PeopleSoft Financials: Source-to-Settle 9.1 Enhancements

Let’s just put it this way: PeopleSoft 9.1 a hot topic right now.

If our webserver logs are to be believed, a huge portion of our readership is very interested in what enhancements will be in the upcoming release of PeopleSoft Financials 9.1. Well, I am happy to say that Oracle has published the release value proposition and outlined some of the key high level items that will be included as part of this release. Let’s look into them as best we can, because there are tons of questions out there.

To begin with, let’s define what products are included in the source-to-settle process. Many times we hear from customers that they want this functionality, but then realize they do not have the appropriate product footprint to meet their needs.

The suite is composed of the following products, each of which I have attempted to summarize at a high level:

• Purchasing – The core procurement application that provides the baseline functionality
• eProcurement – Enables advanced workflow and Supplier Integration via PeopleSoft Direct Connect
• eSupplier Connection – Enables vendors to login to your supplier portal and look up PO’s, Receipts, Invoices and Payments as well as providing the ability to do acknowledge PO’s and submit Advance Shipment Notices.
• Strategic Sourcing – Allows for collaboration across the enterprise and with suppliers on the source process. This includes RFI’s, RFQ’s, RFP’s and Auction functionality.
• Supplier Contracts Management – This application allows you to track T&C’s of contacts and integrates directly with Purchasing
• Services Procurement – For services focused organization this product provides for the tracking and analysis of resource based services.
• Payables – The core accounts payable application that provides invoice and payment processing functionality.
• eSettlements – enables supplier to enter their own invoices and view key payment information related to them.

Diving a little bit deeper, here is a list of some key enhancement for each product. I have not listed all of them (due to space and attention constraints), but you can always go to Metalink3 to get the PeopleSoft Release Value Proposition for PeopleSoft Financials 9.1 (Metalink3 login required).

Enhancements to Strategic Sourcing 9.1

• Line grouping – This allows the suppliers to selectively choose items on a bid and propose a price base on the group rather than the individual items
• Third party event notification – ability to send notifications of events and their statuses to third-party bid management organizations
• Embedded dashboard analytics providing access to live events
• Introduction of a Bidding Homepage to help supplier better navigate the application

Enhancements to Supplier Contract Management 9.1

• Supplier collaboration for authoring contracts using MS word as well as online
• Ability to import supplier contracts
• Support for Digital Signatures using a free Adobe© PDF reader
• Ability to create PO based contracts
• Contract Cycle Time Tracking
• Ability to create an Executive Summary for a contract.

Enhancements to eSupplier Connection

• Enhancements to the Supplier Self Registration Process
• Supplier navigation enhancements

Enhancements to eProcurement

• PO dispatch via XML publisher
• Enhancements to requisition change requests with change reasons and advanced tracking
• Requisition reports via XML Publisher
• Ability to save direct connect items to favorites
• Support for Trade-ins
• Increased integration into the Oracle Supplier Network (exchange.oracle.com)

Enhancements to Purchasing

• Various Improvements to the Contracting function
• Management of Workflow Approvals, using the Approval framework (THIS IS BIG, as this is the same workflow that is used by eProcurement)
• PO Dispatch via XML Publisher
• Buyer PO Dispatch Signature ability
• Support for Trade-Ins
• New Close Shortage workbench – allows buyers to close POs that have been short-shipped

Enhancements to Services Procurement

• Multi Resource Services
• Enhancements to workflow approvals for Time, Expenses and Progress Logs
• Improved integration with HCM and Talent Acquisition Management
• Ability to retract submittals

Enhancements to Accounts Payable

• Automated Accrual Processing
• Vendor Name History Tracking
• Payment Advices to Vendors for ACH payments via email
• Management of Workflow Approvals using the Approval Framework for Invoices and Vendors.

Enhancements to eSettlements

• Dynamic Discounting
• Support for CXML electronic invoices
• Online 1099 Report

I would love to spend time discussing each of the features in detail, but then this would have been 122 pages long, and if you want 122 pages of this, we’re well beyond blog territory.  Again, you can head to Metalink3 to get the PeopleSoft Release Value Proposition if you want (much) more detail.

Final note: we get asked everyday about PeopleSoft 9.1, and interest is only growing.  I invite you to email me or leave a comment below if you’d like to talk to us about upgrading or implementing 9.1 for your organization.  Requests will be taken first come, first serve, so if you’re interested or just want to have brief conversation about it, contact us ASAP.  We’d love to talk to you, and we’re confident we can help you formulate a strategy around your PeopleSoft 9.1 plans.

Previously:

PeopleSoft IT Asset Management: A Deeper Look
PeopleSoft Maintenance Management: A Deeper Look
PeopleSoft Real Estate Management: A Deeper Look
An Introduction to PeopleSoft Asset Lifecycle Management
Sneak Peek: PeopleSoft Enterprise Portal 9.1
PeopleTools 8.5: A Look Inside

Related whitepapers (PDF):

PeopleSoft Maintenance Management: An Introduction and Overview of Benefits

Related web content:

MiPro Consulting: PeopleSoft Services
MiPro Consulting: Resources