Re-Implementing Your ERP in the Cloud

Author: Eric Vasbinder

Overview

From time to time it becomes necessary for cloud hosted customers to "re-implement" their ERP.  The reasons for this are somewhat varied, but most revolve around the ongoing evolution and growth of an organization that results in the current structure of their ERP implementation being less than ideal for future growth.  Re-implementing an ERP is not the simplest task in the world and usually involves performing a data extract, transform, and load, otherwise known as an ETL, from the old ERP implementation to the new one.

To enable this move to a newly re-implemented ERP in our cloud, there is a three phase process that must be followed:

• Phase 1 - Destination Environment Standup:  The initial set up and configuration of the environment that will be the production ERP in the future.

• Phase 2 - Testing, Configuration, and Validation:  Testing and iterative validation of ETL processes.

• Phase 3 - Final Move and Cutover:  Final ETL copy and cut over to new production ERP environment.

Phase 1 - Destination Environment Standup

This phase involves the following steps:

1. (CUSTOMER):  Place orders through sales representative for an additional test environment in our cloud.  Please specify that this test environment is to be a "Full Stack" environment with its own set of servers and separate multitenant platform "Enterprises".

   1. For Vista Environments this includes but is not limited to:

      1. Vista D1 Server

      2. (For Enterprise Architecture customers) Vista DB1 SQL server, Vista -APP server, VRL Crystal Nodes and Load Balancer

      3. Vista Web D2 Server

      4. (optional for hosted third party products) Additional Servers

      5. New Team Enterprise ID

   2. For Spectrum Environments this includes but is not limited to:

      1. Spectrum ERP Server

      2. TC1 Cloud server(s)

      3. New Team Enterprise ID

2. (VIEWPOINT):  Our cloud engineering teams will stand up the necessary additional environment and Team Enterprise ID after the order is placed through your sales representative.

3. (CUSTOMER):  Place cloud support case for a full data refresh from the current production environment (a.k.a. "Source ERP") to the future production environment (a.k.a. "Destination ERP").

4. (VIEWPOINT):  Perform data refresh from source to destination environment.

Phase 2 - Testing, Configuration, and Validation

This phase involves the following steps:

1. (VIEWPOINT AND CUSTOMER):  Coordinate to set up standalone Trimble ID SSO in the Destination ERP environment.

2. (CUSTOMER AND PARTNER):  Perform multiple rounds of testing and ETL validation passes.

Phase 3 - Final Move and Cutover

This phase involves the following steps:

1. (CUSTOMER AND PARTNER):  Schedule a joint time where access to the source ERP environment will be shut down and a final ETL load will be performed from the source ERP to the destination ERP environment.

2. (CUSTOMER):  Place case with Viewpoint engineering to, at code over time, change ERP database to restricted user mode.

3. (CUSTOMER) (optional):  If Federation is in use between Trimble ID and the customers OKTA or Azure AD (Entra ID), create a cloud engineering case two, at cutover time, switch the Federation from the old Team enterprise ID that corresponds to the source ERP environment to the Team enterprise ID that corresponds to the new, destination ERP environment.

4. (VIEWPOINT):  At cutover time, place source ERP into Restricted User mode.

5. (PARTNER):  Perform final ETL load into destination ERP environment from the source ERP environment.

6. (CUSTOMER):  Perform final validation testing in destination ERP environment.

   1. If testing is successful, give Viewpoint support team the go ahead to cut over SSO Federation.

7. (VIEWPOINT):  Perform SSO Federation cut over.

8. (CUSTOMER):  Begin using the new, destination ERP environment in production.

9. (VIEWPOINT):  Pause the old, source ERP environment and schedule for deletion 30 days hence.