J. D. Edwards is claiming that the world of "e-business" is dead, and that enterprise users must go to collaborative, or "c-business."
This means that applications must not just handle basic Web transactions, but complete collaborative processes among companies and their partners, suppliers and even employees, said Edward McVaney, CEO of the enterprise resource planning software vendor. On Monday, McVaney addressed a crowd of analysts and press at the Cipriani function complex in New York City to announce availability of J. D. Edwards' next-generation Web-enabled product, called OneWorld Xe.
OneWorld Xe's ability to be connected to other vendors' products is a key one, according to a report on J. D. Edwards from IDC (US). "Even enterprises that successfully standardized internally on a single application brand . . . have to deal with partners, customers and suppliers that have a wide array of brands."
A number of users testified in videotaped sessions about the need for collaboration as well. "We are dealing with subcontractors, suppliers, clients and owners," said Patrick Thompson, CIO at Turner Industries Ltd., an industrial construction contractor based in Va. "Collaboration is very important to make sure that we stay on schedule, stay on budget and get the project done on time for our clients."
The supply-chain product component included in OneWorld Xe has allowed Coca-Cola Mexico to reduce stock outs to less than 1 percent and minimize last-minute changes in daily programming or production scheduling, said Hector Calva, product and logistics information systems manager for Coca-Cola FEMSA SA de CV.
OneWorld XE includes 300 Internet-enabled components, the company said. Among them are new modules for the OneWorld XE Advanced Planning supply-chain product. One new module handles real-time order promising; the software automatically takes sales-order inquiries and can make suggestions on the best ways to fulfill those orders.