Hi,
We are trying to analyze our option to upgrade our current BaaN system to a newer version. Currently we are on BaaN 4c0. The main reasons for upgrading is to make BaaN web enabled and also to implement workflow features.

I would like to know if you guys have any suggestions on which version of BaaN would be a best fit given the features we are looking for. I know it’s going to be a challenge to migrate from 4c0 to newer version but I would like to know if someone had this type of experience and significant challenges they faced.

Also, does anybody have a rough estimate as to how much different version of BaaN (4c5, V, LN) might cost?

As always, I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
NS

What features are you looking for? Baan 4 / 5 and LN are different
on the functional side.. (which I can't help you with...)

Software is free with your support contract.. so if you don't have one, the cost would be the price of re-activating it...


Dave

Dave,
We are mainly looking to web enable BaaN but, not sure which technology to use. Is Open World only supported in 4c4? What version supports webtop? Would you prefer webtop over open world or are they two different things?
We are also looking for workflow management. My understanding is that 4c4 and on, using worktop you should be able to get some features of the workflow management in BaaN. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I understand that there would be functional changes in these versions of BaaN but would it be drastically different say between 4 and 5?

Thanks for your help,
NS

Webtop is available for Baan4c4 and working fine and web enables BaaN.
SSA solution for workflow is I-Flow and is available for Baan4c4. Will be available on BaanV end of this year and Baan6 end of Q1 2005.

Flip_j,
Do we need to implement openworld in order to use webtop? And my understanding is that the webtop is free if we support. Is this correct?

Thanks,
NS

Webtop is licensed separately, so is openworld. you don't need openworld for webtop.

Sorry, I meant to say that Baan ERP software is free with support contract, not extra stuff like webtop, et. al.

Dave

My understanding is that there is a new web interface that is available free for support paying customers and it is the same product for BAANIV and LN6.1. I have forgotten the exact name but I did think it was Webtop.

As to what is best version: That depends on what you need and how difficult it would be to migrate/upgrade.

ERP-LN6.1 would certainly be the best for the long term. If SSA will provide it and you can afford SSA's charges for "professional services" for migration or green field install.

Otherwise BaanIVc4 is a fine product -- SSA love it because if you pay support then 90%+ is sheer profit for SSA -- your support requirement will be minimal and you probably won't find a bug that somebody else has not already found in the past 7 years.) To upgrade to 4c4 I think you will have some work to be done as recall there were quite a lot of changes including changes to tables. Depending on where your are now and how large your DB and licence count then this may not come cheaply.

As to cost of software: if you pay support then the actual software should be free. If you do not then you will pay market price which will have a direct relationship to the number of seats/licences you need.

Terry

And my understanding is that the webtop is free if we support. Is this correct?
NS

This is the information we get from SSA:
The above statement is true for Baan V and ERP LN. If you use WebTop 3.0 with Baan IV the Software itself and one Year of Support is free. After that you have to pay an annual fee for ongoing WebTop Support.
(Info from early November)

Greetings,
Andreas

I seem to detect a different policy for Europe and the US coming from SSA _GLOBAL_.

Or are they merely trying to confuse me with Rapid Policy Changes? If so...it's working!

Terry,
Our main objective to upgrade BaaN is make BaaN web enabled and also implement workflow management. ERP-LN6.1 would probably the best solution but given the amount functional changes that we might have to deal with, it might be a big project for us to undertake. However, like you said 4c4 would probably do the trick for us. We know for sure that there is a webtop version that is working well with 4c4.

Also, it is possible to just upgrade the tools to 4c4 and implement webtop? This way there would not any impact on the functional side and changes would be transparent to the users.

Appreciate all you help,
NS

r_nagu: The differences between Baan IVc0 and Baan IVc4 are not very big, we have done exactly that "technical upgrade" (as Baan/SSA called it). It will defintelty be the easiest way of web and workflow enabling your current solution - you won't get much extra functionality, but you know what you will be getting and it will be stable.