JD Edwards customers gathered at BLUEPRINT 4D 2025 in record numbers, energized by a powerful keynote that challenged the community to take a bold look forward: Are you running JD Edwards like it’s 2005—or like it’s 2025?

Gary Grieshaber and Paul Houtkooper of Oracle’s JD Edwards team, along with guest speaker Chris Laping, laid out a compelling vision for JD Edwards customers: a future that’s intelligent, autonomous, and deeply human-centered. The keynote blended product strategy, real-world customer stories, and thought leadership, showing how companies are automating, optimizing, and future-proofing their ERP investments.

Culture Drives Innovation

From the start, the presenters emphasized that JD Edwards’ biggest differentiator isn’t just technology—it’s culture. The JD Edwards ecosystem is built on camaraderie, community, and commitment to innovation. “We’ve built something over decades,” said Grieshaber, “a culture based on people and products, where we collaborate, learn from each other, and focus on solving real business problems.”

This people-first approach is what drives JD Edwards forward as Oracle’s highest-rated application line for customer satisfaction—and why customers travel from around the world to connect and learn.

From System of Record to System of Intelligence

Grieshaber and Houtkooper walked the audience through JD Edwards’ evolution, from a traditional system of record to a modern, intelligent ERP. Using analogies like self-driving cars and AI-powered search, they illustrated how the ERP landscape is transforming.

Running JD Edwards “like it’s 2025” means:

• Automating data entry with digital feeds and orchestrations.
• Using AI to move from “alert, analyze, act” to “detect, decide, do.”
• Personalizing the user experience with no-code tools and modern UI enhancements.
• Monitoring and self-healing systems that reduce manual oversight.

The presenters made it clear: staying current with JD Edwards’ annual releases is just the first step. True modernization comes from adoption—putting new features to work to solve real business problems.

Customer Stories That Inspire

Three customer spotlights showcased the different stages of transformation.

Fulton Hogan, a major infrastructure company based in New Zealand, recently re-implemented JD Edwards 9.2 to standardize business processes across a decentralized operation. With a focus on orchestrations, mobility, and advanced cost accounting, the project was supported by a three-part transformation team: technical, business, and change management.

Carpet Court, Australia’s largest flooring retailer, overhauled its invoice processing with OCI AI services and orchestrator—replacing an outdated OCR system and reducing costs by 50%. They’re already planning their next move with generative AI.

Adnams Brewery in the UK turned disruption into opportunity. When COVID shuttered their core pub-based business, they rapidly pivoted to a direct-to-consumer model. By embracing JD Edwards’ digital platform and building a robust API library, they enabled mobile apps, supplier portals, and even disposable, AI-generated applications for targeted needs.

Transformation Is Not a Side Hustle

Author and former CIO Chris Laping delivered a powerful reminder: real transformation requires focus. “Transformation is not a side hustle,” he said. “Don’t ask the same people who built the old system to imagine the new one.” He advocated for lean, empowered “tiger teams” that focus full-time on driving change—and urged organizations to shift from “done with you” to “done for you” mindsets.

The Autonomous Future

The JD Edwards team left attendees with a vision of what’s next: intelligent ERP that transitions from assistive to autonomous decision-making. With each step—driver assist, co-pilot, automated execution—trust in the system grows.

“ERP is no longer just a system of record,” said Houtkooper. “It’s a strategic asset. And AI is simply the next tool, like RPA or IoT, that helps you automate and innovate.”

The Challenge Ahead

The final question for attendees was both simple and powerful: Are you ready?

Whether it’s forming tiger teams, investing in orchestrations, or building your API foundation, now is the time to take action. As Grieshaber closed: “The potential of this autonomous future is too great to ignore. Let’s run toward it—together.”

Want more?

Explore more content and resources to help you get the most from your JD Edwards investment:

• Be sure to check out the BLUEPRINT 4D 2025 Event Hub for presentation slides – available exclusively to Quest members.
• Visit the Quest Learn Library for blogs, how-to demos, and on-demand sessions.
• Connect with peers in one of our Quest JD Edwards Community User Groups to swap stories, ask questions, and share tips with other users facing the same challenges.

Not a Quest member yet? Join today and tap into the ultimate Oracle customer network.