MPW completed one of the largest IT projects in company history at the end of August when a team successfully installed a comprehensive upgrade of JD Edwards (JDE) software.
JDE is a type of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that allows organizations to integrate applications to manage the business and automate processes such as technology, services and human resources.
At MPW, these processes include Finance, HR, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Payroll, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Taxes.
“This was a huge investment by the company in both time and resources,” said Tony Miller, MPW’s Director of IT. “JDE integrates all departments and functions across MPW. By upgrading we are ensuring that we leverage the newest technology to make sure our systems run as efficiently as possible.”
Miller said Applications Support Manager John Kujawa, Application Support Specialist Danny Toler, Lead Developer Tina Sebastian and BI Developer Zach Fountain played key roles in the smooth integration of the upgrade and that more than 50 MPW associates helped test JDE before it was introduced company-wide.
“There are a lot of people to thank for the success of the project. However, we could not have done it without the leadership, dedication and focus of John, Danny, Tina and Zach,” Miller said. “Except for a couple minor issues after the go-live, end users did not encounter any downtime, which was a priority for us.”
Miller said the upgrade offers several advantages over the previous system, which was unable to take advantage of MPW’s enterprise hardware and software.
Miller said additional features of the new version of JDE include: faster processing, memory and storage; access to backup power sources and generators; automated hardware redundancy in case of failure; three copies of automated backups (including one off-site); and real-time monitoring and alerts.
MPW began utilizing JDE in 1992, although it was applied solely for payroll purposes. Three years later, MPW installed modules that allowed the integration of financial, billing, distribution, and maintenance systems. In 2012 the IT Department installed JDE Version 9.1, which served as a major performance upgrade.
“The completion of this project concludes nearly two years of work,” Miller said. “We’re pleased that MPW systems are positioned well for the future. Our next large-scale project is the implementation of ICG’s Electronic Work Orders.”