Solutions : J.D. Edwards Software : OneWorld Migration Strategies

Migration Overview

Co-existence

Direct Conversion

Migrating to OneWorld

J.D. Edwards® customers who make the strategic decision to migrate to OneWorld from WorldSoftware will have decisions to make about operational investment. Technical considerations include the possibility of multiple hardware platforms, important database requirements, network and bandwidth issues, and the resources necessary to support the open-system environment of OneWorld.

WorldSoftware customers considering a migration to OneWorld have four options available from J.D. Edwards. These options include co-existence, direct conversion, co-residence, and outsourcing. Each option has advantages and challenges.

Many WorldSoftware customers have spent years operating J.D. Edwards software in a host-centric environment with a stable, predictable, operating system and simple network and communication requirements. And the resources needed to support the production needs of WorldSoftware user communities have typically been readily available. If OneWorld is in your future, consider working with application service provider WTS for a less costly, less complex, and highly predictable migration strategy.

Co-existence as a Migration Strategy

With co-existence, J.D. Edwards has provided the ultimate migration strategy for WorldSoftware customers. Co-existence is WorldSoftware and OneWorld running side-by-side sharing the same AS/400 database. A co-existent architecture is designed to allow legacy customers to migrate to OneWorld at a pace that is planned, scheduled, and within the time frame defined by each organization while not abandoning current software and hardware investments.

With co-existence, users share software features and functionality between the two products. This methodology gives the user an opportunity for OneWorld training, allows departments to continue using pre-existing business processes, and allows changes in information technology to be budgeted and scheduled. The goal is to maintain the value of your investment in technology, time, and training while allowing users to choose the right technology for the right task.

With a co-existence environment, J.D. Edwards customers gain an improved user interface including client, HTML, and Java. They have OneWorld features of user configurability, interoperability with other systems, workflow, and e-mail integration. OneWorld only applications like advanced supply chain, customer relationship management (CRM), business intelligence, and electronic storefronts become valuable new solutions and technologies for doing business.

Making the Jump with a Direct Conversion

With a direct conversion strategy, you are making the decision to deploy J.D. Edwards OneWorld solutions throughout your entire organization, leaving behind the WorldSoftware solutions known by your users. This strategy offers the WorldSoftware customer the opportunity to use all the integrated solutions of OneWorld and a clear upgrade path to the future collaborative functionality promised by J.D. Edwards.

With a direct conversion migration method, the demand placed upon your infrastructure and your staff becomes greater. Legacy data is converted from your current WorldSoftware release level to the latest OneWorld release and to the hardware and database platforms of choice. Organizational planning and budgetary needs include the preparation for new desktop equipment, upgraded and/or additional servers, and improved networks and communications. This strategy is an excellent choice for a company that has goals to change to a new operating platform.

With a direct conversion, users will not continue to use the software features and functionality of WorldSoftware. Time should be budgeted for training users on OneWorld, allowing departments to test and redefine pre-existing business processes, and recreating custom programs in OneWorld.

The potential for a quick implementation and a rapid time to benefit from OneWorld functionality is an advantage of a direct conversion. For this result a detailed implementation project and thorough test plan must be executed to ensure a successful conversion.

GraniteRock's JDE migration story (.pdf format)