HCM JDE USER GROUPORCHESTRATOR BUSINESS CASE

Alain de Morais

Project Support Group - JDE Application manager

05/22/2019

OFFICIAL/ORACLE

• Orchestrator enables companies to transfer that data from devices intoactionable business processes in JD Edwards…blablabla…

• Streamlined operations and lower costs…blablabla…

• The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Orchestrator provides the criticalprocessing capability to…blablabla…

FOR THE REST OF US

❑ Simulate a user key strokes through any JDE application (interactiveor UBE)

❑ Return data to 3rd party application (Excel, website, mobile device)

O R C H E S T R A T O R - D E F I N I T I O N

Service Requests / Form requests

• List all actions to be performed on a JDE application and related Row exits orForm exists (user key stroke)

Data request (i.e. Databrowser)

• Simple query on a single table or view.• Similar to Databrowser with Custom Query

• Joining tables is not possible

• Filter criteria limited to Match All or Match Any

• Possibility to Aggregate, Group By

Orchestration

• Series of Service Requests and Data Requests and If/Then/Else

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Service Requests / Form requests - Step 1

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Service Requests / Form requests – Step 2

PROCES RECORDER

• The use of “Form Request” recorder takes away some of the “developermind” required to create one from scratch.

• Small naming changes may be required for the input/output variables.

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PROCES RECORDER

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ERROR HANDLING

• In order to verify the input data, you may require multiple Data Requestsor Form Requests with nested If/Then/Else

• Checking that the input data is in the right format (e.g. date format) mayrequire some “Groovy” development (programming language similar toJava)

• Checking that a first “screen” was executed before continuing theOrchestration may require multiple Data Requests with nestedIf/Then/Else.

EXECUTION OVER A SET OF DATA

• The execution of an Orchestration of a set of data (i.e. Array) can quicklybecome challenging.

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QUIRCKY TOOL

• Nested If/Then/Else caused multiple unexplained errors

• “Output data” is (generally) lost when changing the Orchestration steps.

• Data requests returns dates in YYYYMMDD format while the JDE screensexpect MMDDYY (based on the user executing the Orchestration)

• Multi-language orchestration may be an issue as it relies on the label offields (Address Book vs Répertoire d’adresse)

• Returning the description of a UDC along with the code itself is challengingand may require some convoluted Groovy development.

• 9.2.3.2 is not always compatible with prior releases (e.g. Connector)

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O R C H E S T R A T O R – C L I E N T

TESTING/EXECUTING AN ORCHESTRATION

EXECUTING ORCHESTRATION FROM EXCEL

• Colas ISS home-grown Excel Add-In allows an Orchestration to be executeddirectly from Excel and over a number of rows.

• Similar to Oracle Orchestration Client, the Add-In allows any JDE user withthe appropriate JDE security to execute an orchestration.

• Alternative to the traditional SQL for mass updates as all JDE validationsare performed as in standard JDE Application.

• Fills the gap for lack of header-less application to mass upload data.

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ADDRESS BOOKMASS UPDATE

ORHEADER LESS GRID

MAILING NAME

• During data conversion the mailing name on “some” customers was notupdated correctly.

• SQL update was not the preferred option

• Z processing was cumbersome

M A S S U P D A T E A D D R E S S B O O K

O R C H E S T R A T O R – A B M A S S U P D A T E

• Ensure that AB passed in parameter exists.• Data Request

• Rule (If condition)

• Update AB and return previous description

ORCHESTRATION

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CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT

CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT

ORCHESTRATION OUTPUT

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UNION RATE UPDATEHEADER-LESS GRID

ALTERNATIVE

• In Quebec, the Union Dues are regulated by organization CCQ.

• CCQ makes the rates accessible publicly via Web Service.

• Since they are multiple unions, a given DBA rate needs to be enteredmultiple times in JDE Group Plan DBA set-up.

• Old rates needed to be expired and new rates entered.

❑ Standard JDE does not have a header-less grid.

❑ Even if it had a header-less grid, there is no easy way to expire recordsand it would require heavy Excel manipulation for uncertain result.

P D B A R A T E U P D A T E

• (Citizen-ish) Develop 2 Orchestrations• Inquire current DBA rates

• Update DBA Rates• Service Request to Expire current rates (Requires BA/User knowledge)

• Service Request to Add new rates (Requires BA/User knowledge)

• Excel sorcery (VBA, Visual basic, development)• Retrieve rates from CCQ websites (most of the code had been provided by CCQ

itself)

• Using the Orchestration “Inquire current DBA rates”, place the rates in appropriateExcel columns for visualization (call Orchestrator).

• Using the Orchestration “Update DBA Rates” & data from the appropriate Excelcells perform the updates in JDE (call Orchestrator)

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• 1 week effort, BA + Dev

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• Column A & B are a dump of the Benefit Master table.

• JDE Cells highlighted in yellow need to be update with a new rate.

F08001 New RatesCurrent

JDE Rates

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BEFORE

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AFTER