A Special Note for SAPtips Readers from Andy Klee, Publisher of SAPtips and JDEtips

Managing Editor's Note: We don't get to hear from the JDEtips side of the house that often, so when Andy volunteered to share a few words, we saved a column just for him. In today's ERP world, you never know when you're going to run into a different ERP system in a different division of your company.  There's not much choice: we have to find a way to get along—we do, in fact, have a number of subscribers who use both ERP systems and both publications. Those who enjoy SAPtips should know: we owe Andy a lot. Andy provided the model we used to build the SAPtips services that so many readers rely on. We couldn't have done it without him, and Andy still drives us forward with his vision of helping companies really get some bang for their ERP buck. He does make fun of SAP sometimes, but that's to be expected from a JDE^® lifer who is also an Oracle partner. The truth is that SAP^® can use a bit of good-natured ribbing. Deep down, I can tell that Andy respects what SAP has pulled off in the ERP market. And now that he has SAPtips, he has the best of both worlds: he can root for SAP without having to switch his loyalty away from JD Edwards^®. Without further ado, heeeere's Andy:

Question: What Do You Call a Journal When the Software Keeps Changing Hands?

Answer:  JDEtips!

We started JDEtips in mid-2000, and at that point I was a “guy with a 4-page newsletter”.  Early on, our first advertiser told me “Everyone loves tips, so you are sitting on a goldmine.” I think he was right—everyone does love our tips.  The goldmine part—we’re still working on. 

In my previous 10-year (1989-1998) career working for JD Edwards, in addition to client implementation work, I also enjoyed setting up internal training sessions for the field consultants so that we could share all our favorite techniques and learn from each other about the latest and greatest features in the new release. 

JDEtips began as a way for me to reach out to a broader audience to share the knowledge.  I wrote all the content for the first few issues myself. 

Along the way, we made some great decisions such as allowing unlimited readers for any client subscription, and deciding to cover as many modules (or submodules in SAPese) as possible in each issue.  We also expanded the writer base, since, after a few issues, I had given away all my best tips. 

As a long-term JDEddie, I learned early on that SAP was impossibly complex and expensive.  I also learned in 1996 that JDE was getting killed by SAP, as SAP’s revenues doubled from $750 Million to $1.5 Billion in one year.  JDE was four years late getting to market with its client/server version, OneWorld^®. 

One of the best decisions we ever made was to start SAPtips with the help of Jon Reed.  (I didn’t even know how to pronounce SAP correctly, but Jon clued me in fairly quickly!)

How have we evolved?  I’ve become a student of “logology” and would like to point out the evolution of our JDEtips logos: 

1.  This was the logo until Summer, 2003.

 

2.  This was the logo during the PeopleSoft reign. Shortlived.

  

3.  It took a real act of will to not use this logo when acquired PeopleSoft.

 

4.  We’ve come “full globe” so to speak, and we’re back to the original logo now.  We’re here to stay, and so is our logo.

If anything, all the changes in ownership have actually been good for us.  Clients see JDEtips/Klee Associates as a steady partner in an ever-changing ERP landscape. 

And you never know when the forces in the ERP world are going to collide next. A few months ago, we started offering HelpDesk services to JDE clients.  Within a few weeks, we expanded this service to include full-scale Maintenance services as well.  In a surprise move, SAP bought out our primary competitor, TommorrowNow, clearing the way for many JDE clients to come to us for regulatory updates (W2s, 1099s, etc.), bug fixes, and enhancements.  Several of our HelpDesk clients are actually converting to SAP, so we’re passing the baton to Jon’s group for those clients.  I guess I can say that we are heading towards becoming “ERPgnostic”, and that we are seeking ways to maintain the relationships we have developed by offering additional services.  Eventually, my vision for ERPtips.com is that it—and Klee Associates, Inc.—be a recognized leader in recommending ERP solutions, and supports 5-10 ERP packages. 

Returning to the present day, it’s hard to believe that JDEtips and SAPtips provide fulltime employment to nearly 20 staff, and that we have over 30 additional consultants that we are keeping busy every week with consulting and training at various client sites.  Or maybe it isn’t hard to believe, since we go out and find the advanced knowledge that clients need, so it is a logical step to have our consultants and trainers come onsite to help implement SAP and JDE. 

I know that some of you use JD Edwards software at the division level, so if you would like to check out the JDEtips Journal, get in touch with our subscription sales person, Mark Downs.  Mark can be reached at Mark.Downs@ERPtips.com.  If you subscribe to both SAPtips and JDEtips, I’m pretty sure that Mark will be able to “MarkDown” the price. 

And finally, thanks for your patronage of the SAPtips Journal and for inviting us to provide trainers and consultants to assist you in expanding the value you get from your SAP software—your confidence in us is a tribute to the great team Jon Reed has assembled. 

Andy Klee, Publisher and President

Klee Associates, Inc.