DealersEdge Professional Forums

I am behind in reading emails, but just saw this in GCUS-9-13720

Parts Workbench
• Background – Parts Workbench and EPIC are legacy technologies in the process of being replaced by the single, consolidated Parts Workbench+ technology. We plan to de-commission the current Parts Workbench by November 2022 and fully replace all existing functionality by 2023. This will provide you with improved stability, enhanced functionality, and brand-new features.
• In Process – With your support, the Parts Workbench+ pilot has been rolled out to Dealers who are adopting this new, user-friendly technology. We have received outstanding continuous improvement feedback from our pilot participants and are addressing each item in an iterative fashion with ongoing code deployments. De-commissioning the legacy Parts Workbench and EPIC applications will allow us to provide new Parts Order Entry and Management functionality with greatly enhanced speed and quality.

I added the bold underlining. I was not aware that workbench was to be shut down until all functionality had been transferred to workbench plus. It appears they may be willing to run a while without everything up and running.

I guess it makes it easier to support if you just delete those pesky applications that don't work..

I'll be honest as a relatively new manager. The infrastructure that existed when I started looked like it was 3 or 4 generations of technology with interlayers of 'what works' between them. I am 100% on board with 'out with the old, in with the new'. I think it simplifies the job and requires GM to update the newest tool to its capacity, rather than having people fall back on old systems that were in need of replacement.

[quote="PartsDanager"] I am 100% on board with 'out with the old, in with the new'.

Perhaps you are right. I am aging and just plain getting tired.

Signs of my age:

I can remember ordering with cassette tapes, then 5 1/2 floppy drives, then wow a hard drive, of course there was TRACS (phone system), and RAPID and its replacement RAPID 2000 and the transition to EPIC. Since the introduction of EPIC they have tried multiple times to replace it and shut it down. However, it simply works and gets the job done.

There is nothing wrong with simple.

The message I referenced also mentions moving the applications to the "cloud." This is another way of saying they are moving to a server farm, such as Amazon Web Services, etc. Once again GM farms out a critical part of its business to a third party. Not long ago GM made a big deal about bringing everything in-house to control its (our) information and provide its own technology. Did GM fail?

Seems we farmed out technology many years ago. Isn't there an abandoned Delco Radio / Computer facility in Kokomo, Indiana. Anybody remember the chip shortages of the early 2020's. Imagine when the offsite server farm goes down or suffers a security event or ...

Oh well, there is always ---- We are sorry for your inconvenience.

I am going to go get a little older now.

I don't mind the new workbench, until you try to do something and it doesn't work, and you go to the old version and it works fine. latest example upgrading spac cases

Ahhhhhh yes, the old cassette tape player with orders, if I remember correctly when TRACS came out, every dealer was given the same password GMPART, and strongly encouraged to change it, if a dealer knew your dealer code and your password was still GMPART, well not that I ever ordered school bus frames for an unsuspecting dealer from the pay phone at a 7-11.
The Oldsmobile Quad 4, 5.7 diesel, Quaker State oil, wiped more camshafts.

The old parts workbench worked, easy to navigate, E-packing slips for example were in part number numerical order. This new parts workbench packing slip plus scatters the numbers about, no rhyme or reason. We apologize for any inconvenience but we are on a union break.

PartsDanager wrote:I'll be honest as a relatively new manager. I am 100% on board with 'out with the old, in with the new'.

Just because "IT'S NEW" does not mean it's better.

smoyer wrote:I don't mind the new workbench, until you try to do something and it doesn't work, and you go to the old version and it works fine. latest example upgrading spac cases

...or mostly missing Engineering Notes

Just remember it is progress. LOL Gotta Love that great GM Feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Add Tekion into the mix and oh what fun it is.

If you inquire on a part number, there is an engineering note tab.

JOEMAL wrote:If you inquire on a part number, there is an engineering note tab.

True. However, checking against the "old" site, I'm noticing a lot of the notes are missing in the "new" site.