Companies that have historically focused on using the core modules of JDE E1 are increasingly compelled by changes in their business to engage new modules, such as Fixed Assets, Capital Asset Management, or Joint Venture Management. Being on the latest release facilitates some of those attractive modules. The good news is – whether driven by waning support, the need to strengthen security, a demand for greater functionality, or a continued commitment to modernize and adopt next generation technology to stay competitive – a move to 9.2 advances all these goals.
ERP Enhancements for Greater Functionality
JDE E1 applications release 9.2 includes new modules, such as Joint Venture Management, and a myriad of applications enhancements – with more than 80 enhancements in the latest update alone – including Regulatory and Compliance updates, Health and Safety updates, and new tools that streamline Manufacturing Production execution. For a more comprehensive review, download the Syntax e-book: 2021 Guide: State of JD Edwards.
Of particular note, release 9.2 features 64-bit Enablement, enabling large amounts of random-access memory (RAM) to be utilized more effectively. Already, vendors are starting to deliver 64-bit-only components, making 64-bit Enablement a must-have for future technology adoption and compatibility.
Digital Transformation as a Gateway Towards the Digital Economy
Digital technologies encompass business intelligence (BI) and business analytics (BA) – including machine learning (ML) – continuous improvement, continuous delivery, the internet of things (IoT), and the list goes on. By introducing Orchestrator Studio, release 9.2 provides a gateway towards the digital economy. The term “orchestration” refers to the ability to automate and sequence repetitive tasks, thus reducing human error, as well as operational, development, and compliance costs.
JDE Orchestrator enables business analysts to automate and sequence time consuming processes involving multiple EnterpriseOne applications or third-party applications. The orchestrator enables digital transformation, including IoT, facilitating process integration and supporting autonomous solutions. Furthermore, JDE Orchestrator can be used with IBM WebSphere application server as well as Oracle WebLogic server, obviating a la carte licensing.
To stay in touch with the business and enable you to act faster, you can create your own EnterpriseOne (E1) Notifications or take advantage of 55 preconfigured E1 Notifications across five categories:
- Exception – a journal entry is out of balance
- Action Required – an order for a key customer is held up
- Informational – a key customer’s order has shipped
- Proactive Reminder – inventory levels approaching defined limit
- Act & Forward – action link to send the next notification in a chain
Personalized ERP for a Superior User Experience
The user experience (UX) is critical for employees to train quickly during onboarding and immediately receive value from the ERP system. EnterpriseOne 9.2 delivers UX One – a modern UX with an intuitive interface to configure and personalize. The user-friendly navigation features drag and drop customization. Users can modify their view of grid information and choose where to place favorite reports and applications, while menu breadcrumbs allow quick access to recently run applications. Use watch lists to alert you to conditions requiring attention. Analyze data through graphical charts. And easily navigate to source applications to take action.
Operational Simplification for Greater Ease of Use
Simplifying the operational aspects of JDE E1 makes it easier to work with the product, enabling you to focus on the business. Release 9.2 offers multiple methods to better tailor JDE E1 to your environment, including the ability to make changes “on the glass” that do not require coding and can be shared throughout the organization. It also gives you the options of Configuration and Personalization (changes without coding), Extensions (adding new functionality without coding), and Customizations (changes with coding).
To further facilitate operations, Continuous Innovation Enablers are included to minimize retrofit during upgrades, track if a customer object is used, create test plans based on usage, expedite retrofit efforts, and identify custom code that may be a candidate for personalization.
Other operational enhancements to 9.2 include system self-monitoring and health checks, user-defined object management, simplified diagnostics collection, personalization improvements, and code-current upgrades to maintain your E1 solution at the latest code base level.
Security Strengthened to New Industry Standards
Security is strengthened with every new release, and 9.2 is no exception. Security features include local Oracle database enhanced encryption protocols to meet new industry standards, enhanced database security, and the ability to enable enhanced security during data transmission. Site keys are used as part of an AES key to protect critically sensitive, high-security information. And Secure FTP (SFTP) for media objects is now available, addressing a significant data vulnerability inherent in unsecured FTP.
Further, administrators can authorize and revoke security around user-defined objects (UDOs) at a granular level to achieve better control. Administrators can enable protocols for longer user IDs (6 to 254 characters) and passwords (up to 40 characters), as well as complex password rules and policies for greater security.
Cloud Acceleration to Leverage Cloud-Native Solutions
As profiled in a recent ZDNet article featuring the latest Gartner research, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively proved the value of the cloud to business, as organizations were forced to support a remote workforce while saving cash and optimizing IT costs. “The ability to use on-demand, scalable cloud models to achieve cost efficiency and business continuity is providing the impetus for organizations to rapidly accelerate their digital business transformation plans,” explains Gartner Research Vice President Sid Nag.
Earlier versions of JDE E1 were not truly cloud-ready, in that they did not have the integration capabilities with other cloud-native solutions. 9.2 is a cloud-ready version, delivering greater stability and flexibility, giving you all the bells and whistles that allow you to adopt more cloud data technology. “Release 9.2 is purposefully designed to fit into the cloud ecosystem,” explains Colin Dawes, Chief Solution Architect at Syntax, “supporting cloud-native technologies for integration with so many cloud tools that are out there.”
Take the Next Step with Syntax
The risks of not upgrading are many. Relying on an older version that is not fully supported translates to security exposure and a higher risk profile as an organization. Paying maintenance fees for an outdated version means you are not getting the full value out of your ERP. Further delaying the upgrade to 9.2 prolongs your inability to use current browsers on desktops and laptops and the inability to interoperate with other tools and technology, such as integration platform as a service (iPaaS) and machine learning (ML).
Syntax has over 40 years of Oracle ERP experience and over 20 years providing cloud and managed services for JD Edwards solutions. Contact us today to discover how we can help streamline your 9.2 upgrade experience.