"Tom of Bunyon" <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message
news:cBj89.33745$%P3.1991520@e3500-atl2.usenetserver.com...
>
> > > Bose is still running MANMAN - they did complete turning over sales to
> > > SAP -
> > >
> >
> > It always amazes me when people/companies underestimate the complexity
> > involved with replacing a full MRP system like MANMAN.  I know of one
> company
> > (much smaller) who did succeed at this but perhaps the complexity grows
> > exponentially with larger companies?  Not knowing much about SAP, I
wonder
> if
> > it is truely capable of MRP type functions?
>
> I think the problem with MRP systems is that reational DBs don't do
> recursion very well - they have to emulate it. A lot of the more complex
> items have hugely complex sub-item trees. If the combination of trees
> exceeds the number of levels that the relational DBs program for, it just
> drops the deeper levels altogether with no complaints.

I had an old boss that was an ex-MANMAN jock. He got a job at Compaq in
Houston and I always wondered why - now I know.

We had a rather esoteric hodge-podge system then (not my current company):

The main system (Growthpower) was written in Basic/3000.

First boss writes ancillary reports and editing screens in RPG (ex Sys-34
jock).

2nd boss writes a bunch of his ancillary systems in Fortran (the MANMAN
jock) so that company can't hire first boss as consultant.

3rd boss writes a bunch of stuff in Quick QUIZ and QTP.

Year-2000 approaches - we're stuck on this system. Each new analysis comes
back witha higher price to convert than the last (getting closer to Y2K).
Company finally decides to sell off to a company in NJ that promply gobbles
it up and puts everyone on - (Drum Roll) - PROGRESS!!!

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