Oracle JD Edwards IoT Orchestrator: A Practical Example

Oracle recently launched a new integration tool for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne: the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Internet of Things Orchestrator (from tools release 9.1.5.5).
What exactly is the Internet of Things (IoT), and what could it mean for your business?

The Theory

The concept of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) can seem abstract. According to Wikipedia, IoT refers to a future where devices operated by humans—like desktops, tablets, and smartphones—become a minority on the internet. Instead, smart devices, also known as embedded systems, will form the majority. Everyday objects become “connected,” able to communicate with people and other objects, and even make autonomous decisions. Currently, more than 9 billion devices are connected to the internet, and this number is expected to skyrocket to hundreds of billions.

And the Orchestrator?

The term “orchestrator” literally means “arranger,” someone who adapts a musical piece for a different performance. If we replace “person” and “music” with “system” and “data,” the concept behind the IoT Orchestrator becomes clear: this tool converts incoming data from the internet into a format that JD Edwards can process. How and when the data is processed is determined by four components in the IoT Orchestrator:

White List: This component checks if the data comes from an approved device.

Rules Engine: Rules are set here to determine what actions should take place based on the received data.

Cross-Reference: This component defines relationships to translate incoming data into usable information for the system, such as converting a sensor ID into an item number.

Service Request: This component manages requests, such as those to a JD Edwards application or email service.

The Practical Case at Trek Bicycle Corporation
A proof-of-concept was conducted with the IoT Orchestrator at Trek Bicycle Corporation, the world leader in the production and distribution of bicycles and bicycle components. What was the practical case?

The (brand) stickers placed on bikes at the end of the assembly process are stored in racks in the warehouse. These are non-stock items, meaning no inventory is tracked for them in the system. Inventory management was simple but risky: warehouse employees periodically counted the stickers in the racks and emailed the purchaser when new stickers needed to be ordered. Due to the long lead time for stickers, there was a risk (no sticker = no bike).

Using the IoT Orchestrator, Trek aimed to reduce this risk and automate the manual tasks (counting, notifying the purchaser, entering purchase orders). The following solution was implemented:

• A sensor was placed on each rack.
• The sensor sends the rack height in centimeters to the IoT Orchestrator over the internet.
• When the height falls below the reorder point, the sensor ID is converted into an item number.