500 attendees. 5800 API Calls. Third-parties showcasing live workflows using JDA APIs. And one JDA AI-powered Supply Chain Platform for the JDA Constellation of developers.

JDA’s “DEVCON” developer conference proves conclusively that there is genuine excitement for the future of open supply chain solution innovation.  With many solution providers declaring that they have created the “platform du jour,” it’s easy to get lost in the platform marketing spin.  How can supply chain leaders separate real business value from platform hype?

Here are four important ways to separate supply chain platform leaders from Platform Pretenders:

1. Foundational Solution Depth – Finding the best answer to the world’s most complex supply chain challenges and opportunities is at the core of JDA’s existence. While there are many platforms in the market for various purposes, JDA is creating a supply chain platform specifically supporting supply chain-centric solutions, based on 30 years of supply chain software experience and over 400 patents. This is an important JDA difference.

2. Openness for Extensions & Innovation – The greatest platform value is derived from the ability to create innovative new capabilities at scale. By enabling an open platform for third-party development outside of JDA, we are enabling an entire ecosystem to drive innovation. This unique platform can sustain customers’ needs today, while enabling the innovation necessary to conquer the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. In contrast, platforms that allow development only by their own developers drive a single-threaded model from which innovation is stymied.

3. Continuous Value Delivery – We all know that celebrating a “go-live” is just the beginning – not the finish line. Driving ongoing value from your supply chain is a journey – one that strives for continuous improvement. Building a supply chain based on a “platform” that is a restricted, black box not only increases supply chain risk, it also begs the question: what happens in the future or when you need further capabilities? JDA’s open platform enables continuous value delivery – rather than a one-time implementation effort to support a go-live that solves only the current problems at hand. JDA’s platform is not a black-box, it’s a user-friendly foundational solution that customers can readily dissect, understand, extend, and apply to drive continuous, game-changing value into the supply chain.

4. Ongoing Supportability and Viability– These days, any savvy developer can create and promote their own “software platform.” But if they don’t have the critical mass to drive third-party innovation at scale, there’s no future in investing in that so-called platform. JDA is unique in providing end-to-end supply chain solutions from planning through execution and for digital-age retail. We have earned the loyalty of thousands of industry-leading customers and partners. The reality is that JDA had more customer organizations actively participating in DEVCON than many competitors have in total, underscoring the strong industry appetite to develop on our platform.

By avoiding Platform Pretenders, the future of solution development and innovation can be bright and exciting for our industry. JDA is listening with intensity to our customers and partners, and the opportunities to build innovative joint solutions are endless. Interested in learning more? Call 833.JDA.4ROI. Be on the lookout for future blogs coming from not just JDA’ers, but more importantly, from ecosystem members of our JDA Constellation!