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Explore how JD Edwards Orchestrator simplifies automation and integration across different systems. See real-life examples of JDE integration from experts with real-world JD Edwards knowledge.

What is JDE EnterpriseOne?

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, or JDE EnterpriseOne commonly known as JDE, is an integrated applications suite of comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. It is developed and marketed by Oracle Corporation. JD Edwards offers a wide range of modules and applications to support various business functions.

JD Edwards and Companies

Oracle JD Edwards is used by a significant number of businesses globally, spanning various industries such as manufacturing, distribution, construction, and services.

Oracle, being a major player in the enterprise software market, has a significant customer base for its JD Edwards EnterpriseOne software. The adoption of JDE varies across regions and industries, and many large and mid-sized enterprises leverage JD Edwards EnterpriseOne for their ERP needs.

Is JD Edwards a Good ERP System?

Determining whether JD Edwards is a good ERP system depends on various factors, including the specific needs and requirements of your business. Here are some considerations to help you evaluate whether JD Edwards is a good fit for your organization:

Industry Fit: JD Edwards is known for providing industry-specific solutions. It may be a good fit if your business operates in industries such as manufacturing, distribution, construction, or services, as JD Edwards offers modules tailored to these sectors.

Scalability: JDE is designed to scale with the growth of your business. If scalability is a crucial factor for your organization, JD Edwards’ modular structure and ability to handle increased data volumes can be an advantage.

Integration Capabilities: JD Edwards (JDE) is designed to be easily integrated with other systems and applications. Oracle recognizes the importance of interoperability in the modern business landscape, and JD Edwards provides various tools and capabilities to facilitate seamless integration.

Global Operations: If your business has a global presence, JD Edwards offers features to support multi-language and multi-currency requirements, making it suitable for companies with international operations.

Functionality: Consider whether JD Edwards provides the specific functionality your business needs. It covers a wide range of ERP functions, including finance, human resources, manufacturing, distribution, and CRM. Evaluate whether these modules align with your business processes.

User-Friendly Interface: JD Edwards is designed with a user-friendly interface, which can contribute to faster adoption and ease of use for employees. Evaluate the system’s usability based on the needs of your user base.

Thus, the “goodness” of an ERP system depends on how well it aligns with your business goals, processes, and long-term strategy.

What is JD Edwards Orchestrator?

JD Edwards Orchestrator is a powerful tool within JD Edwards EnterpriseOne suite that enables organizations to automate, integrate, and streamline business processes. Here are key points about JDE Orchestrator:

JDE Automation and Orchestration

The Orchestrator allows users to create and manage orchestrated processes. These processes can automate a wide range of tasks and activities within JD Edwards, such as data entry, data validation, and business process automation. Best of all, it turns a JDE process or form into a REST API endpoint, that can be called to POST or Get data from/to JDE.

JDE Orchestrator Integration Capabilities

JDE Orchestrator is designed to simplify integration between JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and external systems. It supports integration with other applications, databases, EDI and services, enabling the seamless exchange of data and processes.

JDE Web-Based Design Studio

Orchestrations are created and managed through a web-based design studio. This intuitive interface allows users to define, design, and configure orchestrations without the need for extensive coding or scripting.

JDE-Orchestration-tools

JDE Real-Time Event Monitoring

JDE Orchestrator can respond to real-time events and triggers within the JD Edwards system. This capability enables organizations to build responsive and event-driven workflows that react to changes in the business environment.

JDE Orchestrator Interoperability

Orchestrator supports interoperability with various protocols and data formats, making it versatile for connecting with different systems and technologies. It often leverages industry standards such as REST and JSON for communication.

Interoperability refers to the ability of software systems or components to work together, exchange information, and use each other’s functionality seamlessly.

In the context of JD Edwards Orchestrator, interoperability means that the Orchestrator is designed to work well with various systems, technologies, and data formats, allowing for smooth communication and integration.

Various Protocols and Data Formats

Orchestrator is capable of communicating with other software systems using different communication protocols. A protocol is essentially a set of rules that determines how data is transmitted over a network. Examples of communication protocols include HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (HTTP Secure).

Data formats refer to the structure in which data is organized. Common data formats include JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and XML (eXtensible Markup Language).

Integration

Versatility for Connecting

Orchestrator’s versatility lies in its ability to connect and interact with different types of systems and technologies. For example, it can integrate with databases, external applications, or web services.

This flexibility is crucial for businesses that use a variety of software solutions and need them to work cohesively.

Communication

Orchestrator often leverages industry standards like REST and JSON for communication between different systems. This means that when Orchestrator interacts with external applications or services, it does so using established and widely adopted methods and formats.

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications. RESTful APIs are common in modern web development.

JSON is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. It’s often used as a data format for transmitting information between a server and a web application.

Mobile Access

Orchestrator supports mobile access, allowing users to create and manage orchestrations using mobile devices. This is especially useful for organizations with mobile workforces or those looking to manage processes on the go.

Pre-Built Orchestrations

Oracle provides pre-built orchestrations that serve as templates for common business processes. These templates can be customized to fit specific organizational needs, providing a starting point for implementation.

Data Transformation

Orchestrator includes capabilities for data transformation, allowing organizations to map and transform data between different systems or formats as part of the orchestrated processes.

Security Features

Orchestrator integrates with JD Edwards security features, ensuring that access to orchestrations and sensitive data is controlled and secure.

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Common Integration

Here are some common types of systems and applications that are frequently integrated with JD Edwards using Orchestrator:

E-Commerce Platforms

Integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify is common, allowing businesses to synchronize order and inventory data between their online stores and JD Edwards.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Systems

EDI integration is a popular use case for JD Edwards Orchestrator. It enables the exchange of standardized business documents such as purchase orders and invoices electronically, improving efficiency in supply chain management.

Marketplaces

Integration with Amazon, allows businesses to automate the transfer of order and inventory data between Amazon and JD Edwards.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Systems

Integration with Salesforce CRM enables the synchronization of customer data, sales leads, and opportunities between Salesforce and JD Edwards.

Other ERP Systems

In scenarios where businesses have multiple ERP systems, Orchestrator can be used to integrate and synchronize data between JD Edwards and other enterprise systems.

Custom Applications

Orchestrator’s flexibility allows businesses to integrate with their Custom-built applications, providing a tailored solution to meet specific business requirements.

HR Systems

Orchestrator can be used to connect JD Edwards with human resources management systems, ensuring seamless data exchange related to employee information, payroll, and benefits.

Logistics and Warehouse Management Systems

Orchestrator can streamline processes related to inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping by integrating with systems designed for these purposes.

It’s important to note that the suitability of integration depends on the specific business goals and processes. JD Edwards Orchestrator’s flexibility allows organizations to adapt and integrate with a wide range of systems, enabling them to create a cohesive and interconnected IT ecosystem tailored to their needs.

The mentioned integrations are common examples, but the possibilities are extensive based on the unique requirements of each organization.

JD Edwards Orchestrator Services by EDI2XML

Companies often face the challenge of integrating their EDI or eCommerce processes with Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, and this is where integration providers like EDI2XML play a crucial role.

EDI2XML offers a comprehensive integration service that leverages the power of Oracle Orchestrator studio and experienced Orchestrator engineers.

The combination of EDI2XML’s managed services and Orchestrator’s capabilities offers quick development and deployment, transforming integration projects into efficient and streamlined workflows.

EDI2XML supports a wide range of EDI documents and e-commerce platforms, ensuring flexibility and adaptability to diverse business needs. Whether a company needs integration with Shopify, Amazon, BigCommerce, Magento, or any API-ready platform, EDI2XML offers a tailored solution.

With EDI2XML’s expertise, companies can entrust their integration projects to a team that understands JDE technology, EDI, and all the details of an integration project. EDI2XML it is your trusted integration partner to simplify complex processes and optimize Oracle JD Edwards integration. Contact us for a free consultation with one of our integration experts.

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Article written by Pierre Namroud, EDI Integration Specialist & Business Consultant

I had the pleasure of attending Collaborate17, a Technology and Applications Forum for the Oracle community. This opportunity brought together Oracle professionals, integrators, project managers and IT experts from around the world, who all work in different spaces of integration. It was such a great experience speaking with so many Oracle experts and attending educational sessions.

One of the main points of discussion during the various speaking engagements was on the challenges that professionals were facing when it came to integration projects involving EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) as well as eCommerce data to JDE (JD Edwards). The opinions were unanimous in the sense that Oracle still has more work to be done in order to strengthen and simplify integration with legacy EDI protocols and build simpler integration flows for protocols such as X12, EDIFACT, Rosetta Net, etc.

I’m writing this article, in order to share my own expertise as a data and EDI integrator, where I had the chance to be involved in several eCommerce and EDI integration projects with Oracle JDE. Hopefully it will help inform other Oracle professionals looking to overcome some of these integration challenges.

Challenges currently being faced by Oracle JDE professionals

There are many challenges that any JDE professional might see when it comes to data and systems integration with Oracle ERP software in general, whether for on-premises or cloud systems. [As a side note, Oracle’s cloud systems have their own specific limitations that I recently learned about during one of the Collaborate Sessions].

Below, I have listed some of the most common challenges that not only have I experienced in my own projects with Oracle customers but that others have expressed during the Collaborate conference;

  • Oracle’s JDE does not have a seamless built-in integration with all EDI X12 documents “out of the box”.
  • The current integration process for EDI X12, EDIFACT, HL7 or any other data format now happens by writing into transition tables (or Z files) and then triggering a business function to process those incoming data.
  • Even though Oracle’s JDE system supports business functions, some older versions do not support new API functions, which can cause some headaches.

    Looking to integrate your EDI or eCommerce processes with Oracle JDE enterprise one, look no further, since we have the best integration option where we turn your Oracle JDE system into a modern REST API, that receives https requests and acts accordingly. Learn More>


Integration Project Checklist

Before starting an integration project with your Oracle JDE system, I recommend that you go through the following list of questions. This way, you’ll be able to make the best decisions to move forward with development efforts as efficiently as possible.

  • Who are the Business or Trading Partners you want to exchange electronic data with?
  • Which documents (or types of data) are you requested to exchange from your Business Partners? In normal circumstances, they’ll provide you with the necessary documentation and specifications as a road map and for compliance reasons.
  • The exchanged data will be sent under what format or standard/version? (X12, EDIFACT, RosettaNet, XML, custom format…?)
  • What is the protocol of communication used to send the data back and forth between you and your Business Partner? Is it point-to-point, such as AS2 or sFTP?
  • Is a VAN required in order to transport the data?
  • Do you have the necessary expertise to select the appropriate certified communication software (for first time project implementation)?
  • Do you have the necessary expertise in your development team to decrypt and understand the terminologies of legacy EDI formats?
  • Has your team ever done an EDI integration project, that includes a full certification process?
  • How many partners will you be exchanging with? The more partners you have, the more complex the project can become.
  • Check the specs of all of your partners (when possible) to verify the differences in their requirements. It is well known in the EDI integration world that there can be many distinctions and exceptions found per Business Partner and per document. Every EDI project can be unique.
  • What is the lead-time to complete the certification and testing phase with your business partner before going live?
  • What is the volume of exceptions that your development team can currently handle in the project in order to be on time and within budget?
  • Do you have the necessary integration tools to simplify the EDI syntax in order to work with one format regardless of the format of the data you receive from different sources?
  • Is your team coding directly in Oracle JDE native framework, or are you using any efficient integration tool available today?
  • Will you be doing end-to-end integration using Z tables of Oracle JDE, or you are going to use API (or business functions) of JDE?

Recommendations for a Successful Integration Project

As you might have noticed, data integration projects involving legacy EDI protocols or custom data format exchange are not simple. They are projects that need a lot of expertise and experience in data communication and transportation, data mapping and systems integration into Oracle’s JDE system.

Moreover, at most enterprises that we’ve completed EDI integration projects for, it was evident how stretched and overwhelmed the internal JDE development team was in their own day-to-day operations, support and maintenance of the application and were incapable of learning new standards to respect the strict timeline given by Trading Partners. In these cases, they looked for help from an outside Service Provider, such as EDI2XML.

My recommendations for such projects are as follows:

  • Outsource the EDI part of the project to a reliable Service Provider, who is highly focused on service availability and quality, since EDI is quite sensitive. This will allow your team to continue working on their daily tasks and keep doing what they do best (JDE support and maintenance, for example). This way, you’ll have a simplified and streamlined EDI integration process; you build one tunnel between your EDI provider, where they deal with the exceptions, and your own process.
  • In case your company policy requires you to deploy the EDI integration solution on-premises, make sure to use an efficient EDI conversion tool such as our EDI2XML technology that has the capability to turn the EDI documents from X12 format to a human readable XML format, for example.
  • Equip your team with the right tools for data integration such as Magic xpi, which we have been using for many years in our data and systems integration projects. Leveraging such technologies allowed us to integrate anything-to-anything (JDE to SAP, SAP to Salesforce, EDI to any system as examples).

I sure hope I was able to expose the most common EDI integration challenges and complexities and help you to overcome these obstacles with the above checklist and recommendations.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic or any other issue related to EDI integration projects, please click on the image below and I will be more than happy to contact you personally for a FREE consultation.

 

Free consultation ecommerce JDE integration

 

 

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.


The term “eCommerce” is generally understood as the process of selling products and services over the Internet. However, there is much more that happens behind the scenes of an eCommerce Store. Business transactions such as electronic data interchange (EDI), supply chain management and funds transferred are all part of this online store, as it involves the exchange of all kinds of business transactions to keep the business running smoothly. In this article, I will dig deeper into these hidden eCommerce business transactions. To learn more about the positive effects an online store has on a company, read this blog written by my colleague.

Supply Chain Management (SCM)

 Supply-Chain-Management-SCM

In general business terms, SCM is the management of the flow and movement of finished goods from point A, where goods are produced and stored, to point B, where the goods are consumed (final destination).

There are many elements, parameters and interconnecting networks involved in the process of provision of products and services required by the consumer. The challenge with supply chain management is to synchronize the line of supplies with consumer demand and also be able to measure the performance and success rate.

eCommerce & SCM Challenges

In today’s digital world, more and more businesses are embracing the online trade by building electronic stores and creating a web presence to promote and sell their products and services to a wider range of consumers around the world. Due to the revolution of mobility and Internet connectivity, consumers today are much more Internet savvy and are very capable of browsing and shopping online to quickly find the products or services they want. However, in turn, consumers are becoming impatient and request their bought products to be delivered to them in the shortest amount of time. This has created some challenges for e-retailers, such as the following:

  • How to keep the supply chain line full in order to respond to the growing demands and trends of the consumers
  • How to balance between incoming demands and production, knowing that major production facilities today are overseas and avoid a high level of inventory storage and great “over-stock”
  • How to quickly communicate the right business information and requests between the different systems of multiple business partners involved in the supply chain pipeline?

#1 – Use fully integrated software systems

The first tip in overcoming the above challenges would be to use integrated software systems when running an eCommerce Store. Whether it is a small business or a larger enterprise, having one platform to manage and run your business is very advantageous. I have witnessed many enterprises with over 50% of their business coming in from their eCommerce store and they are still keying in information manually. To be efficient, enterprises should be using integrated software systems to manage their eCommerce and retail business.

#2- Integration & Data Exchange (EDI, XML..)

To be able to balance between the demands of products and services coming in from the eCommerce site and the supply chain demands, the best option is to empower the eCommerce platform with EDI capabilities. This way businesses can exchange data automatically in real-time with suppliers and business partners, in order to keep the supply chain filled.

Most of the time, enterprises are not able to change their “legacy systems” quickly and at a low or affordable cost. This kind of project requires a large budget and a lot of resources. Therefore, unfortunately we still find too many legacy systems based on AS400/DB2 and other platforms that are still in production.

At the same token, modern ERP systems such as JDE and SalesForce lack many built-in features capable of exchanging data such as EDI. They offer the gateways for integration (i.e. API, Web Services…) but they expect the company to invest time and effort on integration and data exchange projects.

Read: EDI, XML or Web Services; what’s Best for eCommerce Integration

#3- Adopt Modern Solutions

In order to be able to exchange data electronically, enterprises should invest in modern, scalable integrated IT solutions that are flexible enough to grow with the business. The ideal integration solution should have the capabilities to parse data of different formats (such as EDI, XML, Json, CSV…), translate EDI from one format to another and it should be powerful enough to interact with different systems and platforms.

In addition, a modern efficient integration solution is the one that offers the flexibility to communicate with different business partners, using various modern communication protocols such as AS2, sFTP, Web services, etc.

Is your eCommerce & Supply Chain out of sync?

We often believe that we are sheltered from these common problems and that our IT systems work fine. After taking the time to analyze your business processes a little more you may begin to see some problems or room for improvement. With my 20+ years of experience on the matter, I have seen it all. Start empowering your eCommerce site with the best tools and processes.

 

 

Today’s business environment is full of complex business processes; lead time to deliver, merchandise fulfillment, forecasting and more. On top of these processes, there are constantly new strict regulations imposed on businesses by major retailers, like Amazon, Sears and Wal-Mart. Most often, restrictions are enforced when dealing with data exchange, stock and inventory availability and other compliances.

Top 3 Challenges to Overcome in Salesforce and EDI Integration Projects

Luckily for companies, a diversity of efficient ERP systems, EDI tools and enterprise software applications, such as JDE, Salesforce, SAP, are running businesses of all sizes. Integration between different systems is becoming more than a luxury, it is a necessity. Enterprises of all sizes are making greater efforts to equip their IT systems with the capability to comply with requirements imposed on them by major retailers. One such issue is EDI integration and the ability to exchange and comply with retailer’s requirements. The key is to ensure you have chosen the right technology and the best team to handle the integration projects.

In my previous article, I addressed the major issues related to EDI integration with JDE. In today’s blog, my focus is on EDI integration with Salesforce or any other software CRM application. These projects can be long and costly if not done right, therefore read below to have an efficient, cost effective and solid integration for EDI communication.

What is Salesforce?

Top 3 Challenges to Overcome in Salesforce and EDI Integration Projects 2Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software system. It is very popular amongst enterprises of all sizes as it is best known for its openness for integration. Developers and integrators can read and write data using API and web services. Many companies use Salesforce as a unified tool for leads, campaigns, opportunities and customer tracking.

EDI Integration with Salesforce

Salesforce is simply a CRM system but add-on modules have been developed so users can enter sales orders for clients and confirm processing. However, when it comes down to needing to complete further business processes, which are included in an ERP solution, such as EDI communication, a different approach should be followed. Integrating EDI orders sent by retailers to a CRM user requires further expertise by a team of IT professionals with a solid knowledge of integration and EDI.

Read: Why we love EDI2XML for EDI Integration with JDE (And You Should Too!)

Following are the top 3 challenges that any EDI integration project manager should consider and overcome:

1) The Technology

It is essential in any EDI integration project with Salesforce to be using good technology; that is scalable, flexible and easy to use, with little training necessary. Such technologies exist in the IT marketplace and if properly used, it can be leveraged to save a lot of time, effort and money in the integration process. The ideal tool should be able to interact with XML and Salesforce and all its interfaces (API, SOAP…).

2) EDI via AS2 or VAN

The second issue to consider during an EDI integration project with Salesforce is in regards to the communication protocol to transmit EDI data between you and the retailer. More and more, retailers such as Amazon, Wal-Mart and Sears, are mainly offering AS2 connectivity for suppliers wishing to exchange EDI with them. AS2 is a protocol of secured communication of EDI files from point A to point B. When setup and implemented correctly, this kind of implementation saves a lot of money.

However, most often, companies go with a VAN due to the retailers’ incompliance with AS2. It is difficult to do business with these big players without them enforcing their rule by using the service of EDI VAN to all their suppliers. Therefore, the choice to even go with a third party service provider is not given but it does exist.

3) EDI Translation

The EDI translation and integration into the Salesforce databases is the biggest challenge of all. It truly takes some major evaluation and analysis of the situation before beginning. One major question to consider and ask is whether to do the EDI translation and mapping on-premises or as a service. Of course, it all depends on the company’s budget and the capacity of the company’s IT team and knowledge of EDI communication. Also, another consideration is the type of technology. Nowadays, there are experienced service providers that are capable of taking on the service of:

  1. Receiving EDI transactions from the retailer
  2. Processing the EDI files
  3. Translating the EDI files and integrating it into the company’s Salesforce system

What’s Next?

As you might know, a lot of parameters are involved in EDI integration projects, whether you want to integrate with Salesforce or any other software application. A professional opinion from EDI experts is important and very much needed for any business.

Namtek’s IT & EDI Consultation is free and at your convenience. Do business the right way – contact us today.

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

As an EDI expert, I receive many questions related to deployment of the EDI software. “Should our business go with on-premises or “in the cloud”?” As many business executives are not sure which way to go, I have listed a few questions that will make their EDI deployment decision easier.

Below are the right questions to ask yourself in order to make the best decisions for your company when it comes time to implementing EDI software.

Please note: if your major problem is how to integrate EDI with JDE, please refer to my previous blog entitled, ‘How to Solve the Biggest EDI Integration Problems with JDE’.

1. Do we have the proper in-house EDI expertise?

Before making any decision about how to deploy EDI2XML, Namtek’s EDI conversion solution, or any other EDI software internally, one should ask the very basic question: Do we have an IT professional in-house with a basic understanding of EDI? A basic understanding is all an IT expert needs when dealing with EDI2XML on premises.

2. Do we have the expertise to work with XML?

The second question is of course asking whether your internal IT team has the necessary capabilities and expertise to work with XML and its schemas. An IT professional having expertise in XML is much more probable than EDI expertise. However, never assume, as it is always best to confirm this beforehand.

3. Do we have enough time for our IT resources?

Once you realize you have an in-house IT team with the expertise in EDI and XML, you need to evaluate if they have enough time to handle an EDI implementation project. Many executives underestimate the time and effort involved in EDI communication, especially if their IT team is handling other priority projects and tasks. The same question should be asked if the company does not have an in-house team and has hired outside IT consultants for their day-to-day IT needs.

Read: SaaS EDI or On-Premises EDI Translation Software: What you should know

4. Do we have the necessary IT infrastructure?

Another very important factor to consider before deploying EDI translation software on premises is your company’s current IT infrastructure. If your current hardware and infrastructure cannot support an EDI software solution, then it is time to invest, which can of course add more costs to your project’s budget. Nowadays, many business executives do not want to worry about this and have opted for “cloud-based” software services. Adopting SaaS solutions (Software as a Service) does not require any investment in IT hardware and infrastructure.

5. Can my current ERP software handle EDI integration?

Any time there is an integration project within a company, a crucial question to ask is if your current ERP software (if your company even has one) can handle EDI integration, or any add-on software integration. If your company is still running a legacy software system or out-dated software, with no support and maintenance, integration becomes very difficult. The best way to go for any integration project, including EDI, is to begin with an upgradable and scalable management software solution where integration is easy and quick.

Please review my article about the importance of fully integrated software in a business of any size.

Where do we go from here?

If you’ve answered “YES” to all 5 questions above, then your company is suited for an on-premises EDI implementation process. However, if you’ve answered “NO” to at least one of the questions, then it is best to go with an EDI conversion service that does the complex work while your team of IT consultations take care of the integration with your internal software system. If however you do not have an internal IT team, then simply go with an EDI software solution “in the cloud” with full service. At this point, you wouldn’t need any IT infrastructure or in-house IT team as all you would need to do is hire an outside team of EDI experts to implement and handle the EDI communication. Please check out our EDI2XML as a Service for more information on how an EDI solution “in the cloud” works.

If you need further help in determining what the best steps are for your company, I am be happy to offer my team’s long time EDI and systems’ integration expertise for a Free Consultation.

Free EDI consultation