Advancing J.D. Edwards Apps

QAD Inc., a provider of enterprise applications for global manufacturers, has created a software package for J.D. Edwards' World and EnterpriseOne users who want to stick with their existing systems but not outgrow them.

Businesses using software from J.D. Edwards have three choices: Wait for Oracle to deliver Project Fusion, switch to another vendor such as SAP, or add advanced capabilities to what they already use, says Pamela Lopker, QAD's president and founder. Oracle, which acquired the J.D. Edwards apps in January when it bought PeopleSoft, has launched Project Fusion to develop a set of applications that merge PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards software with its own apps. Individual Project Fusion apps will be available in 2007; a complete suite is due by 2008.

For J.D. Edwards customers looking to adopt advanced manufacturing techniques now, moving to new software might be the answer, says Judy Sweeney, research director at AMR Research. QAD's Lean Manufacturing, SupplyVisualization, and EDI E-commerce apps support vendor-managed inventory functions and advanced production techniques, such as lean manufacturing. These applications are sold as add-on modules that can be integrated with J.D. Edwards' World and EnterpriseOne software.

Metaldyne Corp., a global designer and supplier of metal-based components has integrated its shared service accounts payable functions between its J.D. Edwards and QAD systems, says Jeff Beringer, global CIO of Metaldyne. The $2 billion-a-year company has also integrated J.D. Edwards with QAD's Supply Visualization software. "Currently, QAD would be my choice for a common system," Beringer says. "That said, QAD must continue to improve its offering to maintain its place in an increasingly competitive market."

However, most J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft customers haven't expressed interest in replacing their existing applications, Sweeney says. "The cost of implementing brand-new software can be high," she says. "Companies aren't thinking of switching if their production capabilities are being satisfied by their existing software."