This article shares the lessons we’ve learned to ensure successful JD Edwards upgrade projects so you don’t have to learn the hard way. It is the second in a four-part series by Richard Garraputa, resident JDE expert at Corning Data.
JD E Edwards Upgrade Lesson Two: Deploy Solutions, Not Tools
Given the low adoption rates that plague even the best new tools like One View Reporting, Café Frames and E1 Pages, we know exactly what doesn’t work in deploying new features: teaching users tools instead of deploying solutions.
When was the last time a user came to you and said “I’ll take a UDO, an EnterpriseOne Page and a Café One, please. To go. With whipped cream.” ???
Umm … never. Users often don’t know exactly what they need, but they know they want to do their jobs easier and faster. They want to get the information they need to make good decisions. They are looking for solutions to their problems, not a cool tool with three letter acronym they can’t remember.
But we keep teaching them tools over and over, and wondering why they aren’t adopting them. Stop handing users pieces and parts, and start rolling out the solutions they are asking for.
The just-released UX One interface is a great head-start in breaking this unproductive pattern. UX One helps pull together all tools and features we know and love into real end-user solutions targeted at specific job roles. UX One differs from the past introduction of new tools and features because it provides a solution-based approach that enables digital transformation.
It starts with a different approach for how users interact with the JD Edwards. EnterpriseOne Pages created with (an enhanced) Page Composer, host pre-configured content for pre-defined roles for specific users.
Alert, Analyze, Act
Alert: UX One alerts users to the items they need to see first—the exceptions they need to manage. One View Watchlists support the Alert capabilities.
Analyze: Data visualizations let the user feel the pulse of what’s happening in the organization. They alert users to the exceptions to normal operations. Users can drill down into more detail to continue their analysis for better understanding. This transforms “data” into useful information. And, One View JET analytics support these capabilities.
Act: Springboard navigation puts access to all of the user’s reports and applications just a click away. So, anyone who has clicked on an icon from an E1 Page should find these application actions very familiar.
Out of the box roles are ready to be personalized so you can roll them out to your users. UX One offers more than thirty roles spanning the entire JD Edwards footprint including Accounts Payable, Customer Service, Procurement, Manufacturing, Maintenance and Human Resources. No more parts and pieces: real solutions.
If you are thinking about an upgrade to EnterpriseOne 9.2, plan to include UX One. If you have already upgraded to EnterpriseOne 9.2, give Corning Data a call so we can help you fast track deployment of UX One.
Next week, Lesson Three will discuss the ease of warding off huge upgrade project by maintaining smaller, more frequent upgrades.
Richard Garraputa is a Corning Data enterprise software evangelist with more than 20 years experience in helping drive real business benefits from improved processes and use of technology. He helps clients grow their top line revenues, reduce costs through more efficient and effective operations, and become more competitive through improved processes.
