If your Company uses JD Edwards version 9.1, you need to decide whether:

1. 1. Nothing will be done;
   2. There will be a movement towards a ERP in the cloud or;
   3. Remains with JD Edwards on-premise or in the cloud, but migrating to Release 23 of the System.

do nothing

Version 9.1 was initially released in 2012, and its support ended two years ago.

Why would companies still be using software released ten years ago and unsupported as the backbone of their company? They believe that the cost and disruption of a migration project outweigh the benefits. In some cases, this has been the thinking, but two trends have made “stopping” a bad decision:

• Cybercrime and ransomware attacks have become a major industry growing exponentially. All software contains vulnerabilities that require patches and updates on an ongoing basis. Each update means that the manufacturer will no longer update a lower version. A system ERP as JDE E1 is a large platform of interdependent hardware, operating system, utilities and application software that require joint updating, turning the patch installation into a significant update project. From the point of view of security, However, keeping older versions of software because the company can continue to operate is no longer a viable option.
• Digital technology is the main driver for companies to better adapt to working and living remotely. The new normal will be adapting to reality, quickly changing to meet or even benefit from it.

In this sense, more recent versions of ERP will provide tools for mobility, integration and cloud computing, artificial intelligence and automation, enabling companies to find and keep new clients, In this way, they can help employees become more productive and economies grow in a more chaotic and rapidly changing world. Remaining on older versions of software makes it difficult to keep up with companies that take advantage of the digital transformation.

So don't use the “do nothing” option anymore. This option increases the vulnerability of security and the risk of business interruption, while at the same time diminishing the ability to compete in a digital world.

Migrating to a ERP SaaS in the Cloud

Switch to ERP SaaS, the second option, is the other side of doing nothing. By default, the solutions SaaS provides the infrastructure, eliminating the need for initial investments in hardware and software, ongoing maintenance costs, upgrading and security.

A monthly subscription replaces the above costs, resulting in a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) due to productivity increases and scale efficiencies and shared costs that cloud vendors provide.

The result is less risk and security enhanced cybernetics. This way, IT teams can focus on improving business rather than keeping the lights on.

Improving IT efficiency has been a well-known criterion for migrating to the cloud, eliminating the risk of obsolescence. However, there are cons to migrating to current SaaS offerings. The offerings for medium-sized and large companies are not fully mature. SaaS providers still have a lot of work to do to bring the full capabilities of an on-premise system to the cloud. In addition, cloud offerings use a model in which the clients are forced to use the “best practices” that the software offers versus the customization option available for the local model. This could create barriers and difficulties for companies that have already invested heavily in customizing their software. ERP, to the point of making it “round” to suit your needs.

Switching to a SaaS model of ERP in the cloud is a powerful trend and a sound strategic decision, but it may take a few more years before it can provide all the resources and flexibility a company needs.

Move to JDEdwards 9.2 Release 23

The third option is to upgrade your system to EnterpriseOne 9.2 Release 23 using an IaaS solution. For the next 5-10 years, owning the JDE software but using it on a cloud infrastructure might be a good strategy.

Strategically, Oracle, like any other software vendor, has already decided that one of the ways of the future is the cloud (as a service) from both a software and infrastructure point of view. So why consider upgrading to 9.2? Oracle has committed to continuing premium support for 9.2 until 2033. They have changed their upgrade model with a continuous delivery approach instead of major upgrades every 5 years. No customer ever wanted to go through an upgrade - they just wanted the result of an upgrade, so this is a big change. Improvements in mobility, automation, optimization and digital transformation will be launched quarterly over the next 10 years. A artificial intelligence and analysis will be a big part of future improvements. Therefore, the roadmap for product 9.2 is still progressing, it is comparable to the solutions in ERP and obtaining these improvements has become much less painful and expensive.

All clients, The JDEs have maintenance and support contracts for the system, so they already have version 9.2, which means there are no JDE software costs for an upgrade.

Users already know the system and business processes, reducing implementation time and costs. Upgrading to 9.2 will be cheaper than implementing a new one ERP and, in some cases, much more economical.

Upgrading to 9.2 may allow time to see which cloud technologies win out without giving up access to the latest application advances that would jeopardize business success and growth. When installing 9.2 on an IaaS solution, the clients can still benefit from a cloud solution in terms of hardware.

This is a viable option to be considered and compared to a solution ERP in the cloud.

The only bad decision is to do nothing and stick with the older E1 version