Building e-commerce Solutions with IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards

Transcription

1 Building e-commerce Solutions with IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards e-commerce White Paper Version 2.0 June 2000 Written By: Joe Domaleski CD Group, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

2 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this white paper is to discuss how cutting-edge e-commerce solutions can be built by using IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. 1.2 Overview The emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) as world-wide standards for connectivity have created unprecedented opportunities to provide universal access to a business anytime and anywhere. The term e-business has been coined to connote the transformation of key business processes through the use of Internet technologies. It can be viewed as the union of traditional Information Technologies (IT) with the universal access offered by the Internet. E-Commerce is a subset of e-business that is specifically concerned with the buying and selling of goods on the Internet. E-Commerce is usually facilitated through the use of a company web site, which can be viewed as a public, virtual representation of a company that is accessible around the world by anyone with a web browser. The straight-forward, attractive graphical user interface (GUI) provided by web browsers makes it feasible to provide instant, easy-to-use access to company web sites. Internet technologies are often used to transform key business relationships. The creation of an internal company web site, called an Intranet, can provide employees with instant access to company information. This accessibility can empower employees to be responsive as opposed to reactive to business problems and to anticipate business situations. Using the Internet to enhance communication with business partners can help move a company's suppliers from independence to interdependence. Finally, providing 24 hour access to a company through its web site can help develop lifetime loyalty from customers who would otherwise simply view the relationship one transaction at a time. 1.3 Business Opportunities e-business offers a wide variety of opportunities and an array of growth potential for both new and existing businesses. The business potential of the Internet lies in the fact that companies can now tap into the largest mass market in history. Using a small capital outlay, businesses can maintain a 24-hour, world-wide presence to potential customers, distributors, and partners. Some of the key opportunities for e-business include Access to a lucrative market Dynamic delivery of products, services, and information Convenient access Economical means of conducting business 2

3 1.4 e-business Lifecycle The movement from a traditional business to an e-business usually occurs in four distinct phases, called the e-business Lifecycle. During each of the four phases, a company takes concrete actions to use Internet technologies to reach specific business goals. During the first phase, Web Publishing, a company typically establishes its initial web presence through the creation of a static web site that provides basic company information. The establishment of a company web site and external access provide a new communication medium to transmit company information and for receiving feedback from users. The Internet has become an essential business tool, like the telephone, and in order to be competitive, companies must adopt an Internet strategy that includes a web presence. The second phase, Data Access, occurs when a company provides direct access to corporate data through the web. Internal systems can be configured in such a way that meaningful data is extracted and displayed in an easy-to-read format for internal and external users. Establishing the link between the web site and the internal systems of a company implies some form of integration or linkage between the two systems. Providing access to data allows the web site content to be dynamic and responsive to the information needs of the web site user. When a company provides Web-based transactions, then it has reached the third phase of the e-business lifecycle. It is during this phase that e-commerce occurs. Typical transactions that occur on a web site include order entry, order status, and other buying and selling activities. While an e-commerce site could be a stand-alone activity, the real business value obtained from the site is when the site is connected to the back-end ERP system for total e-commerce automation. This white paper is specifically concerned with the integration of WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards ERP software. The fourth phase of e-business growth is reached when a company truly uses the web to Fundamentally Change the Business. In the first three phases, a company merely emulates existing business practices using web technologies. When a company models core business processes with the web in mind, it truly exploits the full business value offered by Internet technologies. 1.5 J.D. Edwards ERP Software J.D. Edwards (JDE) World Software are best-of-breed ERP packages that run on solid computing platforms. Divided into a series of integrated suites and modules, JDE is designed to provide a comprehensive set of applications to manage information within a business. 3

4 1.6 IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite is a set of integrated software components that provides a solution for businesses to sell goods and services through an electronic catalog on the Internet. This out-of-the-box solution gives companies the ability to start simple and grow fast, a key requirement for most e-commerce sites. The WebSphere Commerce Suite system comes complete with catalog templates, setup wizards, and advanced catalog tools to easily build effective and attractive e-commerce sites. WebSphere Commerce Suite is ideal for both business-to-business and business-toconsumer applications and integrates seamlessly with a company's existing business systems to protect IT investments. 1.7 MQ Series The IBM MQSeries Family of middleware provides an open, scalable, industrial-strength messaging and information infrastructure that enables enterprises to integrate business processes by connecting their key business applications. MQ Series is the technology of choice to connect an e-commerce site with an ERP system, facilitating true integration between web technologies and legacy applications. 1.8 e-integrator for J.D. Edwards The e-integrator for J.D. Edwards is a specialized product developed by CD Group, Inc. that provides seamless integration between IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite software and J.D. Edwards' World software. e-integrator for J.D. Edwards allows customers to e- commerce enable their existing J.D. Edwards environment by processing order information to and from IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite. This white paper will discuss how to integrate your IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite site to J.D. Edwards ERP systems using the e-integrator for J.D. Edwards. 2.0 e-business Requirements 2.1 Overview Before a business makes the move to e-business, and specifically, e-commerce, it is imperative to understand the overall corporate vision and goals so that the web site presents an accurate virtual representation of the business. Typically, an e-business Readiness Assessment is performed to review the business, document key process flows, identify corporate strengths and weaknesses, assess market opportunities and threats, and re-state corporate interest in e-business. Because an e-business initiative potentially affects every functional area of a company, it is imperative to have buy-in from the key business executives to ensure e-business success. 4

5 2.2 Functional Requirements When offering e-commerce to a target market via the web, a business should be very specific in the functional requirements for facilitating the buying and selling of products and services. As a business matures from Phase II to Phase III of the e-business Lifecycle, e-commerce takes a dominant role in the shaping of the company web site. Typically during Phase III, the business processes that are already in place to accept orders are simply mirrored on the e-commerce site. It is not until Phase IV that a business begins to change the business process to match the technology. This paper will focus on a Phase III approach that leaves the business process intact and simply makes it work on the web. The first step in defining the functional requirements for the e-commerce site is to revalidate the existing sales process and make sure it will work the same way using a web site. One of the most important considerations in reviewing the sales process is to understand the target market. Key questions to ask are Who is my target market? What do they have in common? Why would they want to buy on the Internet? What are the major steps in the sales process? What is the competition doing? What impact will e-commerce have on existing sales channels? Once a thorough review of the sales process is performed, specific areas of functionality may be identified to suit the needs of the target audience. Generally speaking, e- Commerce is broadly divided into two different categories of users: Business-to- Consumer and Business-to-Business. 2.3 Business-to-Consumer e-commerce When most people think of e-commerce, the first model that comes to mind is the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) scenario. Generally speaking, a B2C model is found when products are sold to consumers who will personally be using them. Many consumers do not know what they want when they arrive at the e-commerce site. An attractive, intuitive user interface and site design is a key consideration for the B2C model. Key considerations for a B2C model include Good shopping experience most important Attractive user interface Easy-to-use contextual help Personalizations Straightforward, efficient functionality 5

6 2.4 Business-to-Business e-commerce One of the greatest e-commerce revenue opportunities is expected to occur in the Business-to-Business (B2B) scenario. In this model, products are being sold to other businesses, possibly even resellers. Key considerations for a B2B model include Efficiency most important Online catalogs specific to each business Fast, easy-to-use navigation Interface with other businesses Special pricing considerations Special shipping considerations Special payment considerations 2.5 Process Flow Shopping in an online store is very similar to shopping in a conventional store. E- Commerce sites allow users to browse catalogs, view and compare product information and pictures, select products for purchase, indicate personal choices such as color or size, make product or service purchases, pay for products and services selected for purchase, and specify preferred shipping. A typical shopping trip consists of the following steps: To browse, shoppers click their way through the store's various departments (categories). On a product page, when shoppers decide to select an item, they click a link to add the item to their online shopping cart. This page lists the item and any previously selected items (shoppers select quantities later, when they prepare the order). Shoppers can add items to their shopping cart, and remove items, until they are ready to order. Shoppers can compile an electronic address book for frequently used addresses. If the person to whom they want to ship the order is in the address book, they simply enter the nickname they have identified for this person. To prepare an order, shoppers enter a shipping address or select one from their address book, and then select the items and quantities they want to ship from their shopping cart. Then, the WebSphere Commerce Suite system checks the database, and displays the most up-to-date price. It then requests payment information. Once shoppers have entered all the information on the order forms, they click a button to place the order. 6

7 2.6 Technical Requirements After the business requirements have been defined for an e-commerce project, technical requirements are identified in order to implement the site. Some of the key technical considerations might include Security - What security measures are in place to ensure safe, discrete transactions? Privacy - What steps have been taken to ensure customer privacy? Integrity - How is data validated? Performance - What is the average response time for web based orders? Scalability - Once the site gets heavy traffic, how can it grow? Usability - Do customers find the site easy-to-use and useful for their needs? Maintenance - What ongoing site maintenance is required? Popularity - How do I attract and retain web customers? 3.0 e-commerce Methodology 3.1 Overview The IBM e-commerce Methodology is a reliable, proven framework for planning, designing, implementing, testing, and deploying e-commerce technologies. While the methodology itself has many features in common with other large project methodologies, there are many e-business specific areas that it addresses. The WebSphere Commerce Suite Methodology is broken down into five distinct phases that have a specific contribution to the overall objective of completing the project. The five phases are Phase I - e-business Planning Phase Phase II - Requirements Phase Phase III - Design Phase Phase IV - Implementation Phase Phase V - Testing Phase Phase VI - Deployment Phase In some cases, phases I and II may be combined to address both the strategic and tactical aspects of the project at the same time. 7

8 3.2 e-business Planning In a typical day-to-day business, there are many processes that must occur before a customer can take home a product purchased from a merchant. Many of these processes have very similar counterparts in an e-business environment. However, similar does not mean same. The purpose of e-business Planning is to highlight the differences in these processes as well as to examine other details that could affect the overall success of the e- Business project. 3.3 Requirements Phase The requirements phase is perhaps the most important phase of the entire project plan. After all, it is the foundation upon which all of the other phases are built and developed. In this phase, it is time to consolidate all of the considerations identified during Phase I into a meaningful set of requirements on which the rest of the project plan will be based. 3.4 Design Phase The design phase relies heavily on the output of the requirements gathering phase. On the basis of this information, an architect can proceed with the design. Essentially, the architect must make informed decisions regarding the hardware and software technologies to be used and outline in detail how the various components in the design interact. 3.5 Implementation Phase In previous phases, the project was planned, requirements were gathered, and the design was created. This phase is responsible for taking all of that information and constructing the actual online store that shoppers will access and use. The implementation itself, may occur in several sub-phases. Typically, the integration connection between the e- Commerce engine and the back-end ERP system is one of the last pieces to be implemented. It is imperative that the e-commerce site and the back-end ERP system be fully functional, before implementing the link between the two. 3.6 Testing Phase In the previous four phases, the project was planned, requirements were gathered, the design was created, and the site was implemented. Skipping or minimizing this part of the development cycle could have a severe impact on both the quality and delivery time of the site. Since the target audience of the site will have direct contact with the user interface, the consumer will more than likely assume that the quality of the site reflects the quality of the company. 8

9 3.7 Deployment Phase In the previous five phases, the project was planned, requirements were gathered, the design was created, and the site was implemented and tested. In the deployment phase, the developed application is moved into a high-performance, secure environment. Certain application settings that were applicable during the implementation and testing phases may have to be adjusted in order to work in the production environment. This is the "go live" phase. 4.0 e-integrator for J.D. Edwards 4.1 Overview of the e-integrator The purpose of the e-integrator for J.D. Edwards is to provide robust connectivity between IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards World ERP software through the use of MQ Series. The e-integrator is a complete software package built using a series of WebSphere Commerce Suite Overridable Functions, WebSphere Commerce Suite integration programs (C++ and Java), and J.D. Edwards integration programs (RPG) that perform the integration of transactions through MQ Series. 4.2 ERP Integration Issues When implementing a connection between a commerce engine, like WebSphere Commerce Suite, and a back-end ERP system, such as J.D. Edwards, there are several key integration issues that will determine the nature of the connectivity. The technical integration issues may include Method of data transfer - technically how is the data transferred between systems? Access control on transfer - how is access controlled? Correctness of data - where does data validation occur? Possibility of manual entry - what happens when transactions are keyed in manually? Timeliness of data synchronization - how often is data synchronized? Completeness of data - what ensures complete transmission of data? 9

10 From a business process flow perspective, there are several functional areas that usually dictate the nature of the ERP integration. The functional integration areas often include Product database Customer database Inventory levels Pricing Tax Computation Shipping Order processing Order status The e-integrator addresses each of these technical and business issues in such a way, that robust e-commerce sites can be built using a combination of IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite, MQ Series, and e-integrator for J.D. Edwards. The open architecture and scalability of the e-integrator for J.D. Edwards make it the ideal choice for businesses that want to offer e-commerce functionality, while leveraging their current investment in J.D. Edwards. 4.2 Architecture The major components of an e-commerce site are depicted in the picture below: 10

11 The e-commerce engine is IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite. This software has the following components: Web server - used to display web pages to users WebSphere Commerce Suite Administrator - used to build and manage an online store WebSphere Commerce Suite Server - used to control the WebSphere Commerce Suite system DB2 - used to store information about products, customers, and transactions Payment Manager - used to process payments The following picture depicts an integrated e-commerce site using WebSphere Commerce Suite for the commerce engine, J.D. Edwards for ERP, MQ Series for connectivity, e-integrator for J.D. Edwards for integration. This example depicts the order create portion of e-integrator. The J.D. Edwards ERP application provides all of the functions necessary to run a business, but here are some of the key functions relevant to e-commerce: Financial Suite - general accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets Distribution Suite - inventory, forecasting, logistics, MRP, pricing, shipping, taxes Manufacturing Suite - configuration management, capacity planning, shop floor. 11

12 The conduit between WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards is a combination of the MQ Series middleware and the e-integrator for J.D. Edwards. MQ Series is an industry standard application which is used for moving data between different computer systems. It provides the following functions: Guarantees message delivery between different applications and different platforms. Intelligent routing of messages The e-integrator provides the following technical functions: Initial data population of the WebSphere Commerce Suite product database from the J.D. Edwards database. Item Categorization and hierarchies Reformatting of predefined WebSphere Commerce Suite messages into a meaningful format for J.D. Edwards Posting of WebSphere Commerce Suite messages into the J.D. Edwards Z- File for processing Capturing of order status changes in J.D. Edwards and posting them to WebSphere Commerce Suite Ongoing updates of product and item price and availability Incremental addition of new items to WebSphere Commerce Suite e-catalog database tables Access to real-time pricing at an item level and an order level, by using direct calls to J.D. Edwards Advanced Pricing routines Access to real-time availability at an item level and an order level, by using direct calls to J.D. Edwards inventory routines 4.3 How It Works Given the architecture described in the previous section, an illustration of a typical purchase transaction demonstrates how the entire e-commerce system works. Business To Consumer Model 1. Customer logs onto a company web site and proceeds to navigate to the online store. 2. Once the online store is displayed, the customer proceeds to browse the product catalog. The catalog data is displayed using information from the WebSphere Commerce Suite database, which is downloaded by a user initiated import process (e.g. weekly, monthly) from the J.D Edwards system. 3. When the customer sees an item of interest, he can check the price of the item within WebSphere Commerce Suite. Pricing information is updated as part of the mass import process, which can be run at the user s discretion. 12

13 4. When customers select to purchase an item, it is placed in their shopping cart with the other items that they have selected. 5. When customers finish shopping, they select an option to check-out. WebSphere Commerce Suite will calculate the order total including tax and shipping charges. Once the customer has approved the total amount, a credit card authorization request will be sent from WebSphere Commerce Suite. 6. Net. Commerce will notify the customer that the credit card was approved, that the order has been accepted and that he will be receiving a confirmation. 7. Net. Commerce will pass the order directly to J.D.Edwards using MQ Series and TCP/IP. 8. J.D.Edwards will receive the order and post it through Sales Order Processing using the Z-File process. Business To Business Model 1. Dealer logs onto a supplier web site using a dealer identification code and proceeds to navigate to the online dealer store. 2. Once the online store is displayed, the dealer proceeds to browse the product catalog. The catalog data is displayed using information from the WebSphere Commerce Suite database, which can be regularly downloaded from the J.D Edwards system. If the dealer knows the exact product identification code, the dealer may enter it directly and have the product displayed. Navigational shortcuts are typical of B2B sites. 3. When the dealer sees the item of interest, the dealer can check the base price of the item within WebSphere Commerce Suite. Base price changes are posted to WebSphere Commerce Suite when the mass import process is called. A dealer may make a request to view discounted pricing for the item as well as current availability. 4. When dealers select to purchase an item, it is placed in their shopping cart with the other items that they have selected. 5. When dealers finish shopping, they select an option to check-out. If real-time pricing has been activated the dealer will see a screen with his/her discounted pricing and availability by item. WebSphere Commerce Suite will calculate the order total including tax and shipping charges. Depending on the complexity of special pricing and shipping, the calculations for these functions may be directed to JDE for processing. Once the dealer has approved the total amount, an order will be sent from WebSphere Commerce Suite. 6. Net. Commerce will notify the dealer that the order has been accepted and that he will be receiving a confirmation. 7. Net. Commerce will pass the order directly to J.D.Edwards using MQ Series and TCP/IP. 8. J.D.Edwards will receive the order and post it through Sales Order Processing using the Z-File process. 13

14 4.4 e-integrator Features and Functions E-Integrator is a business-rule driven system that permits the client to customize many optional features without the need for additional programming. Specifically, the e- Integrator for J.D. Edwards is designed to provide the following functionality: Flexibility to select which items from the J.D.Edwards inventory should be available from E-Commerce and to group like items into similar catalogs. Ability to facilitate credit card authorization on either WebSphere Commerce Suite or to pass the order through to J.D.Edwards for authorization on the AS/400. The e- Integrator does not perform the authorization itself, but works with existing authorization packages. Ability to calculate tax on WebSphere Commerce Suite or the entire order can be passed to J.D.Edwards to interface to be priced by a 3rd party package on the AS/400. Ability to calculate shipping costs in WebSphere Commerce Suite or the entire order can be passed to J.D.Edwards to be priced by a 3rd party package on the AS/400. Ability to periodically update price and availability as well as add new items. Gives the shopper the ability to perform a real-time request for their discounted pricing and item availability for a single item and for the entire order. E-Integrator will populate the WebSphere Commerce Suite product database with item, item description and pricing from the J.D. Edwards database. E-Integrator also facilitates item categorization. WebSphere Commerce Suite orders will be reformatted, passed to the AS/400 and posted into J.D.Edwards using the Z-File process. Order confirmations will be posted on WebSphere Commerce Suite, once the order has been posted into J.D.Edwards. Order status information (shipped, backordered, canceled, pending) will also be posted to WebSphere Commerce Suite as the order changes within J.D.Edwards. Order status is posted at the detail level via and at the order level via MQ Series. Ability to access approximately 120 additional JDE Z-File processing fields in WebSphere Commerce Suite. 14

15 5.0 Putting It All Together 5.1 Software Requirements In order to successfully build an e-commerce site using IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and JDE, the following software requirements must be fulfilled: IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite 4.1 Pro (Windows NT) or IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite Pro for AS/400. J.D. Edwards World software MQ Series e-integrator for J.D. Edwards 2.0 NetScape Web Browser with Java extensions 5.2 Hardware Requirements In addition to the software requirements, there are specific hardware requirements that must be met in order to build an e-commerce site. These hardware requirements will depend on the deployment configuration selected by the user. At a minimum, the following hardware is required to run JDE and WebSphere Commerce Suite: AS/400 - Required to run the e-integrator IBM NetFinity Server with 1Gb RAM, 10Gb DASD, CDROM drive, Pentium 466MHz or greater 5.3 Deployment Options There are several configurations available for deploying an e-commerce site using IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and J.D. Edwards software. The particular configuration selected by a company will depend on the following factors: Expected site traffic Volume of transactions Current resources available Computational needs for order processing Technical expertise to manage and maintain 24 hour visibility Communications infrastructure Disk capacity to hold web files and graphical images Many other factors 15

16 Some of the typical deployment configurations in use for e-commerce sites include the following: Web Hosting - This configuration uses an external resource, such as IBM Global Services or a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) to host the web site and manage the day-to-day operations of keeping the site up and running. Connectivity can be established directly to the JDE application using MQ Series via a dedicated communication line. An AS/400 must be used to run the e-integrator. WinNT to AS/400 - This configuration requires a Windows NT PC Server to host the WebSphere Commerce Suite engine and web site, while using the J.D. Edwards application on the AS/400. MQ Series is used to connect between IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and the AS/400. The company maintains responsibility for ensuring web site uptime and availability. AS/400 - One popular configuration is to host both IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and JDE on one or more AS/400 midrange computers. This option typically leverages the current investment in the AS/400, while exploiting its strength in providing high availability and scalability. Connectivity is still maintained by MQ Series using this option. 5.4 Implementation Scenario Now that we have reviewed the e-business opportunity and the exciting technology behind e-integrator, how does a business get started with e-commerce? The first step is a business-wide commitment to e-business. As we have seen, e-business touches every area of a business from finance, operations, and IT to marketing, sales, and distribution. Once the commitment has been obtained from each key business executive, an e- Business Readiness Assessment can be performed to determine where the company currently stands with e-business and determine where exactly the company wants to go with its e-commerce site. The output of the e-business Readiness Assessment is used to feed the Requirements and Design phases of the e-commerce project. During this key planning period, critical business questions must be asked while a viable technical solution has to be found to provide answers. The 1,2,3 combination of IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite for e- Commerce functionality, J.D. Edwards World/OneWorld ERP software for business functionality, and the e-integrator for J.D. Edwards to connect the systems provides the best-of-breed architecture for building your e-commerce site. After the architecture is assembled, specialized teams of business and technical professionals work side-by-side to implement and test the e-commerce solution. Building an industrial-strength e-commerce site using technologies like MQ Series and the e-integrator for J.D. Edwards, a business can be assured that they are not only protecting current IT investments, but are also building an open solution that will be used in years to come. 16

17 Once the implementation is complete, testing is performed to ensure the e-commerce site and the ERP integration points work according to specification. Once the testing is complete, the site can be deployed so that it has visibility to existing customers, prospective customers, employees, and business partners. Site reviews and updates should be performed on a periodic basis to ensure that web content is accurate, fresh, and relevant. 6.0 Conclusion E-Business holds the promise of offering companies a new way to reduce costs, reach new customers, enhance relationships with existing customers, empowering employees to become more productive, and facilitating better relationships with suppliers. By merging Internet technologies, such as IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite, with existing Information Technologies, such as J.D. Edwards, businesses can exploit the market advantages of e-commerce, while preserving investments in current IT resources. The e- Integrator for J.D. Edwards is the integration tool of choice for linking IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite with J.D. Edwards in order to build a competitive e-commerce site. 17

18 About the Author Joe Domaleski is a Senior Project Manager for CD Group, Inc. His specialty is managing large-scale e-business projects that involve providing e-commerce integration into J.D. Edwards ERP enterprises. Mr. Domaleski regularly speaks and writes about e-business for a wide range of audiences. Prior to his work with CD Group, Inc. he was the Data Processing Manager for Henry County, Georgia, the sixth fastest growing county in the United States. Mr. Domaleski has been involved in Information Systems Management for over 12 years. He has a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University and a B.S. in Mathematics/Computer Science from North Georgia College and State University. Mr. Domaleski is also an IBM Certified Solutions Expert in e-commerce. CD Group, Inc. is a J.D. Edwards software services firm located in Norcross, GA. The firm employs over 140 consultants and specializes in J.D. Edwards ERP solutions, systems integration work, and e-business solutions. For more information about the e- Integrator for J.D. Edwards please visit our web site at 18