There are some things that Ray can state emphatically:
1). The generic software the salesperson sold you that works perfectly right
out of the box everywhere else in the known universe will have problems at
your sight...when the installation doesn't work as promised, this will be
attributed to the unique requirements of your business/legacy
software/hardware/IT staff/some-other-phrase-in-a-trade-journal.
2). The decision to purchase will be made by the least qualified people, and
it will be based on functionality with no regard given to technical
feasibility. The salesperson will, of course, point out that the tech
details are trivial (as are many of the business requirements), and should
not impede the company from freeing itself from the shackles of it's legacy
system (the salesperson will also have a very cool GUI example of just how
great life will be after the install).
3). The installation will take two to three times longer than planned (see
items 1 & 2).
4). The installation will blow the budgeted figures through the roof well
before the original planned installation date is missed (see items 1 & 2).
5). You will have IT staff at your site from every corner of the
globe...some may actually be able to converse in your native tongue,
however, many will not. Fortunately, you will also discover the richness of
other cultures, like not bathing and using deodorant daily.
6). There will be lot's of young enthusiastic IT folks writing your custom
code that will allow the generic application you purchased to run correctly
at your site.
One of the main enhancements they'll make is to have that generic
software package do most of the things your outdated legacy system does
because in the final analysis (a year after the
purchase), the customer's needs are why those 'ridiculous and wasteful'
functions were in the legacy system to begin with (see items 1, 2 & 7).
7). The legacy IT folk that have been with the company for half their lives
will, all of a sudden, appear to be completely void of any knowledge about
the business/it/life in general to all upper management, and if these legacy
IT folks offer up any suggestions/warnings/ideas, then they'll be viewed as
bad folks because they are not with 'the team'.
8). The need for more money to purchase more servers (and licenses) to run
the generic software for your unique business requirements will become equal
to the monetary requirements of a medium sized third-world country (see
items 1, 2 & 7).
9). During the installation/migration process, any time the 'new' system
doesn't work (and there will be many), it'll be the 'old' system's
fault...every time...period.
These are but a few of the commonalties I've observed during the several
'replace-old-with-new projects' I've been on over the years, your results,
however, may vary. :-)
Ray Shahan
"There is so much good in the worst of us,
and so much bad in the best of us,
that it behooves none of us
to talk about the rest of us"
--Author unknown
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Hurt [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 8:54 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: New Platform
>
> Good Morning from South Texas Cynthia -
>
> AAAAHHHHHH JD Edwards production/accounting applications...yes I have, as
> well as Ray(If he is on-line). We both ran into that little troublesome
> animal at CBI in Austin....it was a mess when we ran into it(I think it
> was
> before we got there) and was a mess when we left(we were part of the team
> phasing out a perfectly good HP production system which was being
> re-engineered and then finally duplicated(I think that was successful)) on
> a
> AS-400.
>
> Anyway, Ray may have more insight into that animal as he was working more
> closely with some of the ASsssssss staff.
>
> Take care and have a REALLY GREAT DAY!!!
> John Hurt
> Baseball Express
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Cynthia Fowler
> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 8:39 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] New Platform
>
>
> We are, and it will be software driven. I'm not involved in the
> decision-making process (my opinion was not asked, nor have I been in the
> evaluation process, so I think my days here may be numbered), but I know
> they have narrowed it down to either JD Edwards, Oracle or Microsoft for
> our
> production and financials. I think I heard that JD Edwards is the
> front-runner <groan -- my husband's company uses this product on their
> AS400
> and have nothing but problems on their production side. The financials are
> great, but the blood and guts production system really stinks.>
>
> Has anyone out there had any positive experiences with any of these.
>
> >>> <[log in to unmask]> 04/20/03 09:50PM >>>
> How many of you out there are considering a new hardware platform and/or
> applications?
>
> Mitchell K. Kleinman
> Executive Vice President
> CCS - an IBM Premier Business Partner
> 949-476-0874 (Main)
> 949-261-3298 (Direct)
> 949-261-9164 (Office Fax)
> 425-940-1954 (eFax)
> [log in to unmask]
>
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