Look, we’re all late at some point or another. I was late to a call yesterday because I couldn’t find the end of a brand new roll of toilet paper and just ended up batting at it like a cat for an embarrassingly long amount of time before finally just ripping the roll to shreds like a kid tearing into a present on Christmas morning (for the record, I do not recommend using this as an excuse for tardiness; it sounds really dumb when you say it out loud. Come to think of, it sounds really dumb when you write it out too, but I’m committed now, so let’s just ride this out together).
Anyways, lateness happens. One thing you don’t want to be late for? Getting up on the latest JDA Enterprise Planning tools. Since I’m sure you’ve all had just about enough of me, I’m going to hand it over to Violet Jaramillo, who’s going to tell you everything you need to know about JDA’s Planning Environment Manager.
JDA Enterprise Merchandise Planning 8.0 & PEM
by Violet Jaramillo, Sr. Solution Architect
What is PEM and why is it important to me (and to you)? The Planning Environment Manager (PEM) is a tool that was introduced in Enterprise Planning 8.0 that’s used to configure and maintain a planning environment. Before we dig into the more important question of “why is it important to me?”, let’s take a look at the evolution of configuration tools used to set up a JDA planning environment:
RAPID
- Introduced circa 1996.
- The RAPID methodology was used to implement a “best-practice” planning system in Arthur Merchandise Planning. It assumed a plug and play format and the implementation cycle was fairly short, within 6 months.
- RAPID utilized a MS Access database. For implementations that required some modifications, the configuration team would update the access database.
Mid 1990’s to 2005 (the no-name years)
For implementations that were more complex than the base RAPID package, the configuration team would create scripts from scratch that would build the planning environment as well as automate planning processes.
This type of configuration did not allow for standardized scripts and the implementation could be lengthy based on the business requirements.
Toolkit
Introduced circa 2005
The Toolkit is conceptually similar to the RAPID methodology. It is based on best-practice planning processes and can be implemented as a plug and play.
Files and scripts were developed and bundled to be used as a starting point for implementations. The implementation team could use Toolkit out of the box to build a planning environment without building the scripts from scratch.
The Toolkit does not utilize a MS Access database and it can be modified with proper training to develop more complex planning environments.
Planning Environment Manager (PEM)
Introduced with Enterprise Planning 8.0 – Dec. 2011
PEM is a GUI that is layered over the Toolkit
The configuration team use the GUI to create the planning environment without having to manually find, open, and modify each Toolkit script.
Since PEM is GUI based, it facilitates the learning curve for the planning administrator to maintain the planning environment.
The Planning Environment Manager configures the following areas of the planning environment:
Server Retained Features (attributes)
Member Combinations
Planning Processes
Business Units
Plan Formats
User Access
PEM, the latest evolution of the Enterprise Planning configuration tools, is not only efficient and time-saving in the initial implementation; it also allows your planning administrator to more easily maintain the environment.
If you are considering upgrading to Enterprise Planning 8.0 for all the new and nifty front-end functionality, keep in mind that PEM is part of the package, and to quote Martha Stewart “it’s a good thing!”
Violet Jaramillo is a Merchandise Planning domain expert with 15+ years of expertise in JDA’s Enterprise Planning solution.
Isn’t she great? Violet’s so great I feel like she’s probably a member of the Illuminati, which means she probably has Beyoncé’s phone number. They probably text each other on the regular. Probably.
