What JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Release 22 Means for Your Digital Transformation

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Release 22 debuted in October 2021. The most obvious change with that update was the naming convention. According to Oracle, the new numbering scheme was driven by feedback from customers who wanted more awareness of when and how product innovations were delivered. By calling it Release 22, Oracle’s goal was to reflect the continuous innovation they deliver with EnterpriseOne updates. Once you are an EnterpriseOne 9.2 user, you don’t need to upgrade to benefit from the new release. You receive continuous updates through electronic software updates (ESUs) and maintenance packs. With its continuous code line, changes are cumulative, so Release 22 includes all the new apps and tools available.

Fine-Tune Your Digital Transformation

Oracle’s roadmap for EnterpriseOne focuses on three main umbrellas: automation, optimization, and transformation. Each new tool and app update aligns under these goals.

• Automation: The purpose of most automation is to eliminate manual tasks where possible, while also improving the visibility of processes and the chance to act based on real-time or near-real-time insights.
• Optimization: If change is a constant, optimization must also be a constant for the forward-thinking enterprise. This is crucial for a business to be agile and respond quickly to both expected and unexpected changes.
• Transformation: Transformation happens by taking maximum advantage of digital technology wherever and whenever possible. The goal is to better connect organizations with each other and their customers, driven by real-time intelligence.

Let’s explore these three key areas and cover the most notable improvements delivered in the October 2021, January 2022, April 2022, and June 2022 updates to Release 22.

A Closer Look at the Updates

In the October 2021 Release 22 update, app changes included volume level pricing in procurement. The enhancement to the Advanced Pricing modules lets you apply volume-based discounts across multiple POs. This improves accuracy of pricing information and makes purchasing more efficient and cost effective.

Another update is aimed at requirements planning for the manufacturing sector. Action messages are summarized and prioritized to create a real-time supply/demand detail table. Orders can be modified and created within the table. Critical component alerts provide visibility into potential material supply problems, so they can be mitigated.

Tool updates with this release include logic extensions, which allow you to use JDE Event Rules language to create custom logic without the need for a development client or the need to build and deploy a package. Logic extensions help you create business logic to perform operations like string manipulation and calculations. The goal of this change is to keep applications nimble and responsive to changing business requirements. Another tool enhancement includes zero downtime deployment for applications. You no longer need to lock Enterprise Server services to deploy a package, which means zero downtime for your end users. You won’t require user downtime or switching users to new servers. This improves system uptime significantly.

The January 2022 updates to apps included multiple payroll and financial reporting updates for 2021 year-end activities. Another app update included an improved property location map, so users have a more intuitive UI and visibility into property locations.

A tool improvement now allows one-click provisioning on Oracle Cloud Marketplace. This machine image automates the process to deploy EnterpriseOne on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This round of updates also included certification with Apple iOS 15.

April 2022 updates offered a new visual bill of material (BOM). The new BOM comes in a modernized, user-friendly chart format that includes images, item details, and context-based exits to related apps. Logic extensions are again a focus with this set of updates and have been enhanced with the ability to call EnterpriseOne business functions. Analysts can use rules and logic from existing business functions within logic extensions. This removes the technical burden often associated with traditional customizations. Another tool update enables exporting grid data from JDE apps to Microsoft Excel across all JDE supported browsers. Users can export grid data to an Excel macro file as well as continuing support for XLSX and XLS extensions.

The most recent round of updates from June 2022 added tools to aid with digital transformation, particularly around orchestration and added capabilities for Orchestrator Studio. Those Orchestrator Studio updates include workflow layout improvements, enhanced ability to import and export workflows, as well as the ability to create and delete workflows more easily. On the application side, improvements have been made to manufacturing (making the default user Tester when entering test results), financials (adding a currency “off” option), and localization (introduction of Nature of Transaction [NoT] for European Union users).

Next Steps for Both Longstanding and New JDE EnterpriseOne Users

The digital transformation journey in your enterprise likely comprises many small and continuous changes. The new approach to Release 22 and future updates mirrors that journey. The new naming convention recognizes that continuous and incremental innovation is how transformation happens.

If you’re already a JDE EnterpriseOne user, Syntax can help you finetune your JD Edwards solutions. However, if you’re looking to newly implement JDE into your enterprise, the process can be complex and often requires trained professionals to navigate. Syntax can guide you in selecting a cloud solution to run JD Edwards EnterpriseOne or through an on-premises implementation.