The JDE Connection

Hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper

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Episodes

127

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

The JDE Connection podcast series, hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper, serves as a valuable resource for the JD Edwards ecosystem. Our mission is to educate and inspire members of the JD Edwards community by conducting insightful interviews with various professionals, including Business Analysts (BAs), CNC experts, developers, and other knowledgeable participants. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of JD Edwards EnterpriseOne software and empower our audience with practical insights and knowledge.

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60 recent

October 27, 202634 min

Episode 126: From 812 to AI: Oh, How Times Have Changed!

In this episode, Chandra and Paul catch up after a week of customer-focused events, sharing insights from JDE user groups and recent discussions about AI, data sovereignty, and the evolving JD Edwards landscape. The conversation focused on the challenges organizations faced with AI adoption, especially around regulatory compliance and data retention, and explored how the rapid pace of technology changes impacts long-term planning and skills transfer within companies. A key theme that emerged was how new AI tools are empowering non-technical users to create dashboards and automations, fostering excitement, and accelerating digital transformation. The discussion also explored changes to the JDE forum at the upcoming BLUEPRINT4D conference. 02:10 Insights from Customers 15:16 Creating tools without coding experience 20:47 JD Edwards Forum Changes 28:56 Midwesternism of the Day

October 20, 202636 min

Ep 125 A Smidge of this, a UDO of that

In this episode, Chandra and Paul welcome Nicole Laurent from Oracle’s JD Edwards product team to discuss the roles, benefits, and guardrails around User Defined Objects (UDOs). They reflect on who should have access to create various types of UDOs, balancing empowerment with risk, highlighting where end users can safely enhance their workflows through tools like queries and watchlists, versus where advanced features like form extensions and orchestrations should remain in the hands of technical or collaborative teams. The hosts emphasize the importance of internal communication, governance, and partnership between business users and IT. 06:00 Introducing Nicole Laurent 09:48 Nicole’s thoughts on who should create UDO’s 13:00 They can’t use what they don’t know about 16:52 More Advanced UDO’s 18:58 Collaboration is key 27:48 Internal governance controls 33:12 Midwesternism of the Day

October 13, 202612 min

Ep 124: No Paul, No Rules, Let's Talk UDOs!

In this week's episode, Chandra flies solo, tackling a frequently debated JD Edwards topic: user access to User Defined Objects (UDOs). Reflecting on a question from the JDE 101 session at INFOCUS, Chandra breaks down which UDOs might be suitable for end users, super users, or business analysts, emphasizing the importance of security, governance, and thorough testing in lower environments before promoting advanced UDOs like orchestrations and logic extensions. 01:23 Marathons and ERP Implementations 04:05 Should all users be able to create UDO's? 09:20 Importance of testing in lower environments 10:58 Midwesternism of the Day

October 6, 202632 min

Ep 123 - INFOCUS Recap: From the Conference Floor to the Living Room

In this episode, fresh off INFOCUS, Chandra and Paul look back at a conference that brought plenty of energy, new faces, great conversations, and a strong reminder of what makes the JD Edwards community special. They share the sessions and customer stories that caught their attention, from AI and mobility to the very human challenge of managing change. Along the way, they dig into some of their biggest takeaways: why successful technology projects depend on bringing the right people along for the ride, why change management can’t be an afterthought, and why AI may be getting all the headlines, but it isn’t always the answer. Sometimes the smartest solution is simply choosing the right tool for the job. 03:45 Excitement and innovation in the community 07:59 Keynote customer stories were a success 11:45 Takeaways from sessions 29:10 Midwesternism of the Day

September 30, 202629 min

Ep 122 - Live from INFOCUS 2026 with AJ Schifano

In this episode, Chandra and Paul are live at INFOCUS 2026 and are joined by special guest AJ Schifano. As AJ enters retirement, he reflects on decades of JD Edwards innovation, community, and fun. The room debates a lighthearted yet symbolic "cut it” or “keep it" challenge about Paul ponytail, culminating in a community-driven decision and plans to donate Chandra’s hair to charity. AJ shares insights on modernization as a moving target, stories from JD Edwards history, and imparts wisdom about the value of curiosity, passion, and inclusivity in tech. 01:00 Conference feedback 02:30 Informal Cut It or Keep It Poll 04:09 AJ talks about modernization 08:22 Questions from the Crowd 25:27 Cut It or Keep It Reveal 27:55 Midwesternism of the Day

September 15, 202636 min

Ep 121 Ope, I still need to customize, now what

In this episode, Chandra and Paul discuss the realities of software customization within JD Edwards environments. They emphasize that while extensibility tools have reduced the need for customizations, some remain necessary for business-specific requirements. The hosts lay out best practices and key dos and don’ts for customizing software, such as following naming conventions, avoiding modifications to base objects and indices, and using customer-reserved system codes. They warn against common pitfalls that can harm performance or data integrity and suggest always adhering to published development standards. 03:52 What’s more important at INFOCUS than Paul’s hair? 09:21 Customizations are a reality 11:58 Object customization best practices 14:03 Adhere to JDE naming standards 15:33 Maintaining data integrity 18:25 Do I need a custom table for a custom application? 21:44 Design for performance when customizing 23:57 Let’s talk about the Don’t Do’s 32:26 Midwesternism of the Day Resources: JD Edwards EnterpriseOne System Extensibility Guidelines: https://www.oracle.com/webfolder/technetwork/tutorials/jdedwards/Tools/system_extensibility_guidelines/system-extensibility-guide.pdf Development Guidelines for Application Design Guide: https://docs.oracle.com/en/applications/jd-edwards/development-tools/9.2.x/eotds/index.html Form Design Aid Guide: https://docs.oracle.com/en/applications/jd-edwards/development-tools/9.2.x/eotfd/index.html Event Rules Guide: https://docs.oracle.com/en/applications/jd-edwards/development-tools/9.2.x/eotev/index.html Development Standards for Business Function Programming Guide: https://docs.oracle.com/en/applications/jd-edwards/development-tools/9.2.x/eotds/index.html

September 8, 202639 min

Ep 120 – When One Automation Leads to Another with Lane Lassetter and Rajan Kaistha

In this episode, Chandra and Paul are joined by guests Lane Lassetter of Interface, Inc. and Rajan Kaistha of RST Solutions to discuss how Interface has leveraged JD Edwards and automation tools to modernize and streamline their business processes. Lane details the challenges faced with manual AP processes and how the adoption of AP automation has significantly improved efficiency and reduced manual effort. The conversation highlights the ongoing efforts to migrate archival systems, automate additional functions such as vendor onboarding and PO approvals, and address customization debt through thoughtful upgrades. 03:56 Introducing Lane and Rajan 06:50 AP Automation, PO Approvals, and Document Archival in Laserfische 12:33 Debt reduction with AP automation 15:52 Selling the business on upgrades 18:12 Challenges of Software Upgrades with Customizations 21:27 Software Upgrades and Adoption 26:52 Importance of Awareness 34:48 Midwesternism of the Day

September 1, 202634 min

Ep 119 – Getting Ready for INFOCUS

Chandra and Paul team up for a walkthrough of the INFOCUS conference agenda. The episode features a rapid-fire preview of keynotes, educational sessions, hands-on workshops, SIG meetups, with plenty of tips for newcomers and regulars alike. Highlights include practical advice for navigating session choices, spotlights on hot topics like AI and automation in JD Edwards. 02:54 Midwesternism of the Day 10:00 Sunday Agenda 10:39 Monday Agenda 16:16 Tuesday Agenda 24:00 Wednesday Agenda Resources: Register for Quest INFOCUS: https://questoraclecommunity.org/events/conferences/infocus/

August 18, 202634 min

Ep 118 - CSPU and 32-bit ESUs

In this episode, Chandra and Paul discuss key updates impacting JD Edwards customers, focusing on Critical Security Patch Updates (CSPUs) and the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit architecture. The conversation explores the reasons behind the shift to monthly CSPUs, including enhanced security in light of rapid AI advancements, and clarifies how patches are delivered, their cumulative nature, and what these changes mean for customers on older releases or 32-bit systems. They provide guidance for those behind on updates, touch on the challenges and misconceptions surrounding migration to 64-bit, and stress the importance of regular maintenance and planning to stay current. 07:31 What are CSPUs? 10:27 Why are we moving to monthly CSPUs? 13:25 What if I'm several releases behind? 16:48 Are these CSPUs 32-bit and 64-bit? 18:38 BLUEPRINT4D 64-bit Announcement 23:25 Web-only ESUs are coming in 2028 26:09 64-bit Upgrades 29:52 MIdwesternism Resources: Critical Security Patch Updates: https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/ JD Edwards Attitude@Altitude: https://blogs.oracle.com/jd_edwards/oracle-critical-patch-update-july-2026-for-jd-edwards Office Hours: https://oracle.zoom.us/meeting/register/I93U-VkYQvKk4O5iumHX9g#/registration

August 11, 202625 min

Ep 117 - Building Long-Term Resiliency with Cindy Edwards

Hosts Chandra and Paul, and guest Cindy Edwards wrap up a multi-part conversation on stress management, joy, and supporting neurodiversity in the workplace. The hosts reflect on practical techniques shared in previous episodes and discuss the importance of joy and laughter for longevity. Cindy introduces the "Healthy Mind Platter" as a tool for daily wellness and emphasizes the need for leaders to accommodate neurodiverse individuals just as they would those with physical disabilities. 06:41 The Healthy Mind Platter 10:45 Supporting neurodiverse individuals 13:40 Mental health awareness 18:43 Starting Strong for Dopamine Reward 21:56 Midwesternism Resources: The Healthy Mind Platter: https://drdansiegel.com/healthy-mind-platter/ Emma McAdam, Therapy in a Nutshell: https://therapyinanutshell.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyinaNutshell