J.D. Edwards To Detail How Its Consultants, Partners Engage

At its Focus 2002 user and partner conference, scheduled for June 10--12 here, J.D. Edwards will explain how its new OneMethodology implementation platform will offer techniques for adding CRM and advanced-planning software to existing J.D. Edwards installation frameworks, said Paul Pronsati, vice president of sales and consulting operations for J.D. Edwards, Denver.

Introduced last week, OneMethodology also may bundle services and product licenses under one price, Pronsati said. He declined to provide further details in advance of the Focus 2002 event.

J.D. Edwards acquired several software developers over the past year, and the moves spurred the company to upgrade its implementation methodology, Pronsati said. J.D. Edwards' internal consulting staff, which currently numbers about 1,200, "have one focus point, which is to implement and configure our software," he said. "Sometimes we do that alone, and sometimes [we do that with our implementation support partners," or ISPs, as partners are known internally.

Despite J.D. Edwards' transition to a new implementation methodology, some of the vendor's partners said they don't expect to see changes in the way they conduct business with the company's consulting staff.

Vukan Ruzic, president and CEO of Profit Concepts International, a Long Beach, Calif.-based solution provider, said he "occasionally" does work on customer projects as J.D. Edwards' subcontractor.

"My understanding of the OneMethodology leads me to believe that it will consolidate the overlapping implementation methodologies across product lines into one and, consequently, make the process smoother," Ruzic said.

Capita Technologies works with J.D. Edwards consultants "all the time," said Christopher Gloede, managing director of business development at the King of Prussia, Pa.-based solution provider. "There are many talented people in that pool. We have worked hand in hand as parts of each other's teams for years," he said.

Yet Gloede and other partners said they're still cautious, since relations with J.D. Edwards have been "strained" in recent months. In December, the vendor decided to solicit more consulting business directly and work with about 300 fewer partners.