Keeping Your JDE Project from Going Off the Rails

There are so many factors to consider during a JD Edwards project: from deciding what type of upgrade works best for your company to choosing a consultant. But there is one important aspect of the project that many organizations often overlook. JD Edwards expert Andy Klee recently posted about the importance of this commonly forgotten aspect. Read on to find out what it is.

You know the drill, you've done it several times before. Whether it's a major upgrade (like 9.0 to 9.2), or adding new locations or modules (for example, manufacturing), or even a brand new install of JDE, there's a process to get from A to Z. At a high level, it probably looks like this:

Now, I can't claim to be totally objective, but it seems to me there's a key step missing from this list. I'll give you a chance to think about it before I reveal what I think it is.

Keep thinking...

I know you have actually spent a few seconds figuring this out...

And the answer? At least my answer is...

Training! What happened to training? Did you fall for the old Systems Integrator line? "You don't need formal training, we'll work with you side by side instead."

Or this one? "We'll be here after go-live to make sure the knowledge gets transferred."

Project team training upfront, before the prototyping phase, is essential for project success. Imagine getting all the key players from both IT and the business in the same room, for several days of detailed hands-on exposure to all the functionality you are implementing. Although the focus is on covering the entire set of functionality, the opportunity is there for many sidebar discussions about which functions you will actually implement and how those will be applied to your requirements. Those discussions are incredibly valuable.

And end user training is equally as important, prior to go-live. End user acceptance of the solution is always much higher when they are trained, and not left to figure it out on their own, post-go-live.

So, keep your project on the rails, include training for your team, and you'll avoid catastrophe, keep your sanity (almost), have a better handle on the curves that are undoubtedly ahead, and ensure a smoother arrival.