Oracle Enterprise Performance Management: Bridge to Fusion Applications
Oracle has released a brand new white paper discussing how Oracle EPM is the bridge to Fusion applications. While the white paper does not contain a lot of specific details, it does provide a nice foundation to begin to outline a strategy if an organization is considering moving to Fusion and either has Oracle EPM or is considering EPM as a method to help move to Fusion. The white paper can be found here, but I’ll take a moment and highlight some of the specifics I found most interesting.
(Below, white paper excerpts are in standard text; my comments in bold italic.)
- Oracle Fusion Applications were built on a foundation of middleware using a service-oriented approach and a common data model. Simplified configuration and a common data model enable a change-once, change-everywhere approach to business. Comment: I can imagine the common data model and a change one change everywhere approach will be very beneficial for changes to reports and dashboards, simplifying that change process as well.
- Oracle Fusion Applications provide a complete set of applications — from human resources and finance organizations to field sales and supply chains. They are based upon a modular approach which allows organizations to adopt what they need when they need it. Comment: This approach has a BI benefit allowing any report, dashboard changes to be integrated in as modules are deployed as opposed to reworking BI across an entire ERP solution. BI can be migrated along with the Fusion apps strategically.
- Oracle EPM solutions can be leveraged as a key enabler or bridge to Fusion applications.
- Oracle Fusion Applications leverage key components and technologies from Oracle EPM solutions – for analytics and reporting.
- Oracle Fusion and EPM applications leverage the same Fusion Middleware technologies
- When the Oracle Fusion Applications become generally available, Oracle will have an FDM/ERPI adapter and the same integration capabilities that exist for Oracle E-Business Suite Financials, PeopleSoft Enterprise Financials and HCM, and SAP R/3 for the Fusion suite as well. This integration capability enables organizations to automate and integrate their management processes using Oracle’s EPM solutions, while integrating financial and operational information from any combination of Oracle Applications Unlimited, Fusion Applications and non-Oracle systems. Comment: Organizations should be able to migrate to Fusion and keep the same level of integration and drill back capabilities.
- Throughout the Fusion Applications suite, analytics and business intelligence are embedded into key business processes through integrated dashboards, analytics on transactional pages, multi-dimensional calculations, decision support and optimization. Oracle’s BI technology is leveraged across the Fusion Applications suite to provide real-time, self-service reporting and analysis directly from the transactional data or against a data warehouse. With Oracle BI embedded in Fusion Applications, users will enjoy seamless navigation between analytics and transaction processing, with role-based dashboards and reports, single-sign on and integration with the underlying meta data. Comment: This will go along way to achieve BI nirvana of BI embedded directly into and as part of the business process.
- Oracle EPM technology is also embedded throughout Fusion Applications including Essbase. Oracle Essbase is seamlessly embedded within Fusion General Ledger to support multidimensional reporting and analysis of GL account balances. Every time a transaction or journal is posted in Fusion General Ledger, the embedded multi-dimensional balances are also updated at the same time to ensure that balances are always in sync and up-to-the-minute accurate. End users can then report and perform multidimensional analysis on this information via Hyperion Financial Reporting and the Smart View Excel interface. Comment: Real-time reporting and reporting of financials utilizing Hyperion tools will have numerous benefits related to data consistency, the ability to trust the data, data quality and overall improved financials reporting.
- Oracle EPM and Fusion Applications leverage the same Fusion Middleware (FMW) Technology Stack such as common security and access management, system monitoring and diagnostics, application server and clustering infrastructure, and application development tools and technologies. Comment: if your organization is already utilizing Oracle EPM, then the move to Fusion from a technology standpoint should have less challenges as common technologies will be utilized.
- In summary, because of many of the items noted above, Oracle EPM solutions can play a role in any of the deployment scenarios Oracle customers are considering.
- If your organization is planning to continue with your current investments in Oracle Applications – then Oracle EPM provides best in class EPM capabilities for your Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft and JD Edwards environments.
- If your organization is planning to incrementally add Fusion applications, Oracle EPM can integrate with and support the management processes across Fusion and Applications Unlimited applications.
- If your organization is planning to migrate to Fusion Applications, Oracle EPM can play a key role in the migration process by providing a consistent financial planning, close and reporting environment before, during and after the migration to Fusion Applications. Comment: I believe the common technology stack will also aid in the migration process.
Questions or comments about this? Still thinking about how Fusion is going to fit into your organization’s plans, regardless of EPM? Drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help in any way I can. Lots of clients are starting to navigate this landscape, and everyone’s learning as they go.
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More links:
MIPRO Consulting main website.
