With the plans to drop enhancements from the Baan 4 development schedule, it makes me wonder what would the average user like to see as an enhancement to Baan?

I would not mind seeing some decent system and database management tools added to the product. Very simple things e.g. resetting a user's password but also more complicated matters like creating an Oracle tablespace, all from within Baan.

The good system and DB tools are probably the only things I envy SAP people for :-)

Good idea, I suppose lots of people would like to see some good quality DB tools hidden away in Baan (I know it would make my life easier from time to time). An easier SQL system would be nice as well.

The password issue is one that I have noticed always crops up from time to time, with getting the user to change thier password, or being able to have a bit move control over the users settings. I have seen the question about passwords asked loads of times about UNIX systems, but its just as bad on an NT system.

So two good ideas to start the ball rolling, anyone else any ideas?

That would mean that Baan nould need to create those tools database specific, meaning one set for Informix, one for Oracle, etc... I don't see that coming in a near future.
Also, we have some extra functionality thru 3rd party solutions...

What I defenetely would like to see working aprox. 100% is PMC, that still gives a lot of headaches!

That would be nice, it seems to be one of those tools that they change everytime a new service pack comes out, just a few new 'Added Functionality' options.

Has anyone got the on-line version working yet? That is such a nightmare.

Why can't a patch just include all the pre-requisites, there is nothing worse than downloading a 25Mb file, to be told you still need 50 pre-reqs and thats before you do the pre-reqs for them!

The best way we have to get those nasty dependencies/co-requisites "under control" is to keep doing the scanning of the weekly dumps on a, more or less, weekly basis.

As for a PMC nightmare, it shows you all dependencies/co-requistes for all layers except the Spanish ones (ibco/mvco). It does not go all the way untill the last dependency, so you have to really install one patch, check to install, check again, install some more, and so on... talk about a nightmare!

The problem about the weekly dumps is that you sometimes may install something you don't want to install. As the dumps hold everything for that week, you can get caught out installing some nasty little change that stops your reports working, changes a layout or even alters functionality... Is this really the way a global support system should work?

No, you just scan them in, no installation :D
We install on-demand, no pro-active work will be done regarding that since we usually get more problems...

But even with install on demand, the question of pre-reqs come back. Say for instance, you have a problem that you can't do something in sales so you have to patch it. A pre-req on that patch means you have to change distribution. Thats leads to a change in Finance, which in turn leads to changes in everything. Even if its a small problem, you cannot keep the system totally stable due to the issues in hand and to solve them, you need not only to add more cards to the pile, you have to removed and replace some at the bottom....
Eventually the house will fall.

At least I have one certainty: SAP has also the same problems :D

See gang, no matter which field you look in... the grass maybe greener but its still full of bulls**t

I think a lot of tools related things like VRCs, PMC and related stuff just cries for a wizard.
I would also like a tool that creates XML files automatically out of the EDI module at the flick of a switch.
And generally in Baan V, the regular application could be made easier to navigate. At this time you need an academic for a warehouse clerk.
And why does all that i-Baan stuff have to be so difficult to configure?

What a great idea. Some form of wizard system would be cool for Baan complex procedures. This should be sent to Baan right away as it could be something that could be put into I-Baan.

Hi guys,
this is all too technical for me. Here are some proposals on the functional side for BaanV. I am anxious to receive your comments:

improve subcontracting
define subcontractor warehouses and packing slip for items to be sent to subcontractors. Most of my customers want to be able to see what they sent to their subcontractors in the system.

order types for production orders
an assembly order requires different activities than a 'normal' production order. Why should we not be able to define order steps for production orders too?

order types on order line level
What is the reason for not having order types on line level? This would increase flexibility dramatically. By the way: All orders are handled by order line anyway.

quantity dependent overlapping of operations
the overlapping functionalityof production order operations as off now is not quantity dependent. In reality it is though. That means that now the system eventually plans the end of operation 20 before the end of operation 10 (if cycle time of 20 is shorter than that of 10)!

define transport time on operation level
there is no possibility to define transport time from one operation to the next on operation level.

accumulate purchase consignment invoicing
Right now for every material you issue from a non owned consignment warehouse you get a separate purchase order created automatically (for PO invoice matching). Imagine you have a company that mainly works with consigned stock, they will have eventually hundreds of POs to match every day! You should think of a functionality that collects all those transactions through a defined period of time and then creates one PO by supplier for them.

better sessions for SO/PO history inquiries
Most customers want an order based history inqiury session where you can see all changes for an order in one session.

display order status from SO/PO level
why should it not be possible to display the order status by accessing the specific menu of the SO/PO detail sessions?

display order activities for warehousing orders
why not display all order necessary activities for a warehousing order like in sales or purchase?

Although this forum may seem technical, improvements on the functionality side are also accepted in here, in fact, it shows that maybe the two have to live hand in hand really, not many people know about the background of Baan, what happens in those dark rooms that the strange guy frequents (and no, its not endless games of Dungeons and Dragons, or the only place to download **** on the network!). But we also have to remember the users, who have to run the thing from day to day and live with the problems of functionality.

So lets hear some more about the software side. What parts of the functionality would you like to alter or add (or even get rid of and replace completely!)

On another note... We got 4 stars!!!!

I would appreciate a less complex table structure
and a clear program architecture.
So the product would be easier to support and
data corrections would not consume so much time.

Germanicus

Germanicus,
I totally agree to your remark about a clear program architecture, there is still too many different 'styles' of programming in the software. I would also recommend a kind of DLL 'map' at the beginning of a complex source that shows the call structure. That would make things much easier for programmers.
I have to disagree to your remark about a less complex table structure:
That lies in the nature of the matter. The environment standard software has to deal with is very complex by nature. To reflect that we will even have more tables in Reger (Baan5.2), the next version. A little tip: In BaanV you have the possibility to let the system create entity relationship diagrams (ERM) of the table structure. These show tables and the relation to other tables. That helps a lot to find your way through the application.

Best regards,

Markus

Markus,

Can you give us some quick pointers on where to find and how to use the ERM - Entity Relationship Diagram?

Patrick,
go to BAAN Enterprise modeler => model definition => data models.
Go to session tgerm2500m000 first. Go to the specific menu and choose the first menu option. Select your 'start table' there, e.g. tcibd001. Make sure to check the fields for creating entities and entity relationships. That's it. The system will then read the data dictionary and create your ERM automatically. You can edit it with the EME.
It may look a little strange in the beginning because your 'starting table' is placed in the middle and all related tables are placed radially around it. In my example (using tcibd001) there is a few dozen tables placed around tcibd001. So you have to do a little finishing and you have a perfect ERM created with system support. Have fun.

Best regards,

Markus

Patrick,
I just forgot something:
When you executed the steps I explained in my previous mail you have to go to tgerm1500m000 and to the second menu option in the specific menu. There you have to enter the entity code (in our case tcibd001) and then the system will create the diagram.

Regards,

Markus

Hi Markus,

Thanks for the instructions. I will give it a try soon :)

This sounds like a wonderful facility for developers and indeed for anyone who wants to understand the relationships between Baan data tables. I wish i had this facility, but unfortunately I'm stuck on lil old BaanIVb2

*wonders where he can find a BaanV job*:)

Markus,

I just reread your initial post on Germanicus' reply and I noticed you're saying:


I have to disagree to your remark about a less complex table structure: That lies in the nature of the matter. The environment standard software has to deal with is very complex by nature. To reflect that we will even have more tables in Reger (Baan5.2), the next version


I initially quickly read over your remark but how many more tables are we talking about here? I can understand your point about the complex structure but I wish people who develop Baan concepts and code would sometimes also think of the arduous taks of a system/database administrator. Running several environments on Oracle databases with 10,20,30,40+ companies creates a formidable overhead in database maintenance because of the gigantic amount of tables....

Patrick,
I think there are quite a few more tables:
According to my information Reger contains transportation functionality and automotive functionality again. I heard of somewhere around 4000 tables per company (compared to about 2400 we have now), but that may just be a rumour. Although I guess it will be at least a few hundred more...
The department I am working in is starting a Reger functionality test soon. I can give you more exact information then.

Regards,

Markus

That's bad... I can see all the Oracle data dictionaries growing even bigger again...

Functionality enhancements I'd like to see.

Purchase Change Orders (not just for EDI) so we can see the history of a sales order.

Purchase order past due reports (expedite) that are ready to send to a supplier. did anyone consider that buyers would need to interface/expedite with suppliers.

Pull tickets for stockroom issues..I ought to be able to generate paperwork along with my generated outbound to go with each part.

subcontracting order change..what is up with that generic part number anyway? - we want to see what we've subcontracted without having to go through more screens. and it would be nice to have history, which is impossible now.

excess inventory reports. I can't believe we don't have more inventory analysis tools.

More flexibility with generate cycle count..why can't I specify how many items i'd like to count ?

inventory adjustment by reason, month, dollar? again, where are these fundamental reports.

how about transaction error catchers..
.. item inspected but still in inspection loc(operator didn't process outbound)
.. inventory adjustment in Active status (somebody forgot to complete the transaction)

How about being able to make global changes to logistic type information in BOMs. Should I really have to go into a zillion BOMs to change a warehouse for a component part?

This is all for now but I do have more....

Baan5 administration is really bothering sometimes. I think there is space for improving the admin tools at all... a lot of space.

Having a production order overview report will be nice - most of the problems with the inventory come from the prod. orders.
I find very useful the Time-phased overview planning session, was thinking if it is possible to be extended like the web report below (at least is very convenient for electronic production)

I would like to see the following "enhancements". This would avoid having to add a lot of customizations on top of the system.


(1) Improved workflow (less screens)

I think Baan would do well to focus on the core ERP and make sure it works. There are a lot of areas where a user has to go though many sessions and sometimes 10-15 screens to accomplish what could be done in one screen. There are 3rd party product out there that do this and AFS puts the tools in the hand of the admin, but it would be much better to have improved screens/functionality in the standard system.

(2) Better Reports (simpler, designed for specific cause)

I think I have created close to 100 reports, many replacing existing baan reports that "simply don't do the job". Instead trying to design one huge report that tries to do everything, they need to limit the design on reports, create quicker more specifically targetted reports. This will create a lot more inherent value in the system. It is amazing to me that a lot of software developers seem to forget the clients main objective of systems (output...)


(3) Better database design AND use of this design

Have multiple unique indexes can cause a lot of headaches and the BaaN architecture uses this as the norm. I think this causes a lot of data problems in the system. I don't know if they have re-engineered the database in V, but at least in 4 there are quite a few things BaaN could do to patch things up.

The reports and displays also need to make better use of existing indexes. There are many reports that do not properly use indexes to retrieve data.



(4)Some specific examples of enhancments we have implemented

4a. Open Entries redesign using indexes
4b. Invoice Approval Redesign with buttons to Link to actual scanned document
4c. Variety of Service based reports.
4d. Financial Management report that can be run by any manager
4e .Aging analysis that runs quickly and can be exported easily to excel
4f. Randomly generated cycle counts by warehouse
4g. Ticket Transfers screen for inventory movements all in one
Creates a "ticket" of movements and create inventory transactions in background for parts issuing.
4h. Security by Role
















Some specific examples of enhancments we have implemented

Folks, we have a special forum dedicated for enhancements right here: http://www.baanboard.com/baanboard/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=63

You stand a much better chance of someone who can do something about your request viewing it if you do post your desired functionality in this forum, preferably a separate thread for each topic!