[Info-vax] The real problem that needs solving to grow VMS

[IanD]

On Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 4:59:18 AM UTC+11, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 11/4/2022 9:52 AM, Simon Clubley wrote: 
> > On 2022-11-03, Dave Froble <da... at tsoft-inc.com> wrote: 
> >> On 11/3/2022 9:20 AM, Simon Clubley wrote: 
> >>> On 2022-11-02, Dave Froble <da... at tsoft-inc.com> wrote: 
> >>>> 
> >>>> Software that solves specific issues for a particular vertical market many times 
> >>>> will not exist in other software packages. The list can be rather long. Just a 
> >>>> few examples: 
> >>>> 
> >>>> Handling of cores 
> >>>> Superscession of part numbers 
> >>>> 
> >>>> The lack of either of those examples is a total show stopper. 
> >>>> 
> >>>> This is applications that have over 40 years of specific development for this 
> >>>> particular vertical market. Some obsolete. Some quite recent. 
> >>>> 
> >>>> The customers have looked hard for those "alternate ERP packages". The search 
> >>>> has failed. 
> >>>> 
> >>>> One customer is trying a cloud solution. Looks like they are on course for a 
> >>>> future crater. 
> >>>> 
> >>>> You can claim all you want about alternatives. Doesn't mean any exist. 
> >>>> 
> >>>> The most common response from potential new vendors is "we can't do that". 
> >>>> 
> >>> 
> >>> What is it precisely about supersessions that new vendors can't do ? 
> >> 
> >> The biggest issue with potential new vendors is that they seem to have never 
> >> heard of the concept, and don't want to hear about it. 
> >> 
> > 
> > I'm finding that rather hard to understand. Parts management, regardless 
> > of industry, has a number of universal factors associated with it, and 
> > supersession management is one of the core ones. 
> > 
> > I could understand them having issues with the more complex scenarios 
> > (which depends on how much effort they put into their software), but basic 
> > supersessions, where exactly one existing part number is renamed to exactly 
> > one new part number, are easy to implement.
> Consider simple things such as gaskets and such. Sourced from multiple mfgs, 
> each with their own part numbers, which can change quite often. A superscession 
> loop of more than 20 part numbers is quite normal.
> > Who exactly are these vendors ? 
> > 
> > Simon. 
> >
> Small outdoor power equipment distributors. 
> 
> Software vendors in the auto parts business have attempted to enter this market 
> multiple times, and have failed every time. Talking about some rather large 
> software vendors. 
> 
> It is strange, as one would think that auto parts software should work. Has not. 
> 
> Believe it or not, there are instances where things need to be specific, and one 
> size fits all fails miserably.
> -- 
> David Froble Tel: 724-529-0450 
> Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc. E-Mail: da... at tsoft-inc.com 
> DFE Ultralights, Inc. 
> 170 Grimplin Road 
> Vanderbilt, PA 15486

I don't believe you use any relational DB for your application do you?
(I base this on that I don't recall you mentioning things like using RDB in your posts but I could be wrong)

A relational DB would certainly help with standardized offerings but as you said, your application appears to have a lot of specific coding / loose model / one off representation needs

In regards to your application, I would think a Graph DB, something like Neo4j, would have no issues modelling the data and relationships in the application you work on and would certainly support the flexibility required to link various objects and relationships together in flexible arrangements. Most of the relationships that you probably have buried in code would be defined in the Graph DB relationship mapping

Neo4j / Graph DB's are used by most of the large social media companies to model billions of relationships involving multiple depths of relationships. They remind me of the old object DB's, except more developed and on steroids

One use case for Neo4j is that of the US army, that uses Neo4j to track a Bill of Materials. Probably something similar in concept to what your application tracks in terms of object relationships?

This is worth a quick read.
https://neo4j.com/blog/top-10-use-cases-bill-of-materials/

Some of the models can be quite involved

https://nodexlgraphgallery.org/Pages/Graph.aspx?graphID=230312

It runs on Linux, Windows, Mac OS but sadly, not VMS

You can even download the desktop version and kick the tires with it

I've been trying to use it to model software testing components for a large software conversion project, as a learning exercise, I can see the potential but I lack the knowledge of Neo4j to quickly knock out solutions, so it's a hard grind of learning in my own time :-(