by Barry Burke

I have been a part of the thriving JD Edwards global community for over 25 years. In that time, I have witnessed the wholesale changes that JD Edwards went through; transitioning from the single platform iSeries to the multi-platform, multi-database client server paradigm. Shortly after, we entered the dark days of PeopleSoft, before Oracle swept in and restored the fortunes of JDE.

The latest roadmap announcement from Oracle is significant in many ways; not least of which is its bold intent. Oracle and the wider partner community are looking for customers to think differently about their ERP journey; to move away from the heavy cap-ex upgrade project to a programme of continuous delivery that features smaller, faster, smarter change event projects.

Oracle threw down the gauntlet to the ERP community earlier this year when it announced a fundamental shift in the way it would support JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, its flagship ERP solution, going forward. Its commitment to support release 9.2 to 2028 and beyond is the longest published roadmap in the ERP marketplace.

The extended lifetime of JD Edwards demonstrates an unshakeable commitment to EnterpriseOne by Oracle and assures the installed base of a long-term return on their investment. However, a long life in isolation is not enough. Customers want to know there is a corresponding commitment to a program of continuous improvement and innovation.

There is already concrete evidence of this commitment in the recent feature pack releases; with major enhancements in both the application and technology layer. In fact, there have been no fewer than 7 feature packs released since 9.2 went GA in 2015.
The roadmap for JDE EnterpriseOne shares an enticing level of detail, including planned module updates, feature packs and new functionality. This should go a long way to appeasing any fears about the longevity of any company’s investment in JD Edwards.

The level of detail contained within the roadmap also supports the continuous delivery model and reinforces the value of adopting a code-current strategy. We believe customers should deploy the new feature packs as they come available; that way they can make the most of JDE’s investment in new technology.

There are several excellent tools available as standard from Oracle to help maximize your maintenance dollars. However, there are some gaps that partners are complimenting with 3rd party tools to make that continuous journey a much easier one.

We would love to discuss this new and exciting journey with you and to share with you the innovative products we have developed that significantly reduce the burden and timelines associated with a typical change event.

Please feel free to reach out and contact us for a more in-depth discussion.