Operationalizing AI: A Spotlight on Oracle Fusion Cloud Benefits and HCM 26A

Here is a look at the major innovations for Oracle Fusion Cloud Benefits and the broader HCM suite coming in 26A.

Oracle AI – Transforming the Benefits Experience

The 26A update focuses heavily on streamlining administration and personalizing the employee journey through new Oracle AI agents and Redwood enhancements.

• Oracle’s Plan Fit Agent: This conversational Oracle AI tool is designed to transform the enrollment process. By guiding employees step-by-step through their options, it reduces confusion and decision-making friction, which in turn decreases the volume of HR help desk queries.
• Certification Agent: To help organizations under pressure to maintain compliance, this new agent streamlines benefits administration while enhancing the accuracy of employee certifications.
• Redwood UI Enhancements: Several key improvements have been made to the user experience with 26A, including the expansion of Enrollment Summary Cards on the Redwood Self-Service landing page to 12. Additionally, there are new enhancements to “Get to Know Your Benefits” and Benefits Enrollment Journey tasks.
• Global Accessibility: The 26A release introduces Translation Editor Support for Redwood Benefit pages, allowing for a more localized experience for global workforces.

AI agents, particularly the Oracle Plan Fit Agent, transform the employee enrollment experience by moving beyond mere content generation to acting on behalf of the user based on their specific intentions and goals.

These Oracle AI agents improve the enrollment process in the following ways:

• Simplifying Complex Decisions: The Plan Fit agent leverages conversational AI to deliver a personalized and user-friendly experience. It guides employees through benefits enrollment step-by-step, which reduces confusion and streamlines the decision-making process for the individual.
• Context-Aware Personalization: Oracle AI agents provide attribute-based support, meaning the guidance is tailored to the employee’s unique context, such as their specific business unit or role. This ensures that the assistance provided is relevant and makes interactions with the system feel more intuitive.
• Natural Language Interaction: Through the “Ask Oracle” capabilities, employees can use natural language search to find what they need for enrollment. Instead of hunting through menus or guessing specific system labels, they can use their own words to retrieve information and complete tasks.
• Reducing Administrative Friction: By providing instant, reliable answers to enrollment questions, these Oracle AI agents decrease the volume of help desk queries. This not only benefits the employee by providing immediate support but also frees HR teams to focus on strategic work rather than repetitive administrative questions.
• Seamless Onboarding Integration: While specifically mentioned for onboarding, similar AI-powered agents walk users through every task and resource without the need for “searching or second guessing,” ensuring that all processes remain compliant and high-quality for every employee.

The shift toward “Agentic AI” in release 26A represents a move toward operationalizing AI, ensuring that these tools provide a clear return on investment by making the workforce more self-sufficient during critical periods like enrollment.

Preparing for the 26A Update

To stay informed about these features and their specific “Opt-In” requirements, users should utilize the Cloud Applications Readiness portal. The portal provides access to Maintenance Packs, Product Documentation, and “What’s New” guides to ensure a smooth transition to the 26A environment. By leveraging these tools, HR teams can move from limited use cases to realizing the full ROI of an AI-powered workforce.

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Here is the link to the full content provided by Oracle including the setup requirements:  Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Common 26A What’s New.

Watch the feature overview video here.