote:
> >
> > Gotcha, that makes sense then.
> >
> > I will look around through all my old files, I believe I have some
> "stepped
> > process" documents that were used in the process in the past, while not
> > exactly right for 803.40x the process flow should still be close to right.
> >
> > Unfortunately from your desription, and I don't mean this to sound as
> harsh
> > as it may, this sounds like a failure of your company more than anything
> > else and people either not wanting to use it, or just not being willing to
> > ask the right questions for fear of looking dumb or having someone think
> > they weren't paying attention in classes that were given.
> >
> > It's actually a really common occurance.
> >
> > I don't know what your exact position is at your company, I just hope that
> > if you are the IT person or one of the IT people there that you can help
> > make someone realize that this really isn't an IT job to get the system
> > setup initially. While it does involve computers, the IT person's job is
> to
> > keep the servers up and running once things are setup, and it's more
> > finance/accounting/management's responsibility to make sure that the
> > initial
> > setup is done correctly in terms of the process and GL etc etc
> >
> > While it may be falling to you as a 1 man job, that is probably one of the
> > worst ways to go about the intial setup. One person generally does not
> know
> > enough about every aspect of the business process to be able to
> effectively
> > get the system setup in the best possible way.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Brian Turner" <bturner101@>
> > To: <vantage@yahoogroups <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> .com>
> > Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:32 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> >
> > > After digging into the system, I found out that the GL accounts were
> never
> > > set up correctly. Mostly everything was left with default accounts and
> no
> > > debit credit structure with years of transactions on top of it. Year end
>
> > > closing was never done, the system still thinks we are working in period
> 6
> > > of 2007. The production instance was used as a training platform for
> years
> > > so all our average costing is straight out the window. The job
> management
> > > was used as a slush fund to transact materials from inventory so one job
>
> > > would stay open for months on end accumulating costs. MRP / PO
> suggestions
> > > was never used because of the abuses, nobody trusts them. In general the
>
> > > system was used as a glorified PO generator. I have spent a month
> cleaning
> > > and reconfiguring the current instance to get it limping along and
> provide
> > > some value to the company. Yet, the system still does not behave
> > > correctly.
> > >
> > > The decision to start fresh was made because for the entire life cycle,
> > > thus far, of the current instance no useful information has ever been
> > > extracted from it. Rouge excel sheets, word docs, and access databases
> > > have been used in place of vantage to make up what everyone thought was
> > > vantage shortcomings.
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: Ned <TechnoBabbly@>
> > > To: vantage@yahoogroups <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> .com
> > > Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 4:17:28 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> > >
> > > There's a specific reason for that, they don't want you to impliment
> > > completely on your own, they want you to use their consultants to do the
> > > implimentation.
> > >
> > > There are a huge number of variables for this entire process, and what
> you
> > > are starting with is probably the first point to go with.
> > >
> > > Are you just creating a new database and starting from there or have you
> > > wiped out the entire installation and starting from there?
> > >
> > > To be honest, I kind of question why you would scratch everything you
> have
> > > so far and start brand new, usually most things that are "broken" or
> > > misconfigured( outside of the initial GL account setup) can be fixed
> > > instead
> > > of having to start from scratch. With the entire process, which from my
> > > own
> > > experience, assuming you do nothing but Vantage setup from 9-5 everyday
> by
> > > yourself, then you are probably looking at a few months to get it all
> > > redone
> > > anyway. Whereas you might be able to just fix your problems in a couple
> > > weeks depending on what the problems are.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <bturner101@sbcgloba l.net>
> > > To: <vantage@yahoogroups .com>
> > > Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:03 PM
> > > Subject: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> > >
> > >>I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage
> system.
> > >>I
> > >>was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system
> > >>because
> > >>our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without
> > >>ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot
>
> > >>of
> > >>research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.
> > >>
> > >> One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of
> > >> documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each
> module,
> > >> and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take
> > >> place when specific settings are configured).
> > >>
> > >> Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides
> new
> > >> users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to
> > >> scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying
> to
> > >> piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and
> tech
> > >> support that gives me different answers depending on the representative
> I
> > >> am speaking with at the time.
> > >>
> > >> Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage system. I was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system because our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot of research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.

One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each module, and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take place when specific settings are configured).

Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides new users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying to piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and tech support that gives me different answers depending on the representative I am speaking with at the time.

Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Sounds like quite a task you have. Yes - the documentation is very poor
especially if you're starting from scratch.



What version of Vantage, which db - progress or SQL, and what system are
they using now?





Randall Weber

IT Manager

TLC Electronics, Inc.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
There's a specific reason for that, they don't want you to impliment
completely on your own, they want you to use their consultants to do the
implimentation.

There are a huge number of variables for this entire process, and what you
are starting with is probably the first point to go with.

Are you just creating a new database and starting from there or have you
wiped out the entire installation and starting from there?

To be honest, I kind of question why you would scratch everything you have
so far and start brand new, usually most things that are "broken" or
misconfigured(outside of the initial GL account setup) can be fixed instead
of having to start from scratch. With the entire process, which from my own
experience, assuming you do nothing but Vantage setup from 9-5 everyday by
yourself, then you are probably looking at a few months to get it all redone
anyway. Whereas you might be able to just fix your problems in a couple
weeks depending on what the problems are.




----- Original Message -----
From: <bturner101@...>
To: <vantage@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:03 PM
Subject: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration


>I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage system. I
>was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system because
>our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without
>ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot of
>research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.
>
> One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of
> documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each module,
> and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take
> place when specific settings are configured).
>
> Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides new
> users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to
> scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying to
> piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and tech
> support that gives me different answers depending on the representative I
> am speaking with at the time.
>
> Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> 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/linksYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
We are currently running on version 8.03.407 with SQL 2005 but will soon be applying patch .408 in the new system.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Randy Weber" <rweber@...> wrote:
>
> Sounds like quite a task you have. Yes - the documentation is very poor
> especially if you're starting from scratch.
>
>
>
> What version of Vantage, which db - progress or SQL, and what system are
> they using now?
>
>
>
>
>
> Randall Weber
>
> IT Manager
>
> TLC Electronics, Inc.
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
After digging into the system, I found out that the GL accounts were never set up correctly. Mostly everything was left with default accounts and no debit credit structure with years of transactions on top of it. Year end closing was never done, the system still thinks we are working in period 6 of 2007. The production instance was used as a training platform for years so all our average costing is straight out the window. The job management was used as a slush fund to transact materials from inventory so one job would stay open for months on end accumulating costs. MRP / PO suggestions was never used because of the abuses, nobody trusts them. In general the system was used as a glorified PO generator. I have spent a month cleaning and reconfiguring the current instance to get it limping along and provide some value to the company. Yet, the system still does not behave correctly.

The decision to start fresh was made because for the entire life cycle, thus far, of the current instance no useful information has ever been extracted from it. Rouge excel sheets, word docs, and access databases have been used in place of vantage to make up what everyone thought was vantage shortcomings.




________________________________
From: Ned <TechnoBabbly@...>
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 4:17:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration


There's a specific reason for that, they don't want you to impliment
completely on your own, they want you to use their consultants to do the
implimentation.

There are a huge number of variables for this entire process, and what you
are starting with is probably the first point to go with.

Are you just creating a new database and starting from there or have you
wiped out the entire installation and starting from there?

To be honest, I kind of question why you would scratch everything you have
so far and start brand new, usually most things that are "broken" or
misconfigured( outside of the initial GL account setup) can be fixed instead
of having to start from scratch. With the entire process, which from my own
experience, assuming you do nothing but Vantage setup from 9-5 everyday by
yourself, then you are probably looking at a few months to get it all redone
anyway. Whereas you might be able to just fix your problems in a couple
weeks depending on what the problems are.

----- Original Message -----
From: <bturner101@sbcgloba l.net>
To: <vantage@yahoogroups .com>
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:03 PM
Subject: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration

>I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage system. I
>was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system because
>our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without
>ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot of
>research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.
>
> One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of
> documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each module,
> and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take
> place when specific settings are configured).
>
> Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides new
> users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to
> scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying to
> piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and tech
> support that gives me different answers depending on the representative I
> am speaking with at the time.
>
> Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
> ------------ --------- --------- ------
>
> 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/ linksYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Gotcha, that makes sense then.

I will look around through all my old files, I believe I have some "stepped
process" documents that were used in the process in the past, while not
exactly right for 803.40x the process flow should still be close to right.

Unfortunately from your desription, and I don't mean this to sound as harsh
as it may, this sounds like a failure of your company more than anything
else and people either not wanting to use it, or just not being willing to
ask the right questions for fear of looking dumb or having someone think
they weren't paying attention in classes that were given.

It's actually a really common occurance.

I don't know what your exact position is at your company, I just hope that
if you are the IT person or one of the IT people there that you can help
make someone realize that this really isn't an IT job to get the system
setup initially. While it does involve computers, the IT person's job is to
keep the servers up and running once things are setup, and it's more
finance/accounting/management's responsibility to make sure that the
initial
setup is done correctly in terms of the process and GL etc etc

While it may be falling to you as a 1 man job, that is probably one of the
worst ways to go about the intial setup. One person generally does not know
enough about every aspect of the business process to be able to effectively
get the system setup in the best possible way.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Turner" <bturner101@...>
To: <vantage@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration


> After digging into the system, I found out that the GL accounts were never
> set up correctly. Mostly everything was left with default accounts and no
> debit credit structure with years of transactions on top of it. Year end
> closing was never done, the system still thinks we are working in period 6
> of 2007. The production instance was used as a training platform for years
> so all our average costing is straight out the window. The job management
> was used as a slush fund to transact materials from inventory so one job
> would stay open for months on end accumulating costs. MRP / PO suggestions
> was never used because of the abuses, nobody trusts them. In general the
> system was used as a glorified PO generator. I have spent a month cleaning
> and reconfiguring the current instance to get it limping along and provide
> some value to the company. Yet, the system still does not behave
> correctly.
>
> The decision to start fresh was made because for the entire life cycle,
> thus far, of the current instance no useful information has ever been
> extracted from it. Rouge excel sheets, word docs, and access databases
> have been used in place of vantage to make up what everyone thought was
> vantage shortcomings.
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Ned <TechnoBabbly@...>
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 4:17:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
>
>
> There's a specific reason for that, they don't want you to impliment
> completely on your own, they want you to use their consultants to do the
> implimentation.
>
> There are a huge number of variables for this entire process, and what you
> are starting with is probably the first point to go with.
>
> Are you just creating a new database and starting from there or have you
> wiped out the entire installation and starting from there?
>
> To be honest, I kind of question why you would scratch everything you have
> so far and start brand new, usually most things that are "broken" or
> misconfigured( outside of the initial GL account setup) can be fixed
> instead
> of having to start from scratch. With the entire process, which from my
> own
> experience, assuming you do nothing but Vantage setup from 9-5 everyday by
> yourself, then you are probably looking at a few months to get it all
> redone
> anyway. Whereas you might be able to just fix your problems in a couple
> weeks depending on what the problems are.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <bturner101@sbcgloba l.net>
> To: <vantage@yahoogroups .com>
> Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:03 PM
> Subject: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
>
>>I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage system.
>>I
>>was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system
>>because
>>our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without
>>ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot
>>of
>>research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.
>>
>> One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of
>> documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each module,
>> and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take
>> place when specific settings are configured).
>>
>> Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides new
>> users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to
>> scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying to
>> piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and tech
>> support that gives me different answers depending on the representative I
>> am speaking with at the time.
>>
>> Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------ --------- --------- ------
>>
>> 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/ linksYahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> 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/linksYahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
I couldn't agree with you more. The individual who was initially in charge of implementing Vantage and training is gone. His implementation strategy, once I discovered what it was, would make you laugh. But that would be a different topic. I am now heading the reimplementation project and doing my best to keep IT at bay until the system is stood up.

I really appreciate any of the help you can send my way.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Ned" <TechnoBabbly@...> wrote:
>
>
> Gotcha, that makes sense then.
>
> I will look around through all my old files, I believe I have some "stepped
> process" documents that were used in the process in the past, while not
> exactly right for 803.40x the process flow should still be close to right.
>
> Unfortunately from your desription, and I don't mean this to sound as harsh
> as it may, this sounds like a failure of your company more than anything
> else and people either not wanting to use it, or just not being willing to
> ask the right questions for fear of looking dumb or having someone think
> they weren't paying attention in classes that were given.
>
> It's actually a really common occurance.
>
> I don't know what your exact position is at your company, I just hope that
> if you are the IT person or one of the IT people there that you can help
> make someone realize that this really isn't an IT job to get the system
> setup initially. While it does involve computers, the IT person's job is to
> keep the servers up and running once things are setup, and it's more
> finance/accounting/management's responsibility to make sure that the
> initial
> setup is done correctly in terms of the process and GL etc etc
>
> While it may be falling to you as a 1 man job, that is probably one of the
> worst ways to go about the intial setup. One person generally does not know
> enough about every aspect of the business process to be able to effectively
> get the system setup in the best possible way.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Turner" <bturner101@...>
> To: <vantage@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
>
>
> > After digging into the system, I found out that the GL accounts were never
> > set up correctly. Mostly everything was left with default accounts and no
> > debit credit structure with years of transactions on top of it. Year end
> > closing was never done, the system still thinks we are working in period 6
> > of 2007. The production instance was used as a training platform for years
> > so all our average costing is straight out the window. The job management
> > was used as a slush fund to transact materials from inventory so one job
> > would stay open for months on end accumulating costs. MRP / PO suggestions
> > was never used because of the abuses, nobody trusts them. In general the
> > system was used as a glorified PO generator. I have spent a month cleaning
> > and reconfiguring the current instance to get it limping along and provide
> > some value to the company. Yet, the system still does not behave
> > correctly.
> >
> > The decision to start fresh was made because for the entire life cycle,
> > thus far, of the current instance no useful information has ever been
> > extracted from it. Rouge excel sheets, word docs, and access databases
> > have been used in place of vantage to make up what everyone thought was
> > vantage shortcomings.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Ned <TechnoBabbly@...>
> > To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 4:17:28 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> >
> >
> > There's a specific reason for that, they don't want you to impliment
> > completely on your own, they want you to use their consultants to do the
> > implimentation.
> >
> > There are a huge number of variables for this entire process, and what you
> > are starting with is probably the first point to go with.
> >
> > Are you just creating a new database and starting from there or have you
> > wiped out the entire installation and starting from there?
> >
> > To be honest, I kind of question why you would scratch everything you have
> > so far and start brand new, usually most things that are "broken" or
> > misconfigured( outside of the initial GL account setup) can be fixed
> > instead
> > of having to start from scratch. With the entire process, which from my
> > own
> > experience, assuming you do nothing but Vantage setup from 9-5 everyday by
> > yourself, then you are probably looking at a few months to get it all
> > redone
> > anyway. Whereas you might be able to just fix your problems in a couple
> > weeks depending on what the problems are.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <bturner101@sbcgloba l.net>
> > To: <vantage@yahoogroups .com>
> > Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:03 PM
> > Subject: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> >
> >>I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage system.
> >>I
> >>was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system
> >>because
> >>our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without
> >>ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot
> >>of
> >>research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.
> >>
> >> One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of
> >> documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each module,
> >> and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take
> >> place when specific settings are configured).
> >>
> >> Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides new
> >> users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to
> >> scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying to
> >> piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and tech
> >> support that gives me different answers depending on the representative I
> >> am speaking with at the time.
> >>
> >> Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ------------ --------- --------- ------
> >>
> >> 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/ linksYahoo! Groups Links
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > 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/linksYahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
OK, it's clear you're not part of IT, but you didn't really say from which
functional area of your company you're coming at this "task". So, first of
all, if you're not in Accounting/Finance, you absolutely need someone from
that functional area as a critical implementation team member, as Ned
pointed out. Next, if you don't already have the following, get as much as
you can:



1. Manufacturing and Distribution User Guide for v. 8.03.400 (call
your CAM or go here
<https://epicweb.epicor.com/Education/Pages/UserGuides.aspx> );

2. Transaction hierarchies (call Financial Support);

3. AnswerBook documents related to company configuration and basic
system setup (call Support, ask for an Application Support Team Leader and
explain your situation);

4. Online education classes and/or archived webcasts (available here
<https://epicweb.epicor.com/Education/Manufacturing/Pages/default.aspx> )





_____

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
bturner101@...
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:57 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Re: Vantage Configuration



I couldn't agree with you more. The individual who was initially in charge
of implementing Vantage and training is gone. His implementation strategy,
once I discovered what it was, would make you laugh. But that would be a
different topic. I am now heading the reimplementation project and doing my
best to keep IT at bay until the system is stood up.

I really appreciate any of the help you can send my way.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> .com, "Ned"
<TechnoBabbly@...> wrote:
>
> Gotcha, that makes sense then.
>
> I will look around through all my old files, I believe I have some
"stepped
> process" documents that were used in the process in the past, while not
> exactly right for 803.40x the process flow should still be close to right.
>
> Unfortunately from your desription, and I don't mean this to sound as
harsh
> as it may, this sounds like a failure of your company more than anything
> else and people either not wanting to use it, or just not being willing to
> ask the right questions for fear of looking dumb or having someone think
> they weren't paying attention in classes that were given.
>
> It's actually a really common occurance.
>
> I don't know what your exact position is at your company, I just hope that
> if you are the IT person or one of the IT people there that you can help
> make someone realize that this really isn't an IT job to get the system
> setup initially. While it does involve computers, the IT person's job is
to
> keep the servers up and running once things are setup, and it's more
> finance/accounting/management's responsibility to make sure that the
> initial
> setup is done correctly in terms of the process and GL etc etc
>
> While it may be falling to you as a 1 man job, that is probably one of the
> worst ways to go about the intial setup. One person generally does not
know
> enough about every aspect of the business process to be able to
effectively
> get the system setup in the best possible way.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Turner" <bturner101@...>
> To: <vantage@yahoogroups <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> .com>
> Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
>
> > After digging into the system, I found out that the GL accounts were
never
> > set up correctly. Mostly everything was left with default accounts and
no
> > debit credit structure with years of transactions on top of it. Year end

> > closing was never done, the system still thinks we are working in period
6
> > of 2007. The production instance was used as a training platform for
years
> > so all our average costing is straight out the window. The job
management
> > was used as a slush fund to transact materials from inventory so one job

> > would stay open for months on end accumulating costs. MRP / PO
suggestions
> > was never used because of the abuses, nobody trusts them. In general the

> > system was used as a glorified PO generator. I have spent a month
cleaning
> > and reconfiguring the current instance to get it limping along and
provide
> > some value to the company. Yet, the system still does not behave
> > correctly.
> >
> > The decision to start fresh was made because for the entire life cycle,
> > thus far, of the current instance no useful information has ever been
> > extracted from it. Rouge excel sheets, word docs, and access databases
> > have been used in place of vantage to make up what everyone thought was
> > vantage shortcomings.
> > ________________________________
> > From: Ned <TechnoBabbly@...>
> > To: vantage@yahoogroups <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> .com
> > Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 4:17:28 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> >
> > There's a specific reason for that, they don't want you to impliment
> > completely on your own, they want you to use their consultants to do the
> > implimentation.
> >
> > There are a huge number of variables for this entire process, and what
you
> > are starting with is probably the first point to go with.
> >
> > Are you just creating a new database and starting from there or have you
> > wiped out the entire installation and starting from there?
> >
> > To be honest, I kind of question why you would scratch everything you
have
> > so far and start brand new, usually most things that are "broken" or
> > misconfigured( outside of the initial GL account setup) can be fixed
> > instead
> > of having to start from scratch. With the entire process, which from my
> > own
> > experience, assuming you do nothing but Vantage setup from 9-5 everyday
by
> > yourself, then you are probably looking at a few months to get it all
> > redone
> > anyway. Whereas you might be able to just fix your problems in a couple
> > weeks depending on what the problems are.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <bturner101@sbcgloba l.net>
> > To: <vantage@yahoogroups .com>
> > Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 5:03 PM
> > Subject: [Vantage] Vantage Configuration
> >
> >>I am new to this Vantage user group and fairly new to the Vantage
system.
> >>I
> >>was recently given the project of reimplementing our Vantage system
> >>because
> >>our current installation is broken and horribly mis-configured. Without
> >>ever knowing Vantage existed just a couple months ago, I have done a lot

> >>of
> >>research and system testing to understand the ERP solution.
> >>
> >> One of the many things I find extremely dissatisfying is the lack of
> >> documentation. Steps to take, master data considerations for each
module,
> >> and a logical value stream of the system (i.e. transactions that take
> >> place when specific settings are configured).
> >>
> >> Does anyone know of a worksheet document or anything else that guides
new
> >> users to standing each module of Vantage up. The decision was made to
> >> scrap the entire current system and start fresh. So, I am stuck trying
to
> >> piece the system together with extremely vague EPICOR documents and
tech
> >> support that gives me different answers depending on the representative
I
> >> am speaking with at the time.
> >>
> >> Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.





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