I have a bachelor's degree in IT and am working as a JDE technical consultant. I have been working on ERP for eight months, but haven't learned much about it. So I am thinking of going for a certification that can help me gain the domain knowledge along with the technology. Could you please suggest some popular certifications for JDE and ERP?

Also, I am confused regarding the future of JD Edwards. I want to do more, but will I be limited because of the dying technology? How safe will it be for a fresher to continue with JDE?

Could you tell me if it is possible to switch from JDE to SAP in the future? Will the companies prefer a JDE technical guy to put in SAP?

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This is a very good question because many ERP professionals are curious about how easy it is to move from one ERP package to another. You would think, since ERP systems are based on similar technologies and business processes, that it would not be too hard to switch from one package to another. However, the reality is that it is not easy to make that move.

Unfortunately, hiring managers have a tendency to focus only on what you've done recently, and, if at all possible, they don't want to train people once they are hired. I personally think that it should be easier to move from one ERP system to another. I've seen consultants do it and prove to me that knowledge in one ERP system does transfer to another if the company will give that person a chance to make the move.

As for the future of JD Edwards, I know a thing or two about that because SAPtips has a sister JD Edwards division ( JDEtips.com).

What I've seen on the JD Edwards site is that Oracle does plan on supporting JDE customers far beyond what I would have expected. If I were a JD Edwards consultant, I would probably stick with JD Edwards and then eventually move into Oracle when the opportunity presented itself (such as a JD Edwards customer moving to Oracle and involving you in the transition). I do think that, eventually, you want to move to either Oracle or SAP; but I think that Oracle might be the easier of the two to break into given the close JDE-Oracle ties. But you might also be able to pull it off on the SAP side.

One strategy that may work well for you would be to get a job as a JD Edwards consultant with a company that is a subsidiary to a larger SAP shop. I have seen this a fair amount on the SAPtips side. We meet companies that decide to move from JD Edwards to SAP because their parent company, which runs on SAP, wants them to make the move.

So, there are ways to move from JD Edwards to SAP or Oracle, but it may take some time to pull it off. I do think it's a good idea for you to move from JD Edwards at some point. The way I would put it is: It's not a crisis situation for you, but one you should look to address in the next few years.

This was first published in June 2006

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