Business Challenge
When SENCO approached ERP Suites in 2023, their JD Edwards environment was showing its age. They had not completed an upgrade in more than 16 years, and years of turnover had left the business with limited internal knowledge of their heavily customized JDE 9.0 system. Many processes were poorly documented or difficult to trace, and the outdated technical foundation made enhancements challenging. SENCO knew they needed more than just an upgrade, they needed clarity, stability, and a modern platform they could build upon for years to come.
The Solution
In the early stages of the project, SENCO saw an opportunity to leverage ERP Suites’ deep familiarity with their environment. Because ERP Suites was already providing managed services and understood SENCO’s business processes, configurations, and customizations, SENCO requested that the upgrade project also include full documentation of their processes and system usage—something they had never had before.
In addition, SENCO did not have formalized testing scripts. They asked ERP Suites to build and update their test scripts as part of the project to ensure they could validate workflows with confidence both during and after the upgrade. ERP Suites was able to take on both of these efforts seamlessly due to the strong relationship and knowledge already formed through support.
"We were able to form that trust and understanding of their business and then take them through their upgrade, not just as a vendor, but as a true partner, and as an extension of their team."
As the project continued, SENCO saw an opportunity to address more of their operational challenges. They asked whether Scanability could be incorporated into the project to help streamline warehouse operations. Around the same time, SENCO also expressed interest in modernizing their Demantra environment to improve planning and manufacturing workflows.
Rather than delay timelines or return change orders, ERP Suites partnered closely with SENCO to weave both Scanability and a full Demantra upgrade into the existing project plan.
Upgrading to a Modern Foundation
Over the next several months, ERP Suites executed a complete technical refresh of SENCO’s core applications. The team upgraded JD Edwards from 9.0 to 9.2.9, a transformation that not only modernized the system but eliminated years of technical debt and custom complexity.
At the same time, SENCO’s Demantra system was upgraded from version 7.3 to 12.2. This gave SENCO updated manufacturing capabilities and ensured alignment between their planning, production, and ERP systems.
ERP Suites also successfully incorporated Scanability without extending the go-live date, a testament to strong collaboration between both teams.
A Smooth Cutover and a Stronger Partnership
After 11 months of work, SENCO’s upgraded environment went live on schedule. The cutover proceeded exactly as planned. SENCO’s operations resumed the following Monday, and the business was able to pick, pack, ship, and invoice on day one.
In the first few days after go-live, the team monitored system performance closely. As with any major upgrade, a few bumps surfaced, but none lingered. ERP Suites and SENCO worked side by side to address issues quickly, and:
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No high-priority issue remained open for more than a day
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All warehouse operations stayed fully functional throughout stabilization
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The project team maintained clear, rapid communication to keep the business moving
Beyond the technical success, the project strengthened the relationship between the two companies. SENCO now views ERP Suites as a long-term partner, not only for ongoing support but for future innovation. With 9.2 in place, SENCO is positioned to explore new automations, build integrations, and invest in tools that were previously out of reach. The upgrade marked not just a system transformation, but a business transformation.
