R12 Upgrade Approach

and

Lessons Learned

Brian Pellot, AXIA Consulting

Agenda

• Introductions

• R12 Example Projects

• The Upgrade Project

• Lessons Learned

• Major R12 Module Changes

Please ask questions!!!!!

The Speaker

Founded in 2005, AXIA Consulting is an firm made up of Senior

Consultants averaging 15+ years of Systems Integration

experience.

AXIA has a core group of Oracle consultants currently working

with 6 clients in the region. AXIA also provides strategic

business services, project management and systems integration

services.

Brian Pellot is a senior consultant with 14 years of experience

implementing and upgrading the Oracle Applications. He is also

a past president of OVOAUG.

Current Status • Where is everyone now?

• 11.5.10

• Earlier versions

• What modules?

• Financials

• Supply Chain

• Manufacturing

• How long have you been on Oracle?

• >2 years

• >5 years

• >10 years

• Who has been through an upgrade (i.e. 11i)?

• Why upgrade?

• Support

• New functionality

• Implementing additional modules

R12 Overview

• Oracle’s Major Release after 11i• Various versions have been release semi-annually

• R12.0 thru 12.0.6 and 12.1.0 to 12.1.3

• Bug fixes

• The R12 versions have functional enhancements and changes

• Major Enhancement• Centralize functions that were common amongst modules

• User Interface changes

• More Web-based look-and-feel

• Common Data screens and functions moved to java framework

• Suppliers

• Customers

• Technology Changes – JRE instead of JInitiator

R12 Projects Industry` Public, Regional Ohio

Utility ($3 Billion)

Industrial Equipment

Manufacturer ($500 Million)

Large Steel

Manufacturer ($2 Billion)

Location Dayton, OH Mason, OH West Chester, OH

Versions 12.06 12.1.2 12.1.2

Timeline 9 months 6 months 9 months

IT Staffing

(FTEs)

2 Internal

8 External

5 Internal

4 External

2 Developers

2 Internal

3 External

1 Developer

DBAs 2 Internal Outsourced / Hosted Outsourced

Scope 12 Modules: Financials, Supply Chain, HRMS

18 Modules: Financials, MFG, Supply Chain, HRMS

3 Modules; Financials

Custom

Objects

~300 custom objects,

7 complex interfaces

~500 custom objects

Minimal interfacing

~100 custom objects

Moderate interfacing

Down

Time

70 hour upgrade window 69 hour upgrade window 48 hour upgrade window

Issues 90 patches, 269 issues logged, 811 test scripts

50 patches, 145 SR’s, 418 issues logged

45 patches, 120 SR’s, 214 issues logged

The GOAL

Don’t mess it up!

• Availability

• The system will be available on Monday morning.

• Shortest possible downtime.

• Business Continuity

• On Monday morning everyone can do their job.

• At the end of the period, the business can close the books.

• Have system on Oracle R12

The Approach

PlanTest Upgrade

Test

Repeat

CookbookSteps

Patch List

Issues

Production Upgrade

Multiple practice rounds determine correct steps

and patches to ensure a successful upgrade.

More rounds => Less Risk

Sample Plan

Lessons Learned Project Management

• Agree on scope upfront

• Maintain a “parking lot” for items to be considered after go live

• Maintain an issues list

• Maintain awareness of ongoing 11i Production support changes

• Intermediate milestones

• Weekly DBA meetings

Project Schedule

• Ensure that the project phases and milestones are aligned with important business considerations such as quarter end/year end

• Set expectation that going-in schedule is subject to change

• Build in a contingency month if possible

• Initial phase was a “bug hunt” to try and find obvious glitches – try to navigate through and test basic functions

• Subsequent upgraded environments serve as “Pilot” systems to help finalize R12 setups and resolve any bugs

• Following “Pilots”, perform formal tests with business users

Lessons Learned

Custom Objects

• Many will need to change

• Many of the changes will be minor

• Some will be rewrites

• All need to be tested thoroughly

• Some will work with old data but not with new

Testing

• Ensure you have comprehensive test scripts to cover all processes

• Involve the business team – creating test scripts and executing

• Test with “old data” (that was upgraded) and new data

• Be aware of how Subledger Accounting data is converted

• Don’t assume anything – each upgrade iteration brings new 11i data

• Establish a test lab with PC’s so that business team can participate in a focused environment

• Test standard and custom report printing

Testing Flow

Test

Patch

Process Change

Cookbook Step

IssueUsed in Next

Round

Cookbook

Cookbook Steps

• Well documented

• Assigned

• Timed

Lessons Learned Patching

• Take the most recent CPC (critical patch collections) proactively at the start of the project

• Evaluate timing of other CPCs and new releases as the project progresses

• Track every patch applied in every environment

- you won’t want to take all of them forward

- Important to know what’s where if you have more than one instance

• Set a “patch freeze” date prior to the cutover event

• Be aware of patches for a single bug that might contain additional bug fixes. If “one off” patches are unavailable, you must re-test all affected files.

• List of specific patches for specific issues can be provided

Training

• Depends on number of users, number of testers, use of modules

• Some modules had no training – HR

• Some had full classroom training – AP, Inv

• Some fell in the middle – GL, AR

• Some do remedial training

Lessons Learned If you have interfaces consider this carefully! Oracle will be (partially) down.

Interface Plan

• What systems will be affected by downtime?

• Linked systems

• Interface files to those systems.

• ODBC links/users – turn them off – The DB will be up!

• Process every file and every transaction

• Once and

• Only once

• Will there be format changes or program changes?

• Mitigate the impacts

• Assign specific actions for each interface

• Who will process files?

• When will the files be processed?

• Who needs to know about what affect to what systems?

Lessons Learned Cutover Event

• Cutover planning starts early in the project

• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate –• No surprises

• Assume nothing

• “Cutover Plan” - instructions should be detailed enough that others could do the steps

in someone’s absence

• Assign the steps – consider passwords and responsibilities (security)

• Practice the steps with each technical upgrade

• Time the steps, automate if possible using Dataloader, SQL, FNDLOAD

• Develop communication plan, fallback plan, 24x7 contact list (including key third-party

vendors), Go/no-go decision support

• Allow time for business team to do some basic testing before the system is open for

business on the first day after cutover

• Manage the impact to interfaced systems (inbound and outbound)

This is what we’ve

trained for people!

Lessons Learned Experience

• Companies considering an upgrade have experienced Oracle Application teams.

• Find someone experienced with the upgrade.

• The upgrades get quicker and less risky as more upgrade experienced people

become available to help.

• Experienced people should provide a head start.

• Cookbook

• Patch lists

• Key risk areas – what to test first

• Coding change examples

• XML Template examples (checks and other payment documents)

• Templates for other project deliverables

• Project plan

• Impact documents

• Starting points for cutover plan

Results

Project Issues Log

AP, Payments Other Modules

Applications Patches

AP, Payments Other Modules

12.0.6 project - 35 Oracle Service Requests (SR’s) for AP/IBY modules

The number was much less for the 12.1.2 project.

1 in every 6 issues Almost 1/3 of patches

STATISTIC – AP and Payments modules comprised a large portion of

the project issues and patches.

New in R12

1919

Bank

Model

Tax Engine

InterCompany

General Ledger Ledger & Ledger Sets

General Ledger Ledger & Ledger Sets

Subledger Accounting (SLA)

Dr Cr

ProjectsReceivablesInventory

Work in Process Purchasing Payables

Multi-Org

Access

Control

6 Major Initiatives

1. Ledger and Ledger Sets

2. Subledger Accounting

3. MOAC

4. Intercompany

5. Tax Engine

6. Bank Model

Major Changes

Payables

• 11i Payables split into 4 parts in R12

• Payables

• Payments

• Tax

• Accounting - SLA

• Supplier form re-written

• Bank data centralized

• Lines added

• Trial balance and write-offs different with some upgrade concerns

Payments

• All new module

• Some development required

• Numerous setups

WebADI

• Client ADI is gone

• Other modules can be used to fill the gaps.

Who moved my

cheese?

Major ChangesSubledger Accounting

• Create accounting process added to all financial modules

• Affects GL Drill-back

• Some date idiosyncrasies

• Powerful capabilities available (but not required)

• One accounting method change means full new method – decide early

EBTax

• Regime will upgrade but don’t use it!

• Not supported

• Not extendable

• Difficult to use

• Set up a new regime

• Good time to go to a 3rd party provider

• Lots of power – lots of learning

Printing Architecture and BI Publisher

• PASTA is available but not exact

• Some reports need to be opened and printed from Adobe

For more information, please contact:

Brian Pellot

AXIA Consulting

Brian.Pellot@axiaconsulting.net

http://www.axiaconsulting.net

Questions?