For the past ten years, I have been blessed to be involved in leading Oracle Cloud ERP implementations across success management, product development, business value realization and project management roles. Part of the value proposition for Oracle Cloud ERP is that cloud implementations should be cheaper & faster to implement. Oracle has made a material investment in providing guidance & resources for cloud implementations.
However, many Systems Implementation (SI) partners and customers do not know about these resources. A key challenge is that these resources are not communicated well and there is no guidance on when to leverage these resources during an Oracle Cloud ERP implementation.
As part of my value-add to the greater Oracle community, I would like to share the guidance I use as part of leading Oracle Cloud ERP implementations. This is a first in a series of articles to highlight key resources and how to best utilize during an implementation.
Setting the Context – Implementation Methodology
For this exercise we will utilize Oracle’s Unified Method (OUM) for cloud implementations.
Disclaimer: You must have an active My Oracle Support (MOS) account to access many of the reference materials listed. We will focus only on key content that adds the most value during the implementation.
Phase: Service Startup
The customer’s IT organization does not need to wait for the SI partner to start preparing for their Oracle Cloud ERP implementation. It is important that the customer understands ALL of the service entitlements available to use. Too often, I have noted that SI partners do not perform a comprehensive job in knowledge transfer and enablement for IT organizations. This gap can create a longer-term dependency that counters the ERP cloud value proposition.
| Artifact | URL | Audience | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting Started with Your Implementation | Link | Cloud Services Admin, SI | Brings you to 4 key areas: Learn what is new with update, understand your solution (User Docs), join communities, start your subscription. |
| Browser Requirements for Oracle Application Cloud | Link | Cloud Services Admin, SI | Customers are advised not to assume that a platform, device, or release is supported if it is not listed on this site. |
| Oracle Fusion Applications Cloud Instance Strategy and Global Single Instance Guidelines | Link | Cloud Services Admin, SI | Instance Management advice from Oracle A-Team. |
| Service Administrator Action List | Link | Cloud Services Admin, SI | Checklist for cloud service enablement. |
| Oracle Applications Cloud Service Entitlements | Link | Cloud Services Admin, SI | Overview of the technical services, such as environment refresh and environment usage assessment, that you can request for your Oracle Applications Cloud. |
| SSO Enablement for Oracle Cloud | Link | Cloud Services Admin, SI | This document provides information about the Single Sign-On service entitlement and instructions on how to enable it. |
| Oracle Partner Finder | Link | Customer PMO, IT | Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) streamlines the customer’s experience in finding the right, certified SI partner for their implementation. |
Cloud service activation is the first step in the customer’s journey to the cloud. Make the most of this one-time opportunity by investing time in reviewing the above content.
Phase: Project Design
Effective project planning and design requires a clear understanding of how the customer’s business model will change with Oracle ERP cloud. Second, reviewing “known issues” (which is a reality with any ERP cloud service provider) will enable you to plan with “eyes-wide-open”. Being able to quickly find relevant information increases the likelihood of reference/use.
| Artifact | URL | Audience | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning Cloud Service Implementation Leading Practices | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Leading implementation practices. I was the original author (shameless self promotion). |
| Multiple Pillar Oracle Cloud Implementation Best Practices | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Leading implementation practices for Financials/HCM deployment. I was the original author (shameless, once more). |
| Fusion Applications Business Process Models | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Business Process Maps in Visio. |
| Cloud Known Issues and Update | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Covers both Cloud Updates and Functional Known Issues. |
Information Center: Cloud Financials | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | One-stop for My Oracle Support Knowledge Documents, Troubleshooting Guides, FAQs. |
| Information Center: Cloud Procurement | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | One-stop for My Oracle Support Knowledge Documents, Troubleshooting Guides, FAQs. |
| Information Center: PPM | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | One-stop for My Oracle Support Knowledge Documents, Troubleshooting Guides, FAQs. |
There has been a shift in where project plan and design activities are performed. In an effort to reduce implementation costs, SI partners are utilizing their presales teams to develop the project plan and design during the sales cycle. Unfortunately, many presales teams have limited to no implementation/delivery experience. Utilizing the above resources will help to highlight potential challenges.
Phase: Configure & Build
From a historical perspective, ERP implementations can cost between 3-5 times the cost of the software. A key value proposition for ERP cloud services is to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Oracle has made an investment in general configuration blueprints that should be utilized to minimize configuration efforts and mistakes.
| Artifact | URL | Audience | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record to Report Enterprise Structures Best Implementation Practices Blueprint | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Key considerations and best implementation practice recommendations for Record to Report enterprise structures. |
| Order to Cash Enterprise Structures Best Implementation Practices Blueprint | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Key considerations and best implementation practice recommendations for Order to Cash enterprise structures. |
| Procure to Pay Enterprise Structures Best Implementation Practices Blueprint | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Key considerations and best implementation practice recommendations for Procure to Pay enterprise structures. |
| Asset Enterprise Structures Best Implementation Practices Blueprint | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Key considerations and best implementation practice recommendations for Asset enterprise structures. |
| Oracle Fusion General Ledger Hierarchies: Recommendations and Best Practices | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Best practices of maintaining and publishing the account hierarchies. Account hierarchies are used throughout Oracle Fusion General Ledger for creating financial reports, Smart View ad hoc inquiries, |
| Security Reference for Oracle Financials Cloud | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Out-of-the-box seeded roles for financial users. |
| Rapid Implementation Troubleshooting Guide | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Troubleshooting known issues found while using Rapid Implementation spreadsheet feature described in Oracle Financials Cloud guide. |
| Oracle Financials – View Financials Reports and Analyses | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | List of all Delivered Reports and Analyses with report samples |
| Financials Report Sharing Center | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Sample Financials Cloud OTBI and BI Publisher reports are posted by the community in response to real life reporting requirements. |
| Setup Instructions for Printing in the Cloud | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Assist Cloud Applications customers with printing directly from the cloud to a on premise printer. |
| Oracle Integrated Invoice Imaging Guide for Cloud | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Scanner Specifications for Invoice Imaging To Automatically Scan And Capture Payable Invoice In Oracle Fusion Cloud. |
| Ideas – Financials | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Oracle Cloud Customer Connect – Financials Ideas (requests) from customer base. |
From a PMO perspective, I would encourage the project team to reference the above resources as part of their configuration design. Important to note that Oracle Support utilizes these same resources as part of their troubleshooting activities.
Phase: Validate
This area is an opportunity for Oracle to make additional investments as there are missing resources (ex. test cases). I observed that several SI Partners continue to perform “manual entry” of configurations versus using the Functional Setup Manager (FSM) tool. I admit freely that initial FSM releases lacked in several areas, but it is now a reliable tool that mature SI Partners should adopt.
| Artifact | URL | Audience | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Verify Data Conversion Results | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Guidance on how to verify Oracle ERP Cloud Service data conversion results using delivered reports. |
| Migrating configurations from Test to Production | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Guidance on how to utilize Functional Setup Manager to move/promote configurations between Oracle ERP cloud environments. |
| How to Report on Users and Roles Assigned to Them | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | How to generate a report that lists all users and their assigned roles. This report is not seeded in Oracle Cloud Applications. |
| ERP Cloud Service Checklist | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | It is created to provide some guidance; however, it is not intended to be a comprehensive list. |
| Execute Enterprise Structures Setup Report | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | You can validate your enterprise structures configuration using the Enterprise Structures Setup Report. |
| Diagnostic Tests for Financials | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | You can validate specific Financials configuration using the Enterprise Structures Setup Report. |
| Diagnostic Tests for Procurement | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | You can validate specific Procurement configuration using the Enterprise Structures Setup Report. |
| Diagnostic Tests for PPM | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | You can validate specific PPM configuration using the Enterprise Structures Setup Report. |
The above resources will not replace the detailed project artifacts that the SI partner should create (testing plan, cutover plan). However, these resources can minimize errors due to manual entry and act as a checklist to ensure completeness.
Phase: Realization (Go-Live)
Don’t reinvent the wheel if you do not need to build it. Leverage the Performance Questionnaire and Best Practices guidance to minimize the “back-and-forth” communication with Oracle Support.
| Artifact | URL | Audience | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle ERP Cloud Period Close | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Recommended period close procedures for Oracle Cloud. |
| Oracle ERP Cloud Receivables Close Checklist | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Oracle Cloud Receivables Period Close Checklist. |
| Performance Questionnaire and Best Practices | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Walks the user through the steps to collect initial information regarding Performance issues in Oracle Cloud Applications. |
Phase: Update
I will highlight one artifact that should be part of your update plan:
- Oracle Cloud Applications Removal of Functionality or Features. This does not happen frequently, but it is a possibility with any maturing ERP cloud service.
| Artifact | URL | Audience | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Readiness for Oracle Cloud Apps | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | One stop site for all Oracle Cloud quarterly updates. New Readiness App to filter on relevant documentation. |
| Update Guide | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Oracle best practice checklist for updates. It is comprehensive so you will need to tailor for your service offerings. |
| Oracle Cloud Applications Removal of Functionality or Features | Link | SI Partner, Customer PMO | Not frequent but it can happen. Best practice is to review at part of your update planning. |
Lagniappe – Best Practice Configurations
During my implementation journey, I have always looked for opportunities to gather/harvest Oracle ERP Cloud Financials configuration best practices from several resources and conversations with consultants, product leaders, and SI partners. The majority of this content is out there on the internet – it just takes hustle to gleam and consolidate these practices into a useful context. Following is a summary of the best configuration practices gathered thus far.
In addition to the blueprints referenced above, I would encourage the project team to reference the above resources as part of their configuration design.
Summary
An effective PMO should provide advice and guidance on how to effectively utilize vendor resources. Oracle has made an investment to further promote cloud implementation success. Understanding how to best utilize the above resources is a key competency for SI partners and Oracle Cloud ERP customers.
Leave a Reply