Congratulations on taking the big step with upgrading your JD Edwards system to 9.2.  Now that you’ve upgraded, you may find yourself asking, “What happens now?”  To keep the momentum going and get the most out of your JD Edwards 9.2 upgrade, you can’t just set it and forget it.  Your JDE 9.2 journey is just beginning.  

To help you keep those wheels turning and fully optimized, we’ve outlined a few post-upgrade opportunities to keep in mind — from the utilization of features with Tools Releases, ESUs and bug fixes, and the integration of any missed opportunities in your post-update system:

Utilization of Features

One of the big selling points of 9.2 is the inclusion of many new features — UX One, Orchestrator, Personal Forms, etc.  If you haven’t already begun utilizing some of these features in your JD Edwards system, it’s time to take a closer look at these features.  Below, we’ve outlined a staged approach for you to take in order to begin your 9.2 post-update journey with these new JDE features:

Stage 1 - Basic UDOs

This stage includes a collection of user defined objects (UDOs) i.e. features such as default grid formats, CafeOne, E1 Pages, and Composite Pages.  These are components that were established before the 9.2 upgrade, and are a good starting point to familiarize yourself with the new web Object Management Workbench (OMW) infrastructure.  Implementing these primary pieces first will be an important step before moving on to the more advanced features.

Stage 2 - Advanced UDOs

Advanced UDOs are features that have been introduced more recently and further enable users to apply necessary updates and go through upgrades more smoothly.  This category includes features like EnterpriseOne Search and Personal Forms.  These features are a newer way for users to view their data in a visual format and further help to eliminate customizations and modifications in their JD Edwards system: 

• EnterpriseOne Search is a way for users to interact with software systems from navigating to obtaining data to performing actions.  Many customers request this feature because it improves productivity and allows users to easily locate and act on data, especially when related  information is across multiple applications. 
• Personal Forms help businesses optimize their JD Edwards applications to produce relevant information based on roles, industry, and customizations without the aid of an IT developer.

Stage 3 - UX One 

With multiple personalization and configuration tools, UX One is a major JDE 9.2 feature and can be quite complicated to learn and integrate into your business all at once.  We recommend starting off with a smaller project within UX One, so you begin to learn how to navigate this feature more intuitively, before moving on to larger projects. This will help you effectively integrate UX One into your entire JD Edwards environment, where you will soon find more efficiency in carrying out your daily tasks.  

Stage 4 - Orchestrator

Implementing this stage allows business analysts, system administrators, and orchestration designers to see how well and efficient orchestrations are performing.  Effectively using Orchestrator will help keep you well-informed, in real-time about your business activity.  So, it’s no surprise that among our clients and partners, Orchestrator is the feature that excites IT and business owners the most.

Note: Implementing this feature requires the AIS installation and the installation of Orchestrator Studio.

Stage 5 - Advanced

In this final stage,  we introduce features that require development, e.g. JDeveloper through ADF (Application Development Framework) and Oracle JET (Javascript Extension Toolkit).  ADF is an end-to-end application framework built on Java EE standards and open-source technologies to simplify and accelerate the implementation of enterprise applications.  JET is a complete yet modular JavaScript development toolkit that helps developers build engaging user interfaces.  Many of the visuals you come across in UX One are derived from ADF or JET, and it's important to note the following:

• ADF requires Oracle WebLogic Server with AF Runtime and EnterpriseOne Application Interface Services (AIS) Server.  ADF applications are installed on the Oracle WebLogic Server as JAR files.  
• Oracle JET applications require EnterpriseOne JET development Environment and are uploaded into JDE as classic E1 Pages (zip files).

Tools Release

On top of all of those additional features to consider, Oracle regularly introduces new Tools Releases for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne you should be on the lookout for.  (Check out this link to stay up-to-date on Oracle’s latest announcements.)

There are many different JD Edwards product upgrades, so it’s important to note that unless you find it useful for your business, it isn’t necessary to install every single Tools Release.  Keep these two catalysts  in mind when deciding whether a Tools Release will be beneficial to your business:

The Release of New Features 

When Oracle releases a new feature (e.g. Orchestrator) or an enhancement to an existing feature (e.g. more options on Personal Forms), this may be a trigger for you to integrate the latest tools release.  If a feature is brand new, it’s recommended to wait for one (or two) tools releases after that feature was originally released. By doing so, there will be updates that will have resolved any bugs or previous issues within the subsequent Tools Release. 

Timing

A recommended timeline for installing a Tools Release is generally once every two years.  If you over- extend this timeline, you risk falling behind and losing out on the full value of your JDE system.  This two-year time slot allows your organization to “take a breather” from upgrade-mode, while also giving your users the ability to take full advantage of new features from the latest Tools Release.

ESUs and Bug Fixes

Electronic software updates (ESUs) and bug fixes won’t necessarily be properly resolved simply by upgrading to 9.2.  However, since there is no current plan for Oracle to announce another release (e.g. JDE 9.3), it’s important for your business to have a strategy to stay code-current.  Most of the time, you’ll have to install a particular ESU to fix a bug that is impacting your business operations.  

While you can still use that strategy, it is ideal to keep all your objects current so you won’t unexpectedly discover bugs on your own (the bugs Oracle has previously fixed).  We recommend integrating the ESUs into your Tools Release plan to take advantage of the testing that users have already performed and found to be successful.  With a reliable testing strategy during your 9.2 upgrade, you should have the ability to reuse many of the successful testing scenarios and scripts for any Tools Release adjustments and ESU fixes.

Missed Opportunities

During your 9.2 upgrade, you may have performed other tasks during the testing window, such as switching platforms (e.g. AS400, SQL) but were forced to delay other features due to budget/timeline restrictions.  For example, you may have missed the opportunity to change your JD Edwards security password authentication to a single sign-on or LDAP integration routine. Those objectives (e.g. LDAP integration) can still be integrated into your post-update plans.  Don’t let those objectives fall off the radar!  The LDAP integration is definitely a trend you don’t want to miss out on.

You took a big step with upgrading your JD Edwards to 9.2, but there is still more to your journey.  ManageForce is here to help you on your way to leverage these exciting new features by guiding you through the stages with your post-live JD Edwards system.  

As a certified JD Edwards Solution Provider, we are well-experienced to help you learn which new features are best-suited for you and your business.  Drop us a line to learn more about how ManageForce can help you get the most out of these new 9.2 Tools Release features.