IT Convergence

Oracle Application Framework (OAF) in Oracle R12 [Video]

2012-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to ensure the compatibility of your developed tools within the standard application after upgrading to Oracle R12?.

Oracle Application Framework (OAF) can make that happen! IT Convergence has put together this video on OAF in English to give you a clear view of its capabilities.

Check out the video below:

VIDEO: Oracle Application Framework (OAF) in Oracle R12

More videos available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Link to the Video on YouTube: Oracle Application Framework (OAF) in Oracle R12

Key Success Factors to Implement Oracle in China

2012-01-04T05:16:00.001-08:00

Implementations are never as easy as they seem..

VIDEO: Key Success Factors to Implement Oracle in China

Even with advanced planning, problems can still arise. Now, imagine an implementation in China with its constant changing of tax requirements! For this reason, IT Convergence has put together this video with key success factors for you to take into account when implementing Oracle in China.

More videos available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Link to the Video on YouTube: Key Success Factors to Implement Oracle in China on YouTube

CNAO Standard for Accounting and Localization Patches in China

2011-12-13T05:57:00.000-08:00

The China National Audit Office, or CNAO, is a government organization in charge of auditing both SOE and public sector entities in China. This organization sets the standards and determinates what guidelines businesses must comply with to keeps their accounting up to par.

Luckily, Oracle R12 offers patches for these standards. Find out how key localization patches can relate to your Oracle implementation in China with this video in Chinese below!

VIDEO: CNAO Standard for Accounting and Localization Patches in China (Chinese Version)

More videos available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Related Link: CNAO Website

Webcast on Improving ROI with Oracle UPK

2011-12-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

Interested in learning how to get an optimum ROI on your Oracle Solutions?

Teaching the users on how to manage the new system will save you valuable resources...and that's where User Productivity Kit (UPK) comes into play!

Tune in to next week's webcast entitled "Maximize in E-Business Suite Investments with Oracle UPK" on Wednesday, Dec. 14th, at 12 pm Eastern/9 am Pacific..

Click here to register!

Oracle R12 Upgrades: Choices and Challenges in Oracle R12 Upgrades

2011-12-01T05:05:00.000-08:00

“To upgrade or not to upgrade…that is the question.”

If you have, however, decided to upgrade to Oracle R12, the questions don’t end here. Once you’ve decided to take the leap, you now have to make several important decisions and identify potential hurdles.

Why not take advantage of IT Convergence’s video in English to get some pointers?

VIDEO: Oracle R12 Upgrade: Choices and Challenges in Oracle R12 Upgrade

More videos available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Related Video: Upgrading Customizations to Oracle R12

Implementing Oracle EBS in China: Multiple Language Support (MLS) in Oracle R12

2011-11-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

Doing business overseas many times requires special adjustments to your business solutions.

China and Oracle EBS are no exceptions. Fortunately, Oracle R12 offers Multiple Language Support (MLS), which can facilitate things like language barriers, leaving you with more time to focus on other important implementation issues.

Check out the English version of the video below!:

Implementing Oracle EBS in China: Multiple Language Support (MLS) in Oracle R12

More videos available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Article that might be of interest to you: Check out this page about Oracle MLS on eHow.com

Implementing Oracle EBS in China: China vs United States (US) Business Practices

2011-11-17T03:37:00.000-08:00

There are stark differences between business practices in the US and in China, and when we’re talking about Implementing Oracle EBS, the differences can become even bigger if you don’t take the time to educate yourself about them..

Fortunately, IT Convergence has put together several videos on these topics to give you a heads up.

Check out the Chinese version here:
Implementing Oracle EBS in China: China vs United States (US) Business Practice - Chinese Version

Stay tuned for the English version! Additional videos on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

You can also watch our Oracle Localization Requirements Video on Money Control website here

Pre-Implementation Projects: Assessments & Workshops before Jumping to Oracle R12

2011-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

Making the leap to Oracle R12 is an important task and there are many factors to take into account before doing so.

Luckily, IT Convergence has put together a video with tips on impact assessments and workshops that can bring you up-to-speed before bounding into Oracle R12, to bring you up to speed before making the leap.

Click here to take a look at the video below entitled “Pre-Implementation Projects: Assessments & Workshops before Jumping to Oracle R12,” and if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into Oracle R12 preparations, check out our workshop Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade.

More videos are available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Oracle China Deployment Key Points

2011-10-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

Implementations can get quite complicated. However, they are not impossible, not even in China. By taking into account critical areas, you can plan ahead which will in turn help guarantee your success

IT Convergence has put together this video about considerations for Oracle implementations in China to bring you up to speed before making the leap.

Take a look at the video below!

VIDEO: Implementing Oracle EBS in China: Key Points to Consider – English Version

More videos are available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Hope the video is useful! Also, feel free to check IT Convergence Corporate Presentation on Slide Share

"From Tequila to Tango: Roll Our Oracle R12 in Latin America" Webcast

2011-10-21T08:00:00.001-07:00

Oracle in Latin America is hot topic for companies looking to expand globally. With Oracle's E-Business Suite, companies can manage tax withholdings, meet IFRS and GAAP requirements, and make cross-currency transactions throughout the region.
This webcast will adress the challenges involved in roll outs in Latin American and how you can plan ahead for them.

Tune in to IT Convergence's webcast entitled:

"From Tequila to Tango: Roll Out Oracle R12 Successfully in America"

October 26th at 8:00 am Pacific/11:00 am Eastern

Click here to register!

Oracle R12 to Fully Handle Localization Requirements in China - Chinese Version

2011-10-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

It’s official: Oracle R12 has stepped up to incorporate China localization requirements, including tax rules! Want to know how? Check out IT Convergence’s video in Chinese entitled “Oracle R12 to Fully Handle Localization Requirements in China” to get the information you need!

VIDEO: Oracle R12 to Fully Handle Localization Requirements in China - Chinese Version

Visit our website for more videos on doing business in China as well as other Oracle solutions. You can also watch other oracle e-business suite videos on www.moneycontrol.com

BI Applications in Oracle Release 12

2011-10-12T04:19:00.000-07:00

So you’ve got an idea of how customizations are upgraded in Oracle R12 but what about BI Applications?

Take a look at IT Convergence’s video entitled “BI Applications in Oracle Release 12” and get a look at how to handle your Analytics solutions in Oracle R12.

VIDEO: BI Applications in Oracle Release 12 (R12)

This is just one of many Oracle R12 topics! Additional videos are available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Click on the 'Like' button IT Convergence Public Workshops to keep track of our Oracle Public Workshops.

Oracle R12 to Fully Handle Localization Requirements in China

2011-10-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

Could it be possible?

Oracle R12 fully taking on China localization requirements, even tax rules?

Check out IT Convergence’s video in English entitled “Oracle R12 to Fully Handle Localization Requirements in China” to find out!

VIDEO: Oracle R12 to Fully Handle Localization Requirements in China

And there are more videos to come! Additional videos are available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Click on the 'Like' button of IT Convergence Fan Page to keep track of our Oracle Public Workshops.

A Business Focus on OBIEE Webcast Q&A

2011-10-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

IT Convergence answers your questions regarding last week's webcast "Take a Business Centric Approach to OBIEE and Fusion Analytics."

Check out the answers below and find the answers to your OBIEE questions:

How can you measure returns on OBIEE implementations?

Within OBIEE you can use the user tracking tool, which is a way to know how often users are taking advantage of OBIEE’s benefits.
By leveraging multiple tools, you get an idea of how the organization benefits as a whole, and not just with individual users.

In terms of day to day use, what tips have you learned that you can share with us?

One way is by leveraging the iPad app that makes the data readily available, wherever a user may be. This way, users will be more willing to check the tool and the data to see what’s going on.

Our organization's definition of detailed reporting would be satisfied by Oracle Discoverer, I understand that OBIEE is a replacement for Discoverer. Does it satisfy the same requirements?

OBIEE Apps may not be the best tool to get the reports that you are after. You may need to customize some of the BI models to make them readily available. Also, making some changes to the configuration files to allow more than 65,000 rows that are returned, to be able to see all the data. This would mean that you would need sizing your hardware as well because of potential performance issues.

How and why should you start small with OBIEE and then when should you decide to get bigger?

One way is to tackle it is by module or department in your company, or to ask what are the key reports that each department requires. Making sure you get the key reports to each department is a great starting point.

For more information about business intelligence please click on any one of these links to check out our workshops, OBIEE for End Users, OBIEE for Administrators, and don't forget the workshop we'll be holding during mid-November on the Campus of Harvard University Successfully Implement OBIEE Around Your Business.

Don't forget to join us for our next webcast entitled "Rolling Out Oracle in Latin America – Meet the Localization Challenge", held October 26th 2011 at 8:00 am Pacific/11:00 am Eastern. Register here!

Key Success Factors to Implement Oracle in China

2011-09-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Implementations are never as easy as they seem.

Even with advanced planning, problems can still arise. Now, imagine an implementation in China with its constant changing of tax requirements! For this reason, IT Convergence has put together this video with key success factors for you to take into account when implementing Oracle in China.

VIDEO: Key Success Factors to Implement Oracle in China (Chinese Version)

Stayed tuned for the English version! More videos are available on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or directly on the IT Convergence website.

Click on the 'Like' button IT Convergence Public Workshops to keep track of our Oracle Public Workshops.

"Put Oracle R12 Financials New Features to Work for YOU" Webcast Questions

2011-09-21T03:48:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of the information from last week's webcast on Oracle R12 Financials New Features to get your questions answered!

Also, don't miss next week's webcast titled "Avoid Common Pitfalls When Implementing OBIEE and Fusion Analytics," September 28th at 11:00 am Eastern/8:00 am Pacific.

Register here!

Q: In Payment manager, it seems that we have to use either a PDF file to print the check runs and reports or the concurrent manager but not both. Is there a way around that?

The system is actually using the concurrent manager always on every check run, including creating the PDF file.

Q: Can you speak briefly about the capabilities for receiving electronic invoices?

That capability is still available as with 11i. It is called Payables Open Interface Import. It allows the AP user to run a concurrent program to load from an electronic flat file into Oracle Payables.

Q: We are planning for Payables and SLA training, in preparation for R12. Do you believe "delta" training is necessary for the rest of GL, AR, PO and Project Accounting?

That can be a difficult question to answer; it greatly depends on the ‘intuitiveness’ of your current GL/AR/PO and PA user. In my experience AP training is a must-have, while I’ve seen departments go with and without training on the other modules. My suggestion is to have your IT department get a test instance of Oracle R12, and let your users experience it at the early part of your project or even before the project starts, to gauge their comfort level.

Q: Can you please talk and expand on NEW reporting features in E-Business tax. Many thanks.

Just a short overview. Anything dealing with taxes (outside of payroll, 1099) is governed in the E-Business Tax module. Reports include a listing of reports, listing of rates, listing of all tax rules. With custom reporting you can obtain taxes paid by country, state, zip, jurisdiction, etc. There are additional reports that specific to use taxes, sales and VAT taxes.

Q: For the new AP Invoice Lines, can you match against multiple PO's for the same invoice?

Yes you can match multiple PO’s to one invoice

Q: Would you please discuss the new third-party payment option (credit card payments) available in AP R12? 

There really isn’t a ‘new third-party payment option’ that does not already exist in current 11i, what is new is you have controls over the credit card payments. You can determine who can and cannot use it, specific rules and policies, credit card limits, etc. You are still required to have a separate credit card processor, but the integration between the two is easier and more manageable.

Q: Is the to do list on the supplier screen beneficial to the end users even if they manually enter suppliers instead of using isupplier? 

The To Do list is still beneficial, especially if you have any supplier approval process, or those awaiting W-9.

Q: I've heard that Web ADI does not work with SubLedger Accounting. True?

False. Web ADI does work with Subledger Accounting.

Q: What are the other new features in AP besides the three that were touched on? 

Major features that affect the average AP user are:
AP Invoice Lines
Payment Manager
Change in screens

There are other changes that are minor in detail and may not affect every AP customer such as changes in approvals, reporting, diagnostics and MOAC (ability to access multiple set of books).

Q: What version of Excel do we need to be on to use BI Publisher?

Works perfect with Excel 2007. Works well with Excel 2010, 2003 and 2000(requires a different patch).

Q: Does the subledger result in additional reconciliations? 

Depending on your setup and what you are using your subledger accounting for. It can be a mirror of another ledger, or a reporting ledger, which would not require reconciliation. If it is being setup as a secondary ledger that does not get all entries, then reconciliation may be needed.

Q: Is web ADI for payables only for reporting, or can it also be used for data entry/upload?

Web ADI can be used as upload tool, with many pre-built templates for several modules (Assets, Payables, HR, Projects, etc.)

Q: Where are 1099s housed - is it in E-Business Tax?

1099 is still housed in Payables

Q: Please explain how to use the multiple ledgers to achieve IFRS.

That would require a separate training class, but in short if you have one ledger using GAAP, you would create a secondary ledger that has the same entries but using IFRS.

Q: Do you have training for Developers too or only for functional? 

There are two classes for Developers, Subledger Accounting in detail, and Upgrading to R12 has some technical explanation. There is no ‘pure’ Developers class currently available. That may change in the near future.

Q: In Fixed Assets, are you able to transfer assets between two sets of books, or will still have to retire and add?

For R12, have to retire and add.

Q: We are using Web ADI with Oracle 11i now - Elliotte mentioned this application can be used to enter new projects (in Oracle Projects). It that possible in 11i or the template only works with R12?

The templates needed to upload into items like Oracle Projects are in R12. This is because Web ADI integrates Report Manager/BI Publisher, which does not exist in the same way in 11i.

Q: Is OBIEE a subset of R12 or is it higher version above R12?

Not the perfect analogy, but OBIEE would work closer to being a subset of R12.

Q: Is there a big difference in terms of Localizations between Release 12.0 and 12.1?

Not exactly changes to the functionality, but it has been expanded to about 15 new countries(Russia, Sweden, Mexico, India to say a few).
Localization does take increase importance with the use of MOAC(ability to access multiple set of books)

Q: If you do have training for Developers...then is that based on ADF or OAF?
Currently no pure training for Developers.

We have OBIEE, Upgrading to R12, and Subledger Accounting, which has strong technical elements, but nothing solely geared to the developer.

Q: Will you still have to import & "push" transactions as batches from subledgers (i.e. Oracle Projects, Receivables, Fixed Assets), which then have to be posted, or will subledger transactions come over seamlessly to the ledger in R12.

You can do either or, depends on setup. You can have entries automatically go to GL, or you can have them stay there and you ‘push’ them.

Q: Is there a training for LATAM tax engine?

There are classes for the E-Business Tax, but nothing currently specific LATAM. I will pose that to my manager.

Q: Was this call CPE eligible?

Our workshops are considered CPE eligible, this webcast is not setup that way.

Q: The point on the subledger slide that you can still drill down at the GL was not completely understood by us. Thank you.

In short, the subledger maintains the link between the transaction and the GL entry. At anytime you can drill from the transaction to the GL entry, and in reverse. There are several areas this can be done, along with reports that allow this drill down capability.

Q: On Report Manager, is there a way to default 'Auto Archive' to Yes?

Yes, the setting can be made to always be yes. It is a personalization feature.

Q: Is Oracle payments part of the payables module or it is a separate one to buy?

It is a separate module, but it is included with the purchase of Financials, you do not have to purchase it separately.

For more information about Oracle Financials R12, click on the highlighted links below to learn more about our Oracle Applications Workshops, Oracle R12 Financials New Features, Oracle R12 Subledger Accounting, and Oracle E-Business Tax.

A Full House at Harvard Roundtable!

2011-09-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

IT Convergence is proud to share its success with you at Harvard University! This event was part of IT Convergence's on-going workshops on OBIEE and Oracle R12 features. Make sure and check out more up-coming events on IT Convergence's website here!

Upgrading Customizations to Oracle R12

2011-09-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to take your customizations with you to Oracle R12?

In this video, IT Convergence fills you in on what you need to know about your customizations in Oracle R12. With additional topics like RICEW (Reports Interfaces Customizations Extensions Workflows) objects and impact assessments, this video will surely enlighten you on what’s most important for your business and its leap to Oracle R12.

VIDEO: Upgrading Customizations to Oracle R12

Interested in more videos? More videos are available on Oracle solutions for China, Lain America and Oracle R12 upgrades on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or
directly on the IT Convergence website

Click on the 'Like' button IT Convergence Public Workshops to keep track of our Oracle Public Workshops.

Common Business Practices: Differences between the US and China

2011-09-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

One of the first questions business people expanding into China should ask themselves is “What cultural differences exist and how do I deal with them?” One could of course write books about this subject, but you can get started by taking a look at IT Convergence's videos on common China business practices!

The China video series will give you insight into the exotic Chinese markets and the information you need to know in order to be a success. This video, entitled "Implementing Oracle EBS in China: China vs. US Business Practices," gives you a heads up on the different business standards in China and how you can relate them to common practices in the US and avoid potential mistakes. By addressing common challenges in the Chinese business world beforehand, successful business practices can be your reality.

Implementing Oracle EBS in China: China vs. US Business Practices (Video)
在中国实施Oracle EBS: 中国与美国的业务实践

You can view more videos on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America,
or Oracle R12 upgrades both on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or
directly on the IT Convergence website.

In addition, IT Convergence's China Solutions page can give you more information on Oracle implementations in Asia.

Upcoming Webcast: "Put Oracle R12 Financials New Features to Work for YOU"

2011-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Oracle Financials is a hot topic in the E-Business Suite. Get an inside look into new R12 features modules like E-Business Tax and Subledger Accounting in addition to the new functional enhancements, and an overview of the Oracle R12 Financial Suite.

Tune into ITC's webcast "Put Oracle R12 Financials New Features to Work for YOU" to be held Wednesday, September 14th, 8:00 a.m. Pacific/11:oo am Eastern/4:00 London.

Oracle R12 Financials New Features Video for Latin America – In Spanish

2011-09-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Want an inside look on what's new in Oracle R12 Financials?

IT Convergence gives you a detailed look into Oracle R12's new features at its workshop, but Spanish speakers can get a sneak preview of the workshop's highlights through this informative video.!

¿Quieres saber lo nuevo en Oracle R12? IT Convergence te muestra lo que necesitas saber de R12 y sus módulos de finanzas en su workshop pero através de este video puedes obtener una vista preliminar de los puntos claves antes de comprometerte con un workshop.

Video Nuevas Funcionalidades de los Módulos de Finanzas de R12:

¿Quieres saber más? Puedes ver más videos de IT Convergence en su canal en Youtube o en su página de soluciones de Oracle para América Latina.

Bridging Cultural and Communication Gaps for Oracle Implementations in China

2011-08-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Check out IT Convergence's videos on doing business in China! The China video series will give you insight into the exotic Chinese markets and the information you need to know in order to be a success.

This video, entitled "Implementing Oracle EBS in China: Close the China & US Communication Gap," gives you key points in bridging the gaps between the two cultures. By addressing common challenges in the Chinese business world beforehand, successful business practices can be your reality.

Implementing Oracle EBS in China: Close the China & US Communication Gap
(在中国实施Oracle EBS: 缩小中美沟通差距)

You can view more videos on Oracle solutions for China, Latin America,
or Oracle R12 upgrades both on IT Convergence's YouTube Channel or
directly on the IT Convergence website.

In addition, IT Convergence's China Solutions page can give you more
information on Oracle implementations in Asia.

Q&A Session for Oracle 11i De-Support: Oracle R12 Transition Planning

2011-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of this Q&A to get the answers to your questions from last week's webcast!

Check it out below:

1. We are doing an Oracle R12 upgrade now. the current system has huge customization database tables, views, etc, which connect and integrate with ESB black database box. what are your recommedations for us to assure database migration from as-is to to be?

This needs further evaluation. In terms of the database and version. For Oracle Applications R12 a minimum requirement is Oracle 10g and because of the upgrade customizations and extensions might be impacted because of the changes on the data model.

2. Is there any charge for an Oracle R12 assessment?

Yes, there is charge for that type of assessment because it requires a lot of resources and work that is part of this very important phase of the project. As you can saw on the webcast there are lots of deliverables and the amount of work based on the footprint of your Oracle E-Business Suite environment.

3. What do you mean by close all periods? Does it mean we should not have any periods open during an upgrade? (both subledger and gl periods)

We recommend doing pre-close and cleaning all the interfaces. Since all the data model on General Ledger it is extremely important this for the success of the upgrade.

4. I would like a more detailed explanation of the blended approach to that you discussed as being sort of a middle point between a vanilla Oracle R12 upgrade and a full Oracle R12 reimplementation.

The blended approach is something very commonly used in many Oracle R12 migrations. Since Oracle has provided many tools to perform the R12 upgrade, our experience has given us the chance to work on upgrades whose scope has included the implementation of new modules and/or some process re-engineering with existing accounts. We've even changed the Chart of Accounts. All of this is perfectly doable with a proper planning and execution.

5. Could you please share with us a sample project plan for an R12 Upgrade project (having minimal customizations)?

As part of our Oracle Applications Workshops (in particular the Oracle R12 Strategy and Planning workshop held at Harvard) we share examples of project plans that include key milestones and best practice tips.

6. Is Oracle going to charge me more on existing support fees if I don't upgrade?

Oracle has extended support for 11i running through November 2011. After that you can continue with their 11i support but the costs do increase. For the first year the cost of extended support increases 10% and in the second year it goes up another 10%.

7. Are there recommended patch levels that customers should be on when doing an upgrade to Oracle R12 to help minimize the downtime? (other than what Oracle has published for their minimum patch level for 11i).

I’d recommend applying the patches on 11.5.10.2 for the extended support as the basis for the upgrade. Minimum Baseline Patch Requirements for Extended Support on Oracle E-Business Suite 11.5.10.

IT Convergence would like to invite to its next webcast, "New Features in Oracle R12 Financials." Please register here!

In addition to webcasts, IT convergence is proud to offer an upcoming Oracle R12 Stategy and Planning workshop at Harvard University.

11th Hour R12 Planning Webcast

2011-08-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

IT Convergence would like to invite you to tune in to our webcast on August 17th 8:00 am Pacific/11:00 am Eastern called "11th Hour R12 Planning".

Since Oracle will begin charging extended support fees in November, the main focus of the webcast will be on the basics of an R12 Upgrade plus the most important changes in R12 Financials

So what are your plans for November?

Click here to register for this free webcast to find out how to plan ahead!

Oracle iSetup Webinar Q&A Answers

2011-07-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

Weren't able to attend last weeks webcast on iSetup? No worries, we've compiled all the answers to your questions in this post so you can double check them.

Please check the Q&A below:

Q: Do ITC consultants typically use iSetup in their engagements?

A: We have begun to use it more with our R12 projects as the product has improved from 11i and has many more seeded Selection Set criteria

Q: How does the iSetup functionality compare to the OEM pack Application Management Suite setup migration functionality?

A: The Application Management Suite is more robust, but it does have additional costs associated with it

Q: Why is Customization Level E in your report? This is not the value you see in the application? How do I know what E means?

A: That particular example was for a Lookup, and lookups have a customization level which indicates its capability to be altered. S=System, E=Extensible, U=User.

Q: For profiles can you limit what you compare on? ie who updated vs just values of the profile

A: It displays the definition of the profile option as well as the current value level, level value, owner, last update date and profile option value

Q: You mentioned that you can create a document in the BR100 format. Is there any support the new OUM formats?

A: The document style provided by Oracle is named Setup Document Style and does provide output similar to the BR100 format. I do not know if they plan to change that output style to reflect any format changes to represent the new OUM formats.

Q: Is the Load is restriceted from 11i to R12 or it can be from 11i to 11i

A: You can use the automated features within iSetup with instances at the same release 11i and 11i, or 12 and 12; just not from 11i to 12

Q: This application is similar to FNDLOAD utility, do you agree with this? However this provide additional and form driven utility?

A: iSetup is essentially a web user interface to the FNDLOAD utility with instance connectivity to automate migrations

Q: What components of Lease Management are included in iSetup, have there been further improvements to the Lease Management offering with respect to iSetup

A: For Lease Management there are Accounting Setups (Stream Types, Stream Generation Templates, and Accounting Template Sets) and Product Setups (Template Qualities, Qualities, Product Templates, and Products)

Q: How do you create custom selection sets for modules not listed in the seeded selection sets.

A: The steps for doing this using the data objects available in the iSetup Interface Repository are described in the iSetup Users Manual for R12 beginning on page 5-8 and further on 7-4.

Q: How and what inforamtion doees DBC file contains?

A: The .dbc file contains various information required to establish connectivity including server host name, port, and JDBC parameters

Q: Can we use isetup for data migration also ?

A: iSetup extracts can be used for data migration or reporting

Q: Is there a complete list of what is FND loadable?

A: Information about FNDLOAD can be found at support.oracle.com in notes such as 735338.1

Q: Re: it's Free, What was the patch set level you need to maintain in order to be eligible for it to be free?

A: iSetup is always free with EBS and Oracle recommends that you be at the current AD patchset level

Q: When it covers a module does it include all steps for that module?

A: No, not all steps or data items for all modules are included, but several of the labor intensive ones are

Q: If the FND value set doesn't exist in the other instance , is it created automatically like in FND_LOAD?

A: As part of the migration of a Value Set, if it does not already exist in the target instance, it is created

Q: Can iSetup also compare custom packages? or only compare data, data sets?

A: Packages are not included in the standard iSetup Selection Set criteria at this time

Q: specifically to my question, I'm trying to migrate setups for the Treasury module, but that is not listed in the seeded selection sets.

A: If Treasury is not included in the current list, then it is not currently available

Q: Where do you start iSetup from?

A: iSetup is a responsibility that is granted to a user

Q: Do we need to place target dbc file into $FND_SECURE folder of source instance?

A: all .dbc files for all instances to which iSetup needs access, need to be placed in the $FND_SECURE directories of each instance

Q: How would you consider the usage complexity specific to end users.Is it complex or easy?

A: iSetup is considerably easier than FNDLOAD for users to use

Q: Can we use this application to do setup only for one Oracle application like GL and not for all our applications?

A: If you wanted to restrict its usage, you would have to modify the access to the seeded Selection Sets

Q: Anybody using this application now? in 11i or 12i? What applications?

A: Several ITC clients as well as those attending our presentations at Collaborate, OHUG and regional OAUG meetings are using iSetup

IT Convergence would also like to invite to its next webcast titled “Oracle 11i DeSupport-Oracle R12 Transition Planning” to be held on Wednesday August 17th at 8:00 am Pacific/11:00 am Eastern. You may register here. In addition, IT Convergence offers workshops to help orient you better with the world of Oracle.

Brazil: Oracle's Final Frontier Webcast Q&A

2011-06-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

If you didn't get a chance to tune in to IT Convergence's latest webcast on Oracle in Brazil, no need to worry! IT Convergence has the answers to your Brazil Oracle-related questions.

Included below is the transcript of the questions:

We need to increase our operations .Can we create a legal entity in Brazil without hiring employees to attend the government tax requirements?

Brazil requires several Government legal reports, including the most recent tax obligation called SPED. Oracle has some local partners that provide complementary products to generate these Tax Obligations and reduce manual work. ITC has a partnership with Synchro System and implements the Synchro solution on the local market.

What is the best approach to have corporate (US) leading the project for a Brazil Implementation with the local project team in Brazil?

The project management level can be from the US or Brazil. In both cases, my recommendation is to consider the Brazil Localization and the best local practices as part of the project scope. For the implementation team, in our experience, it’s better to focus the US consultants on the modules or activities where there is minimal impact per the Brazil Localization. There are some specific setups that by using a local consultant we can have more assertive results. As an example, in an AR implementation, it is possible to keep a global consultant to manage the Customer Details and a local consultant to manage the billing setup for Brazil.

I understand that the Brazilian government introduces new statutory requirements or changes on a monthly basis. How well does Oracle keep up with these changes and what is the quality of the patches they release? I’m concerned with ability to test and deploy quickly.

There are new legislations every month or even every day, but not all of them apply to all companies. In general, the level of patches per legal requirement is not high. If the Government requirement also includes an update on the interface to the third party solution, Oracle and the partner perform an internal validation first, so the double check increases the final quality. Also if we analyze the past similar situations, we can see companies with more difficulties with data issues than technical issues to report the information to the Government.

Can a Brazil solution be integrated to a Share Service WW mode located in India or Europe?

There are customers that split the Oracle data entry, management or consolidation processes into multiple countries. On Oracle 11i the biggest limitation was the Brazil Localization, like the RI Module that is available just in Portuguese. Now on R12 there is no limitation. It is still easy to have a local expert to prepare the billing or receiving process, but several other standard activities can be executed in a shared service model.

We have been implementing the EFD-PIS/COFINS obligation on Release 11. I'd like to know if it’s possible to reuse what the consultant company is doing or if we have to re-implement everything with the ODI for R12.

If you have the EFD PIS COFINS, I am assuming you have a third party Oracle solution for that. So, all the configuration work on the partner solution will remain as it is. The interface is very different from versions 11 and 12. Basically the technology that Oracle provides for the integration is different. So if the company follows the R12 Interface with Oracle ODI tool, the interface is a new solution. If the company decides to move forward not using ODI, the final interface is also very similar to the 11i. Without ODI, the solution is not certified by Oracle. Synchro, for example, developed their own interface with R12 without ODI, so with Synchro the final solution is supported by them.

Need more information? Check out IT Convergence's Oracle Solutions for Brazil page to find out more.

A versão em português das soluções Oracle para o Brasil também está disponível aqui.

"OBIEE from 10g to 11g” Webcast

2011-06-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

IT Convergence is pleased to announce that our next OAUG Vendor Product Awareness Webcast will be held on Wednesday, June 22nd at 4:00 pm London/11:00 am New York/8:00 am California.

This webcast details Oracle’s latest release of its closed-loop business intelligence solution, OBIEE. Join our June 22nd Webcast for a broad overview of the differences and upgrades between OBIEE 10g and 11g.

Some of the benefits in OBIEE 11g that will be touched on:

• OLAP Multidimensional Analysis
• 11g Enterprise Analytic Foundation
• BI Publisher
• Dashboarding, Scorecarding, and KPI's in OBIEE
• OBIEE 11g's Action Framework

Don’t lose this opportunity to access key points on OBIEE 11g and how its powerhouse of business solutions can enhance your business operations. Click here to register!

10th National Convention of Oracle Applications Users in Brazil

2011-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

On June 9th, IT Convergence with ORAUG and participation with SYNCHRO are proud to present "10th Natiohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnal Convention of Oracle Applications Users in Brazil".

The event is scheduled for June 9th from 8:30 to 17:30.

Amcham - Rua da Paz , 1431 - São Paulo

Please take advantage of this event to explore Oracle in Brazil.

Don't be left behind!
IT Convergence's workshops keep you ahead of the game by giving you access to the knowledge you need to know about what an R12 implies and the tools you need to upgrade, in addition to key access to important Oracle topics.

Em português:

"X Encontro Nacional de Usuários de Aplicativos Oracle" no Brasil

No dia 9 de junho, o ORAUG e a IT Convergence em parceiria com SYNCHRO Fiscal Solutions, têm o orgulho de apresentar o "X Encontro Nacional de Usuarios de Aplicativos Oracle".

O evento acontecerá no 9 de junho das 8:30am às 5:30pm.

Local: AMCHAM - Rua da Paz, 1431 - São Paulo

Aproveite este evento de usuários Oracle no Brasil!!

Não fique desatualizado!
Os "Workshops Oracle Applications" (treinamentos especializados) da IT Convergence botam você pra frente do jogo, dando-lhe acesso ao conhecimento que você precisa ter sobre as novas funcionalidades do Oracle R12 e as ferramentas que você precisa dominar para ter sucesso.

“Have Your Cake and Eat It Too – Upgrade to Oracle R12 and Get the New Features Now” Webcast Questions

2011-05-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

If you didn’t get a chance to tune in to IT Convergence’s latest webcast on simultaneously upgrading to R12 with a concurrent deployment of R12’s new features including insights into SLA, MOAC and more. There were also some pointers on how a ROI in your R12 investment. For this reason, IT Convergence would like to share with its listeners and readers some of the questions from the webcast to help address the most common of R12 questions.

Included below is the transcript of the questions:

What were the tools you referred to that had metadata prebuilt for upgrades to help with identifying changes that will affect reporting?

There are several tools that you can use. NoetixViews® from Noetix. This is a product that has a toohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifl that creates a layer of views based on 11i or R12 and pulls the information from your setups. It will adjust the logic of the views based on the release you’ve got and but it will not change the columhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifns of the views. This will allow you to have a hassle free upgrade because you will be able to use your existing reports pointing to the views.

You can also integrate this software now into your 11i and when you upgrade to R12, you will run the metabuilder script to pull the changes of R12 to continue using it and its views into your new R12 environment.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Another product which offers the same technology with some changes on the user interface is Eis Technology which a product called Eis Express Reporting ®.

What options are there to deal with the lack of Oracle knowledge in processes, documentation, and internal business users?

One of the options is the application workshops, which I teach. It is helpful because of the instructors’ experience and the possibility to network with others; as well as IT directors which are in the same boat as you. From the instructors you will get the knowledge and a better idea of how IT has to work during an upgrade. As far as a specific upgrade, there are specific workshops to help with a each topic.
Oracle Support is another great source of information with the Information Center for R12.1 (Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.1 Information Center [ID 806593.1])

Did you make any changes to your chart of accounts when you upgraded to R12?

In our particular case, it was not necessary to make changes to our chart of accounts. But if you have a specific need to do so, then you will have an opportunity of applying that change as part of the upgrade.
In the past, that type of modification required a re-implementation but today it’s not the case—you can leverage some existing tools in the market to change the chart of accounts without having to re-implement. But think of doing it as a phase zero prior to the upgrade, which would be my recommendation.

What is the patch number of the patch you mentioned earlier, the one that shows the table changes between the columns the current release and the R12 release we are implementing?

The patch’s number is 1290886.1 It is a patch that you can apply in 11i and you can choose which version of R12 you will be implementing and it will show you how the columns and tables will change on all the objects.

Approximately how many team members (IT & Business) were involved in the 6 month upgrade from 11i to R12 for IT Convergence?

One thing that is very important to remember is that each and every R12 implementation is unique. Even having 12 years of experience, I’ve never seen two alike. There were 12 team members from IT and 12 plus business members. We divided the team into multiple tracks which made a huge difference in order to have better communication and project status.

"Implementing Oracle R12 in China" Webcast Questions

2011-05-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Following IT Convergence's recent webcast on "Implementing Oracle R12 in China," listeners were prompted to clear the air of any doubts they may have had about Oracle in China.

We are happy to provide the Q&A transcript.

1.) Hazel mentioned that some companies need to defer revenue recognition until shipment arrives and customer acknowledges receipt. Can you tell me if this functionality is built into standard Oracle 12.1.3, or if it's part of a localization package?

"Defer revenue recognition until shipment arrives" is a new standard R12 feature - the deferred COGS and deferred Revenue are introduced, and Oracle forces the revenue and cost to be matched.

"Defer revenue recognition until customer acknowledges receipt" is a new standard R12 feature. The user can manually record the 'Customer Acceptance'(by customers via self-service or internal CSR) and it can be done in ' Pre-billing' or 'Post-billing.

Oracle also provides the new revenue managers responsibility to manage more detailed Revenue contigencies and revenue policy tasks.

You will need to setup the following site level profile options:
1. Enable Time zone Conversions: Updated 'Yes'
2. Server Time zone: set the server time zone; I suggest checking with the DBA regarding the DB time zone setup
3. Client Time zone: Optionally set this at site level (equal to server time zone, so that the US users will not be affected). Australia users will need to set the client time zone by setting up correct user preference or user level profile option.

We suggest running thorough testing for the system standard reports, report/concurrent program scheduling, form date display checking, etc and particularly for the custom reports when the time zone conversion is enabled."

2.) If we’re operating in China, can we have simply use the global COA without having to set up the second ledger?

"We would suggest you setup 2 ledgers for your China subsidiary, one that confirms to US GAAP and another that conforms to China GAAP, however, we also have other solutions that don’t require to setup a secondary ledger."

3.) How do you get around the server time being in the US as it relates to reports in a foreign currency? We have a subsidiary in Australia where we measure how they did compared to making a shipment by the scheduled ship date. They are currently 15 hours ahead of us and when we run the reports they carry the server time which is in Minneapolis and distorts the measurements.

"Assigning the ledger structure for a China subsidiary should be simple, you first need to see whether the existing COA can cover the detailed accounts required in China, and whether the GAAP differences can be accounted in one ledger. If the answer to those two questions is yes, then the global COA and the primary ledger should be sufficient. You may need to add detailed accounts for China in global COA, in this case, you need to check existing FSG reports to ensure that the account reporting will not be impacted. In addition to the situation above, you also need to consider how to handle any GAAP adjustments that are required when you design the solution."

4.) Do we need to implement MLS for China?

"NO, it's not. UTF8, or Unicode Transformation Format is required. However, from our experience, we've found the vast majority do chose to go with MLS. Rather than using MLS, you can meet the minimum legal requirements by using standard and alternate fields, mixing characters or flexfields and setting up the statutory Ledger within the General Ledger with the government issued Chart of Accounts and Chinese account caption. ITC provides both non-MLS as well as MLS solutions."

5.) Please provide an estimate for an R12 implementation project duration assuming vanilla implementation.

The duration for implementation of R12 in China depends on how many modules, the complexity of the business processes, the scope of the data conversion etc. From my past experience, it normally takes around 4-6 months to implement in China including full statutory and localization compliance.

6.) I have heard that the E-business Tax module is difficult to implement. Can you comment on the challenges of this module?

Based on my experience, the difficulty of E-biz Tax largely comes from the complicated architecture on the tax configuration. It takes many steps to define the elements such as tax regime, tax jurisdiction, tax status, tax rate and very flexible tax rules. It is not easy to understand all of the logic behind this module unless you have spent a lot of time working on it. In addition, there are some system bugs that exist in the integration between E-biz Tax and some other modules, such as Accounts Payables but most of them have been resolve in the latest R12 version.

A Special Q&A from the Collaborate 11 Virtualization Presentation

2011-05-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Q&A from Collaborate 11 Presentation: Your Questions Answered

IT Convergence’s Gustavo González delivered the hot topic presentation entitled “Oracle E-Business Suite Environments running on Oracle VM and Oracle Enterprise Linux” at the Collaborate 11 event recently. Many questions came up during the Q&A session following the presentation and a copy was requested by attendees.

Q&A

1. How much is the Oracle VM Software?

Oracle VM can be freely downloaded, embedded, and distributed without breaking the terms of the licensing agreement. This does not refer to crippled or demo versions of the software. This includes the full Oracle VM Server and Oracle VM Manager. Oracle is the only major virtualization vendor that has a no-cost, non-crippled management console for virtualization.
Oracle does not charge for Oracle VM, and support contracts are optional. This means that Oracle is unique in the market, as it provides the only enterprise-grade Linux distribution and virtualization platform that can be used to create virtual machines that are not encumbered by restrictive IP licensing term.

1. What is virtualization exactly?

At its simplest level, virtualization is a technology that fakes out hardware, making an operating system think that it is running on a standardized hardware configuration. The software that handles this abstraction layer is called a hypervisor.

An operating system runs inside of a virtual machine, which is just a container managed by the hypervisor. The hypervisor manages and distributes the processor, memory and I/O resources of the physical server between multiple running virtual machines, which in reality reduces the amount of actual physical servers.

2. What benefits will I get from this?

• Minimized downtime and impact on performance of the applications.
• Reduced hardware maintenance and monitoring costs.
• Decreasing of the recurring licensing and costs (TCO).

3. Why Virtualize?

• Maintenance Cost: cut the cost of maintaining hardware
• Physical space: decrease the space needed in the data center by reducing the number of boxes
• Power consumption: reduce power consumption in the data center
• Elasticity: ability to increase or decrease the virtual servers (or Virtual Machines) based on business needs

ITC Wraps it Up at Collaborate 11

2011-04-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

If you haven't gotten a chance to sit in on some of IT Convergence's presentations this week, there are still plenty of opportunities today!

ITC's presenters will be delivering the following presentations:

Oracle Quality: You Bought It, You Really Should Use It
Robert Sigrist
8:30 am - 9:30 am W311F

R12 Professional Buyer's Work Center
Anne Risteau and Melanie Abbas
9:45 am - 10:45 am W311H

iSetup: Don't Let Your Configurations Manage You
Karen Busko and Jacki Lutz
9:45 am-10:45 am W312A

Oracle E-Business Suite Environments running on Oracle VM and Oracle Enterprise Linux
Gustavo González and Kathy Poling
11:00 am - 12:00 pm W304G

Ever Need Real Time Data in Your Oracle Business Intelligence Answers Queries and Dashboards?
Barry Markovic and Jonathan Jackson
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm W304C

IT Convergence's Gustavo Gonzalez will be providing regular updates from Collaborate 11 via Twitter. Follow Gustavo's Tweets @ggonza4itc.

Webcast on Oracle in China

2011-04-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

IT Convergence is pleased to announce that our next OAUG Vendor Product Awareness Webcast will be held on Wednesday April 20th.

The topic of the webcast is "Rolling Out Oracle in China: Over Coming the Localization Challenge."

IT Convergence specalizes in helping US and European companies extend their Oracle systems to support operations in China, you can check out more information on that by visiting our China mini-site where we have lots of resources in addition to a short video.

Obviously the best way to get up to speed on configuring Oracle to suport business expansions in China is to register for "Rolling Out Oracle in China: Over Coming the Localization Challenge." Click here to register for next Wednesday's Webcast and reserve your sport for "Rolling Out Oracle in China: Over Coming the Localization Challenge."

Oracle Financials SubLedger Accounting in the Spotlight at Collaborate 11

2011-04-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

We're into the thick of things here at Collaborate 11 and today's presentations are highlighted by Noemi Ramirez and Christina Dooley's talk "Sub Ledger Accounting: Conditional Rule Creation Using Accounting Methods Builder," to be held at 4:00 pm in W205A.

As veteran Oracle Financials users can attest, the addition of significant Subledger functionality to Oracle Financials General Ledger module is one of the most welcome developments in Release 12.

For more information, check out our Collaborate 11 resources page.

Likewise, IT Convergence's Gustavo Gonzalez will be providing regular updates from Collaborate 11 via Twitter. Follow Gustavo's Tweets @ggonza4itc.

The Healthcare Reform Act and Oracle HRMS at Collaborate 11 – Tuesday April 12th

2011-04-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

Worried about the new Healthcare Reform Act? This presentation is for your HR department! IT Convergence’s Parimal Pardikar will be presenting “Healthcare Reform: Implementing Affordable Care Act 2010 for Employers Using Oracle HRMS” at Collaborate 11 today, Tuesday April 12th from 8:00-9:00.

Healthcare Reform: Implementing Affordable Care Act 2010 for Employers Using Oracle HRMS will focus on the things you need to know about the healthcare changes and how to effectively integrate them into Oracle HRMS.

Not able to Make It to Orlando for Collaborate 11?

No problem. IT Convergence will be posting all Collaborate 11 materials from our presenters on our Collaborate 11 resources page. We haven't uploaded any PPT's or white papers yet, but check back as we will do so soon. Click here to visit IT Convergence's Collaborate 11 page.

IFRS for Oracle @ Collaborate 2011 - Sunday April 10th

2011-04-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Attention to all accountants and Oracle users. IT Convergence President Patrick Krause will be delivering a presentation on International Financial and Reporting Standards at Collaborate 11, on Sunday April 10th, and 11:15 am. The session number is 8556, and it will be held in the convention center's room W2.

"IFRS for Beginners, an Overview of the International Financial Reporting Standards" will highlight the rise and adoption of IFRS and talk about how it impacts Oracle E-Business Suite users, as well as highlighting some key solutions available to Oracle end users.

Not able to Make It to Orlando for Collaborate 11?

No problem. IT Convergence will be posting all Collaborate 11 materials from our presenters on our Collaborate 11 resources page. We haven't uploaded any PPT's or white papers yet, but check back as we will do so soon. Click here to visit IT Convergence's Collaborate 11 page.

"Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade” Workshop in São Paulo!

2011-04-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Are you a Brazilian Oracle user whose looking to upgrade your Oracle E-Business Suite environment to Release 12?

The OAUG in conjunction with ITConvergence are pleased to offer Business Focused Cost Effective Oracle Training on how best to prepare for Oracle Release 12.

Since 2009 we’ve been offering this training, and now we’ve gone global! We’re coming to Sao Paulo, in just a few weeks!!

Deciding when and why to upgrade to R12 can be a challenge, so we decided to focus on the benefits for taking that next step and what the main business drivers are.

Many organizations are still debating on upgrading their current environment or
re-implementing and taking advantage of re-engineering the whole entity’s business model.

At this Workshop you’ll find the best alternatives for you and your organization and we will help you consider all technical and functional requirements.

Register today for the OAUG-ITC Oracle Applications Workshop : “Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade” in São Paulo that will be held during the week of April 25th-28th, and get 50% OFF!

For more information call 1.800.675.0032 ext. 2288 or send an e-mail to jnavarro@itconvergence.com

Versão em Português embaixo:

Se a sua empresa está precisando atualizar seu ambiente Oracle EBS para a versão R12, então a sua equipe ficará feliz em saber que o OAUG (Oracle Applications Users Group) em conjunto com ITConvergence estarão oferecendo treinamento especializado focado em Oracle Applications sobre a melhor forma de se preparar para ter sucesso no projeto de upgrade do Oracle R12!

Nós temos oferecido este treinamento desde 2009, e agora temos o orgulho de poder oferece-lo globalmente. Isto quer dizer que em apenas algumas semanas estaremos chegando em São Paulo!

Decidir como fazer o upgrade para a versão R12 tem se tornado uma questão difícil de planejar, por isso decidimos nos concentrar nas melhorias e nos principais beneficios de tomar este próximo passo.
Muitas organizações ainda estão debatendo se devem atualizar o ambiente atual ou optar por re-implementar e assim aproveitar a vantagem de restruturar o modelo de negócios de sua entidade empresarial.

Neste Workshop vamos apontar as melhores alternativas para você e sua organização e vamos ajudá-lo a considerar todos os requisitos técnicos e funcionais do projeto.

Registre-se hoje no Workshop Oracle Applications do OAUG-ITC com o tema: "Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade" em São Paulo, que será realizado durante a semana do 25-28 abril, e ganhe 50% de desconto!

Para mais informações ligue no +54.11.4000.8400 ext.2288 ou encaminhe um e-mail para jnavarro@itconvergence.com

IT Convergence's Media Coverage in India

2011-03-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

During IT Convergence's inauguration ceremony of its facilities in Hyderabad, India, several television channels and the were present to take part in the festivities.

If you're feeling adventurous and would like to watch the coverage in its native Telugu tongue check them out below:

Local TV:

Gemini TV:

For more information on IT Convergence's Global Reach in India click here to find out more.

Oracle ERP 101 for Manufacturing Companies Webcast

2011-02-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

IT Convergence will be holding its next Webcast titled “Oracle ERP 101 for Manufacturing Companies” on Wednesday March 16, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. EST / 8:00 a.m. PST / 16:00 UTC and would like to invite you to take advantage of a unique opportunity to get some insight into Oracle ERP.

The webcast will be presented by Dan Natchek and will touch on the benefits of an ERP system and how manufacturing companies can take advantage of its tools as well as learn basic ERP business flows and concepts for their processes. It will focus on how Oracle’s new Manufacturing Execution System can streamline shop floor operations, and provide supervisors with better visibility and intelligence.

Register today! More information about this topic and other business solutions check out the IT Convergence website.

Kick off your R12 upgrade at Lambeau field

2011-02-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

Oracle 11i de-support is coming ever closer and R12 is already on the horizon! But there’s no need to worry. ITC has done its homework and is ready to take you where you need to go; that’s why we’re proud to announce our free R12 Round Table event at Lambeau Field!

Come join us at MVP private box 4039 on February 17th from 9-4 and learn what an R12 upgrade entails, how to upgrade successfully, and how your company can benefit from an R12 upgrade. Don’t lose this chance to talk to our experts about your business needs!

Registration is free but spaces are limited.

Click Here to Reserve Your Spot Today. We look forward to seeing you there!

Oracle R12 Manufacturing and Supply Chain New Features Workshop - "Naperville" Moved

2011-01-31T09:55:00.000-08:00

We'd like to announce that the AOUG workshop "Oracle R12 Manufacturing and Supply Chain New Features" in Naperville has been moved from 2/21/2011-2/24/2011 to 2/28/2011-3/3/2011.

Can't make it? Try and catch our ERP 101 for Manufacturing Organizations webcast on February 16th at 11:00 a.m. EST/8:00 a.m. PST/16:00 UTC!

Contact us today for more details!

Need Oracle to Support Brazilian Operations?– Read A Story of How We Did it

2011-01-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Expanding operations into Brazil is complicated. Rolling out Oracle in Brazil, with all of the requisite localizations is also one of the “unique” challenges that Oracle implementers will face. Could you try to do both simultaneously and hope to stay sane?

The answer is yes, and IT Convergence happy to share the story of how one client who works with global positioning solutions pulled this off . What’s more, by the time all was said and done, this company had rolled out Oracle and established a legal entity – all without even opening a physical office.

To read more about how all of this was done, click here to check out our Oracle Brazil solutions page, and check out the story on our right column. (Feeling adventurous? You can click here to read the Portuguese version of the story on our Soluções Oracle Para O Brasil page.)

Reporting Options for Oracle EBS R12 unveiled: your doubts cleared

2011-01-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

In our webcast on R12 Oracle E-Business Suite Reporting Options, we had 95 users register to hear what information ITC could give about the different options users have in for E-Business Suite reporting.

It is important for any Oracle R12 user to carefully consider their reporting options as there are many tools available to extrapolate data from the many business facets managed with the Oracle EBS. Whether you’re tracking purchasing, expenses or even payments, the E-Business Suite provides you with the necessary tools to separate the data you need from that noise you don’t and convert it to useful, projected facts.

In our webcast, we had several questions about these tools and as always, we’re happy to share the transcript of the Q&A session.

In your opinion, what is the best reporting solution for most businesses? OBIEE?

No reporting solution fits all. It all depends on an organization’s needs. Some can use Oracle Standard Reports; FSG’s as well as BI Publisher with the E-Business and be happy with it. Organizations large enough to use Oracle E-Business Suite applications typically require some type of ad-hoc reporting capability if not a complete Business Intelligence environment. What tools they need and are able to implement will depend on various factors including: budget, timeline, available technical resources, ad-hoc query, etc.

How does BI Publisher differ between E-Business Suite and OBIEE?

In BI (formerly XML) Publisher the data comes from Oracle Reports and FSG’s. In OBIEE, however, data comes from answers query. BI (XML) Publisher which is included in the Oracle E-Business Suite can only report on Oracle Standard Reports and FSG’s.
The administration is handled as part of the Oracle E-Business Suite using the XML Publisher Administrator responsibility which is similar to the System Administrator responsibility. BI Publisher Enterprise Edition, included in OBIEE, is a stand alone product with its own administrative functionality to define sources of data for reports, user security as for who can access BI Publisher, etc.

What is the migration path from Discoverer to OBIEE?

If you are using the new 11g products for Discoverer and OBIEE, you can use a Discoverer report as a source of data for your OBIEE Answers report.
For 10g products, there are several options that depend on whether you intend to use the BI Analytic Applications or build your own reports and dashboards. If you intend to implement BI Analytics, review what reports they provide and identify any "unique" Discoverer reports that you might have to create manually. If you are not implementing BI Analytics, Oracle does provide a tool that can help migrate the Discoverer End User Layer with its data definitions into the format needed to implement into the OBIEE repository. The actual Discoverer reports are not migrated and would need to be manually created in OBIEE. However, if the data definitions can be migrated, creating the reports is much quicker. The migration process from Discoverer to OBIEE will require very detailed planning. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further on an individual basis.

Can I use OBIEE to create reports and dashboards without creating a data warehouse?

There are two options for this. One is to create an OBI Answers report using SQL. This is a quick approach but must be created by IT staff. The other is to use Oracle View to create a data source that is recognizable by the OBI Server. This view can point to data in the Oracle E-Business Suite Application tables or custom Oracle tables. It is a good option to make real-time data available for specific reports. IT Staff would have to implement the View in the OBI Server, but users could then create their own reports using the data in this view. Please note that when using either option, the query response time will be relatively slow and you may be impacting data entry if you are accessing the online tables.

If I customize a Noetix View, will this view still work after I upgrade to a new version of my Oracle E-Business Suite Applications?

Noetix provides a “Certification” process allowing custom changes to their views that will work after an application upgrade. Noetix does require that the staff making these changes attend a class and adhere to a defined methodology when making these changes for better standardization processes.
Can Discoverer work with BI Publisher to provide better formatting options?
Discoverer can work with the BI Publisher Enterprise Edition. There are some technical pre-requisites for these tools to work together.

How can Discoverer Desktop with Noetix Views be upgraded to OBIEE Standard Edition?

If you’re using Discoverer with Noetix views, you should try the Noetix View Generator for this task. This is a component for OBIEE which is part of the Noetix poolset. This will help users who are used to the views in Noetix to be able to see them in the OBIEE environment. It won’t redesign the data for a data warehouse type environment but you will be able to take advantage of the OIBEE Dashboard components.

The BI Reporting Options workshop for E-Business R12 is part of the larger Oracle Applications Workshops that we’re sponsoring with the OAUG, whose members get 25% off the admission price, with additional discounts for companies that buy multiple workshop seats. Contact us today to find out more.

OBIEE End User and Administrators Classes Merged

2011-01-20T05:18:00.000-08:00

IT Convergence and the OAUG announce that they are merging their “OBIEE for End Users” and “OBIEE for Administrators” workshops in the Oracle Applications Workshops that it is offering with the OAUG.

Although previously separate course offerings, the OBIEE classes for end users and administrators as one integrated course. IT Convergence Director of Public Education Gustavo Gonzalez, decided to merge the courses after so many students requested information about the complimenting sides of the interface for a better big picture overview.

OBIEE End Users were asking for more information on security and data sourcing, while OBIEE Administrators were becoming increasingly interested in creating reports and dashboard.

This change will give attendees a clearer picture of how OBIEE runs, both inside and out, allowing them to better understand the application and thus get the most of it. Now, both sides will be able understand how to model the information, perform queries, as well as the optimization and fine tuning functions.

OBIEE for End-Users and Administrators It is still taught as a five day course and offered in multiple locations nationwide including: New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Dallas.

To check out the new OBIEE for End-Users and Administrators click here.

Oracle E-Business Suite Reporting Tools Webcast

2011-01-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

IT Convergence will be holding its next Webcast, titled “Ace the Oracle E-Business Reporting Test” on Wednesday January 12th at 8:00 am Pacific, 11:00 am Eastern.

This webcast is aimed at previewing ways in which Oracle E-Business Suite users transform complex, tedious data into user-friendly and understandable information. Attendees will also get an idea on of how to choose the right reporting tool.

Specifically, ”Ace the Oracle E-Business Reporting Test” will focus on:

● an outline of the reporting tools available to Oracle users, ie: BI Publisher, Discoverer, Noetix and Oracle Business Intelligence.
● which reporting tools contain the elements needed to meet your business needs
● provide an overview understanding of how each reporting tool works
● ensuring scalability with respect to future upgrades

IT Convergence’s expert on Business Intelligence and E-Business Suite, Gustavo Gonzalez Figueroa, who is the Global Information Systems Director at IT Convergence and Tom McGrath, web developer at ITC will be presenting this Webcast.

The webcast is absolutely free of charge and is open to the general public. The only requirements are:

● An understanding of one’s current reporting capabilities within E-Business Suite
● An understanding on one’s future reporting requirements

The webcast will be held on the 12th of January at 8am Pacific-11am Eastern

What are you waiting for, reserve your spot now. Take advantage and click here to register for “Ace the Oracle E-Business Reporting Test”. You have nothing to lose, but you’ll gain some ´business intelligence.’

Improve your Oracle Skills and Knowledge

2011-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

After working in the Oracle space for12 years and in 8 countries, I still need training for a slew of technologies for either myself or my staff.

By training, I mean the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies.

As I came across this definition it made me reflect of the methods in which we used to train and how we employ these methods to develop the best teams. The initial concept we used was one that revolved around the idea of an "episode." In this way of thinking, training is periodical: you acquire knowledge and update it once those concepts are put in to practice and thoroughly understood.

However, the point in between “training episodes” can be blurry and does not often get addressed by standard training methods. This is where exploration of new learning methods and collaboration with larger networks becomes valuable.

At IT Convergence, we have several education offerings that are the results of this exploration into new learning methods; all to help you experience the power of great Oracle solutions. One example is our free webcasts that we offer with the Oracle Applications User Group (OAUG) as part of their Vendor Product Awareness Series.

Another example is our public workshops that are also a result of partnerships with the OAUG and International Oracle Users Group (IOUG). These are instructor-led workshops on a number of Oracle technologies (Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle Database, Business Intelligence, Support tools – Oracle UPK & Oracle Tutor) offered in over 10 different locations across the US. Each topic is defined with the users’ groups to provide solutions based on needs of highest importance within companies.

We’re currently in the process of creating Virtual Live Workshops (VLW). This will extend our reach and allow attendees to participate in our classes from anywhere with a computer and internet access.

If you and your staff need a special topic that is not discussed or sufficiently covered in our workshops, we also provide on-site education solutions. Our experts can prepare courses based on your company’s needs using our effective training methods.

We are passionate about workplace learning and increasing performance with better Oracle solutions. As the leader of our education initiatives, I’m happy to work with you and share our passion. I look forward to seeing you at our Oracle Applications Workshops.

In the mean time I invite you to stay in touch, you can leave a comment here, follow IT Convergence's Twitter feed and/or the Twitter feed we have set up especially for the Oracle Applications Workshops.

- Gustavo Gonzalez, Global IT Manager/Director of Public Education, IT Convergence

Oracle R12 Subledger Functionality - Your Questions Answered

2010-12-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

Last week over 90 people registered for IT Convergence’s latest webcast, Oracle R12 Subledger Functionality: Conditional Rule Creation.

Oracle Financials is of course at the core of Release 12 of the Oracle E-Business Suite, and the new Subledger functionality within the General Ledger has generated an enormous amount of interest in the Oracle user community.

As promised, we are happy to provide a transcript of the Q&A portion of the webcast.

Christina, why you need to number the lines and the conditions 10 spaces apart?
It’s similar to when you’re doing journal entries in the GL, If you put them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and you’ve forgotten something, you can’t go back in and add it into the sequence of events. But if you number them about 10 spaces apart; 10, 20, 30, 40, ect, you can always go back in and add something to your concatenation strings or to your condition sequence of events. So by the 10 I can go back in and put a 5 which would then become the first sequence of events or piece of information that it concatenates.
If I copy an Oracle rule, it doesn’t automatically replace the Oracle rule with mine in the rest of the setup?
No, so just like that accounting builder method overview showed, if you modified or create a rule a journal line type, account derivation, or journal description you have to go in and place it, into either in an existing journal line definition or create a new journal line definition. And then that journal line definition gets placed into or into a new created, application accounting definition and then that application accounting definition get placed into a Subledger accounting method. So remember that the flow of information works from the bottom up, you’ve touched almost the bottom most row and then you need to touch the rest of the flow as well.
Do I have to modify the rules in Subledger accounting for it to work properly? Subledger accounting out of the box is running quietly and in the background, always in R12. If you do not modify any of the setups or the accounting methods builder the rules in the subledger accounting, out of the box it works just passing your information from your subledgers to your General Ledger. So there’s nothing you have to do in order for subledger accounting to work, it’s already setup and running in Oracle R12.
Can we create custom events within R12’s subledgers?
Yes, you will have noticed in our accounting methods builder when you’re under that setup list, there is a setup function for setting up custom events and sources. So you can do both you can create your own custom event based on your business need as well as your different sources, if you have something external coming in you can create a source for that as well.
Are you planning to do another webcast or another presentation on Oracle R12’s Subledger accounting?
Yes, so our first one on the overview of Oracle Financials R12 was back in August or September where I think we just did the overview of subledger accounting there. In October we offered our first webcast devoted to Oracle R12’s subledger accounting,, so now we are following up with rule creation and probably in the spring some time we’ll offer a third on subledger accounting on more custom creation and the rest of the journal definition accounting method and application accounting definition, ect.
Is there any new reporting with R12’s subledger accounting
Yes, there is a lot of new reporting with subledger accounting. One of the best is the Subledger Accounting Exception report, that runs when you create accounting from one of your subledgers and it is excellent. Really, Oracle has stepped up their game with new error messages that are extremely user friendly, so you are really going to like the subledger accounting exceptions report. There’s a couple of other canned reports that subledger accounting gives you, but it’s all about how the flow of information either got stuck or stopped or if a rule failed, things like that.

Our first webcast of 2011 will be on reporting options for the Oracle E-Business Suite R12.

Indeed, we’re expecting to offer another webcast on Oracle R12 Subledger accounting in either March or April of 2011. In the meantime, if you need to get up to speed on Oracle Financials R12 Subledger Accounting you can attend the workshop on it that we are offering with the Oracle Applications Users Group.

The R12 Subledger accounting workshop is part of the larger Oracle Applications Workshops that we’re sponsoring with the OAUG, whose members get 25% off the admission price, with additional discounts for companies that buy multiple workshop seats.

You can click here to register for our webcast on Oracle E-Business Suite Reporting options by clicking here. Likewise, click here for more information about our Oracle R12 Subledger Functionality workshop.

Q&A on Oracle Manufacturing R12 New Features

2010-12-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

IT Convergence Began December with its webcast “Do Magic with Oracle R12 Manufacturing” which focused on R12 Manufacturing’s new features.

The host was Dan Natchek, a expert who worked for Oracle for over 17 years, and literally wrote the book on Oracle Manufacturing, as he was the co-author of Oracle E-Business Suite: Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management which, while it was on Oracle 11i, remains required reading for legions of Oracle consultants.

As promised during the webcast, we’re happy to provide a transcript of the Q&A session which followed "Do Magic with Oracle R12 Manufacturing."

You’ve mentioned that there are a lot of new capabilities with the new Oracle MES. Can you give us a quick summary of some more of them?

Sure. You can control whether you can “skip” operations and require that each operation be performed in sequence; you can control whether the workstation is used in single-user mode or shared; that means that if you do charge actual time, the workstation can derive the employee from the signon, instead of having the enter your badge for each transaction.
I don’t think I emphasized it, but right on the dispatch list you can perform express transactions, and you can perform two transactions at once, for example move part of the quantity and scrap or reject a portion.

If you don’t need to calculate actual time, there is an option called Job On/Job Off; this lets your supervisor and co-workers know that you’re working on the job.

And I think I’ve mentioned the ability to formally expedite (and also UnExpedite) jobs.

Can I use the component yield factor selectively?

For example, on some production lines I don’t want to inflate the backflush quantities, but I do want that behavior for other lines.

The parameter is set at the Organization level, so that’s the only selection ability you have. If your lines are in different organizations, you can do what you want, but within an organization, you’d have to decide which option is more useful, and use manual adjustments as needed.

Can I use the Quality Audit capability in Release 11?

I don’t think Oracle has any plans to backport the templates … correct me if I’m wrong … but it’s all pretty standard Parent/Child quality collection plans, so you could duplicate the functionality in Release 11 if you want. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but the quality audit functionality was developed by one or more of Oracle’s customers who suggested that Oracle include it in R12.

You didn’t mention the merging of the Discrete and Process Inventory models; I thought that was a big enhancement in R12?

You’re right, that is a big enhancement, but my area of expertise is really discrete manufacturing, and in my opinion, the Inventory Model Convergence benefits mostly Process manufacturers … they can use the cycle counting and physical inventory capabilities, for example.

The one enhancement that I was looking forward to, the Dual Unit of Measure capability, can’t be used with items that have or are used in Bills of Material, so that really limits the usefulness of that feature for Discrete Manufacturing organizations.

Anyone who missed the Dan’s webcast will get multiple chances to take advantage of Dan’s expertise. Dan will be doing another webcast in February, titled “Oracle ERP 101 for Manufacturing Organizations.” You can register for that webcast by clicking here.

Dan will also be teaching several courses on Oracle Manufacture through the Oracle Applications Workshops sponsored by IT Convergence and the OAUG.

In January, Dan will be teaching Oracle R12 Manufacturing New Features, and Oracle ERP 101 for Manufacturing Organizations.

In March Dan will lead the workshops on Oracle MES. The first two days will focus on the setting up Oracle MES, and the second two days will focus on using the Oracle MES Workstation. Oracle MES Setup and Oracle MES Workstation can be taken as individual workshops or together.

For more information about these workshops or to register, either click on the highlighted course links or click here to visit the Oracle Applications Workshops home page.

Oracle R12 Financials Subledger Accounting Webcast set for Wednesday

2010-12-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

IT Convergence marches on with its next edition in its series webcats on Oracle Applications Release 12. This latest one offers better insight into the subledger accounting engine in the R12 Financial Applications Suite.

The Title of this webcast is Sub Ledger Accounting: Conditional Rule Creation Using Accounting Methods Builder Webcast, and its core focus in this webcast will be the flow of information from the AP subledger to postings in the general ledger. We’ll be taking a look at the impacts this flow has on the new sub ledger accounting rules created using the Accounting Methods Builder. In addition, we will also give special attention to creating customized conditional rules for varying and specific instances.

IT Convergence Education Services Senior Principle Instructor Christina Dooley, a 12-year veteran in IT Training and Instruction, will lead the webcast. Dooley has analyzed, developed, designed and implemented training projects for numerous organizations on an enterprise-wide scale.

"Sub Ledger Accounting: Conditional Rule Creation Using Accounting Methods Builder" will be held on Wednesday, December 15th, at 8:00 am PST/11:00 am EST.

Click here to visit the our website and register for Sub Ledger Accounting: Conditional Rule Creation Using Accounting Methods Builder Webcast.

ITC to Produce Oracle Videos in Light of India Video Success

2010-12-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

IT Convergence's customers and prospects can look forward to seeing much more of the company in the year 2011.

Literally.

IT Convergence chose the use the occasion of the opening of its India offices in Hydrabad and Banglore to make its first foray into the word of digital marketing. Instead of making the announcement via press release or some other traditional, formal announcement, ITC produced the video "India Never Sleeps" and released it on You Tube.

In three months since its launch, "India Never Sleeps" video has had over 2,611 views. This comes in addition to those who viewed the video on IT Convergence's India services page, as well as those who have viewed the cloned version.

The video went live at the end of August. Although the overall numbers were overwhelming by any stretch of the imagination, the vast majority of those views have been organic.

Beyond making an initial push via email, the rest of the growth in page views has come as a result of word of mouth contacts or referrals, and most of the growth occurred in the first two months after the video launch. How much more traction could the video gain with sustained effort to promote it?

Oracle Videos Coming Soon

With that final question in mind, IT Convergence is set to produce more videos on 2010.

To be certain, some of the videos will be similar to the India video -- a new one touting Brazil is already in the works -- but the rest of the videos will be on topics relating directly to ITC's core business -- Oracle.

Already a video on Oracle MLS (or non-MLS) language solutions for Oracle users in China is in the works.

So stay turned for further details. In the mean time, you can check out IT Convergence's India services page and its China Oracle Solutions page.

Do Magic with Oracle R12 Manufacturing Webcast

2010-11-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

Oracle R12 Manufacturing is here with this latest release, Oracle Corporation has answered the prayers that Oracle Manufacturing users have been clamoring for years.

These innovative new features will be the focus of the Webcast “Do Magic with Oracle R12 Manufacturing” presented by IT Convergence Education Services on Wednesday December 1st, at 11:00 am EST/8:00 PST.

Managing Principal Instructor Dan Natchek, CFPIM, will host the webcast. Dan has close to decades of experience with ERP, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain solutions. As a former Oracle Employee, Dan helped design some of the very features that R12 Manufacturing encompasses, and earlier co-wrote the book Oracle E-Business Suite: Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management.

Although the book covers Oracle 11i, it remains required reading for new Oracle consultants.

During “Do Magic with Oracle R12 Manufacturing” Dan will discuss R12’s new features and enhancements as they relate to:

Fixed-quantity components
Component yield in WIP (Work in Progress) transactions
Oracle MES for Discrete Manufacturing
Quality Audits
Lot/serial genealogy enhancements

This webcast is free and open to everyone in the public. However, you must register and you may click here to reserve your spot at “Do Magic with Oracle R12 Manufacturing.”

ITC Expanding Array of Oracle Applications Workshops

2010-10-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

IT Convergence and the OAUG are happy to announce our expanded Oracle Applications Workshops class offerings!

Over one-hundred Oracle E-Business Suite users have already taken advantage of these cost-effective, business-focused workshops that cover the umbrella of Oracle R12 Modules and Applications. Such a positive response from the Oracle-User community has prompted us to continue some of our most in-demand educational workshops, as well as to extend our workshop-line into the Oracle Manufacturing module!

Inventory levels are low and the economy has bottomed out--what does that mean for manufacturing organizations? In the Oracle IT world, it means making sure you are fully utilizing your Oracle Manufacturing module investments! Adequate training and added visibility to your manufacturing space will ensure your organization can properly align production outputs with changing demand forecasts. Learn about the general functionality of Oracle Manufacturing ERP and how it relates to daily business activities in Oracle ERP 101: Manufacturing Organizations or help your team gain deeper insight into the new functionalities within the Manufacturing and Supply-Chain Modules by attending Oracle R12 Manufacturing New Features. And for System Administrators, Shop-Floor Supervisors, and Super-users, we are offering workshops entitled Oracle R12 Manufacturing Execution System MES Setup and Oracle R12 Manufacturing Execution System MES Workstation. These two workshops teach you how to set-up, configure and report shop-floor transactions within the R12 Oracle Manufacturing System, giving you greater control and visibility of daily shop-floor activities.

In addition to our new courses concerning the Manufacturing modules, we are extending scheduling for our more popular class offerings. These include Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade, Documentation and Compliance with UPK and Oracle Tutor, Oracle R12 Financials New Features, Oracle R12 Project Accounting, Expediting Month-End-Close with Oracle R12, Sub-ledger accounting and E-business Tax.

Whether you are planning your organizations path to the R12 or you are looking to brush-up on specific R12 module training, these cost-effective, hands-on courses can be leveraged against even the most dynamic type of Oracle footprint. And with locations located all around the country chances are that there is probably one near you!

If you would like more more detailed information concerning the Oracle Application Workshops:

1-800-675-0032 ex. 2878

jmoreno@itconvergence.com

Make R12 Subledger Accounting Work For You

2010-10-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

We are happy to provide a transcript of the Q&A section of “Make R12 sub-ledger accounting work for you” here:

If I am just a regular U.S.-based company, nothing fancy, with only one set of books today, why do I need a secondary ledger?

Secondary ledgers are not required. So if you’re very simplistic, you have one set of books, you may not need the second ledger. However, you may want to consider it for such purposes as your GAP or your IFRS reporting purposes. But it is not required.

Isn’t SLA the same as what was in release tables 11? It sure seems like that based on what you are saying with the create accounting and accounting events.

It is very similar. To an end-user the process looks the same. You’re going to still run create accounting with the same program. As we saw with AP you can run it through the actions button in the invoice workbench. So from an end-user perspective it looks the same. What is different is that it is no longer going into the GL interfaces table it is now going into an XLA table, a sub-ledger accounting table. Then it moves over to general ledger from there. As well, there is a lot more flexibility with creating your rules. With your account derivation rules, you’re able to put in complex values and formulas. If you have complexities you have the ability to create those rules easily through the AMB. So those are the differences, it is not going to really impact the end-user

The existing cross-validation rules, do they need to be re-setup in the accounting derivation rules screen?

The existing cross-validation rules, they don’t need to be re-setup. Again, that’s a tricky question. You have to take a look at the rule itself. Some of the rules will automatically be setup when sub-ledger accounting is implemented. Oracle has a lot of the seed rules. If you have complex validation rules that you have created, some of those will upgrade. That’s one of those things that you really need to take a close look at to ensure that: 1) Your rule upgrades and 2) That it is still valid for the transactions that you have. And you may need to do some adjustments on those derivation rules but not necessarily. So again that’s a tricky question without seeing the exact rules that you are talking about.

Is SLA required to implement R12?

It is not. It’s not a stand-alone module. However, it is going to be there in the background. What happens is you can either set it up so that you can take advantage of doing your inquiries and reporting through sub-ledger accounting, or you can set it up so that things just pass right through sub-ledger accounting over to general ledger and you can function without the use of sub-ledger accounting, so to speak, from an end-user perspective. So it is not required. It already comes preceded with everything it needs to run R12 without you needing to do anything else.

You explained how sub-ledger accounting works with APAR and Purchasing, but what about other applications such as fixed assets and inventory? Does the same process apply across all applications which generate financial transactions?

For the most part, any sub-ledger that has a financial impact will go through sub-ledger accounting, and, again, the rules that are set up will have an affect on how those transactions are created and moved to the general ledger. Basically, any sub-ledger that has a financial impact will come through sub-ledger accounting in much the same way.

Does the AP module validate general ledger account numbers prior to posting in accounts payable?

There are several different engines that could do validation for you. So the answer is, yes, it possibly could do that. You may do validation upon entry, you might do validation upon approval or you might do validation upon create accounting. So there are different levels at which you can do validation. So if you did it at entry or at approval, yes, the AP module does that validation for you.

Will we need to re-implement the financials if we need to use the SLA functionality?

I guess I have a question back, are you already on R12 and you didn’t implement sub-ledger accounting, or are you moving to R12? Let me just clarify that, because if you are already on R12 and you want to include sub-ledger accounting, you should be able to begin using sub-ledger accounting without re-implementing your financials. That being said, you want to look at the rules again to make sure that all the rules are set up to handle all the different transaction types that you will be using. I can’t think of anything that would be setup in financials that you will have to change to use sub-ledger accounting. If you are on 11i and you are doing an upgrade and you want to use sub-ledger accounting, you do not have to re-implement to use sub-ledger accounting you can still upgrade

How does the sub-ledger accounting engine handle inbound journal entries from third-party systems that will eventually book to the Oracle ledger?

You would need to create an interface if you wanted to bring them into sub-ledger accounting or you could take them directly to the general ledger. So that’s a decision that you would want to make internally on how you want to handle that. If you’ll be using sub-ledger accounting and doing some pre-reporting before you move things to the general ledger with your Oracle sub-ledgers, I would suggest you interface your third party journal entries into SLA. They would be handled the same as any other transactions that are in the SLA table once you decide to post. Depending on the journal entries that are created, you may need to have an interface that will move them over to general ledger for posting as well. So that’s something that you’ll need to take a look at. But they should be handled the same way as far as when it moves to general ledger.

Do accounting derivation rules that replace the workflow account generator? Can you customize as you would any workflow?

For the most part, yes. Now the account generator still does exist for assets. But for the most part, the rest of the sub-ledgers use the account derivation rules instead of the account generator. And about customizing the workflow, yes, you can, it’s like any other workflow within Oracle. You can do customizations to it, although I have not run into anyone that has had to do it.

What are your lessons learned about moving from 11i t 12 as it relates to sub-ledger and general ledger?

It’s a pretty clean process. I personally haven’t come across any difficulties. Now the one thing that I will caution you on is if you do create or update the rules in the AMB, test them thoroughly before going live. I would definitely do it in a test environment and test them before putting them into production, just like any other major change that you would do in an application. Reason being you may set up a rule thinking it is going to do one thing and the system actually interprets it in another way and does something different. So that’s the other major lesson I have learned. Sometimes we interpret the rule one way and the system interprets it another way. So just double check those if you are making any changes or adding any new rules. Otherwise, it’s pretty smooth, it’s a pretty good program.

Is sub-ledger accounting an extension of the already available global accounting engine provided by Oracle for European and regulatory standards?

It works in conjunction with the global accounting engine, I wouldn’t call it an extension of it. They do work together. The global accounting engine would take on rules from sub-ledger accounting and move into general ledger, I’m not sure which overrides which, but they do work together. I would have to take a closer look at that for you, so let me get back to you on that answer.

In the event you missed the presentation, you can download the Power Point by visiting our Oracle R12 Resources Page.

Additional resources concerning R12 Financials can be found here: R12 Financial Management and Release 12 Financials at a Glance

If you need more detailed education on Oracle R12, you can attend one of the Oracle Applications Workshops that IT Convergence is sponsoring with the Oracle Applications Users group.

Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade will be held in San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Madison, Anaheim, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Houston, and Orlando. New Features in Oracle Financials R12 will be held in San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Madison, and Anaheim. Expediting Month End Close with Oracle R12 will be held in San Francisco and New York.

You can also register to attend our October 20th Webcast on Salesforce CRM for Oracle E-Business Suite Users.

Interested in finding out more information?

Contact us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2878

Reflections on Oracle OpenWorld 2010

2010-09-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

And finally its time to go back home after a wonderful week at Oracle Open World. We spent 5 days surrounded by the latest Oracle technology. It was a show of much more than software, as Larry Elison (Oracle CEO) mentioned almost a hundred times at his keynote: Hardware + Software.

For me, being at OOW is always a mix between being part of an organization that provides Oracle services and taking the time to meet clients, prospects and also being an Oracle client to understand and plan the strategy of a global company.

The Oracle World Convergence on Muscone Center

As usual, it is also time to meet friends from Argentina and catch up on the status of the market in Latin America. We can also meet the people that we talk to everyday on the phone.

This year, Oracle not only stopped the traffic on Howard street with the “Howard Tent”, Oracle stopped two other streets with atent for JavaOne, a tent that was packed full with features from Oracle Technology Network. We played in Legoland and chatted with some tech friends.

Larry's Head is in the Clouds

Sunday's keynote was about “Cloud computing” and presenting the new “Exalogic” machine (acloud in a box). Afterwards, there was a presentation of a new operating system and the release of the new Fusion Application.

In that first presentation Larry was clear that Oracle agrees with Amazon on the cloud definition but not with Salesforce. And that led to a discussion that was refuted by Mark Benioff (Salesforce CEO and founder) during his Wednesday presentation.

Thoughts on Fusion

Regarding Fusion, it’s a very interesting approach sos we as clients and ITC as an organization will be able to keep the plans as defined. There’s no need to migrate our entire footprint to Fusion yet.

There are some important tips that we will be working on now both as an organization that provides Oracle Services and as an Oracle End User. Here they are: 1) upgrade and keep updated on the latest release of our product investments, 2) adopt Oracle Fusion Middleware for the value it can provide us today and as a foundation for Oracle Fusion Applications in the future, 3) develop skill sets for standards-based technologies, 4) maintain our current Oracle Applications and take advantage of the new releases Oracle will continue to offer, 5) extend the value of our portfolio with Oracle Fusion Applications module, and finally 6) embrace the Oracle Fusion Applications suite.

Taking Our Own Medicine, Oracle R12 and Oracle VM

After co-presenting our “Planning for Oracle E-Business Suite 12”with James Utz and Karen Kerames on Sunday to a very crowded room, we spent around 45 minutes answering questions about our expertise on R12.

Then it was time to enjoy the Oracle ACE dinner for the first time. Dinner was on a Cruise where we met all the Oracle ACE and ACE Directors from around the world, exchanging experiences while navigating on the bay area. Thanks Marcelo Ochoa for supporting my application and being such a great host during the cruise.

Monday was a very busy day. As part of our alliance with Oracle as clients, we will become a global Oracle reference on virtualization using Oracle VM, Oracle Enterprise Linux and Linux Unbreakable. I met several journalists and analysts and got ready for the session “Mission Possible: Oracle E-Business Suite 12 Upgrade on 3 Continents in 6 Months.” It was an awesome session, with lots of people and many questions. I really enjoyed it.

15 Min of Fame

On Tuesday, it was time for a video shoot, and Oracle’s PR (thanks Olivia) making sure that I was comfortable (and I was…). The video shooting was done on both English and Spanish and you’ll be able to watch it at Oracle.com pretty soon.

On Tuesday, IT Convergence invited several clients and prospects to an Executive dinner which was really good. It was a beautiful evening in Sausalito inone of the top restaurants of the area which boasts outstanding service. Patrick Krause (ITC President) gave a brief speech on the latest news about IT Convergence such as the fact that the company will be opening an office in India, extending operations in Brazil and continuing our focus on providing training and public classes around United States and Latin America.

On Wednesday, I spent some time at the IT Convergence booth talking to the people from all over the world that were visiting the exhibition. I learnt that 110 countries were represented at Oracle Open World and it sounds about right to me.

Larry and Mark Duel over the Meaning of "Cloud"

On Wednesday morning I attended a Salesforce’s presentation. It was really interesting to see how Mark Benioff (a former Oracle employee) was attacking (he started his speech with “I came in peace”) the definition of Elisson on the Cloud in the box. He invited Michael Dell onto the stage, who was very careful with his words. That session was about the presentation of their new “Chatter” tool, which looks like Facebook (but for business, I'm not so sure).

Anyways, after attending that speech I couldn’t wait for Larry’s reply. As anticipated, he replied on his Wednesday keynote address, telling Benioff that Salesforce.com is running on 1500 servers, which can be replaced by a few boxes of exalogic, in order to create a true cloud. Fair enough, it is business, and I hope that Oracle can finally sell Salesforce.com these “cloud boxes” and end the discussion. (Note, for a discussion on Salesforce.com, Oracle CRM, and CRM options that Oracle E-Business Suite users have, you can register to attend our October 20th Webcast. Click here to register.)

Treausre Island

At 1pm, it was time for the session where I had been invited by Oracle to show our successful implementation of Oracle VM, Oracle Enterprise Linux and Linux unbreakable. After several phone calls and email exchanges I met John, Max and Zeynep.

The presentation covered all the angles of a database migration, and application tier, to different operating systems for virtualization. It also addressed the new tools that Oracle is providing to support this, concluding with IT Convergence’s success story.

“The appreciation event” in the evening was huge. With more than 15,000 people (not sure how many) and many bands and lots of food and drink, it was the perfect wrap up for an amazing show.

Black Eyed Peas, Berlin and many others got the people jumping and dancing until 1am! It was just great!

Its a Wrap with Oracle Project Analytics and Oracle EBS

Thursday was the last session.

Patrick and I, together with Rao from Oracle presented “Oracle Project Analytics for Oracle E-Business Suite”. Many people were interested in our implementation process and in how we were able to get the most from Oracle BI Enterprise Edition and Projects Analytics in our E-Business Suite implementation.
Rao presented the roadmap of Project analytics and how this will be integrated with Fusion application.

It was a great show. Thanks Oracle for such an incredible week and we all look forward to Oracle Open World 2011.

For more information, please check out IT Convergence’s Oracle OpenWorld 2010 Resource page. The white paper backing up Gustavo’s “Mission Possible” presentation is available for download, and other Oracle OpenWorld Power Point Presentations will soon be uploaded for your convenience. Click here to visit.

Oracle R12 and Oracle Enterprise Linux at OpenWorld 2010

2010-09-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

It is a new Oracle Open World this year, and it has been new for the past few years because of the acquisitions from Oracle on many many companies with multiple products.

This year is Sun and and the main topics are "cloud", virtualization and last but not least Release 12. I've been into 2 sessions, one co-presenting with James Utz and Karen Kerames on the Planning for the R12 upgrade and yesterday my presentation with more than 100 people attending the success story of ITC and our R12 upgrade. Both sessions were very popular and that is because many organizations are either planning or executing the upgrade and there are many questions and concerns on thee best approach to plan and execute this upgrade.

On the other hand and, based on the concepts that were brough up by Larry Elisson during, the keynote, IT Convergence was presented as a success story among Oracle clients for it success on the use a of virtualization and Oracle Enterprise Linux. I'll be co-presenting on Wednesday with some oracle folks our case.

I was also invited by several media people to talk to them in order to have more insights on this new technology and field that Oracle is starting to growth.

I'll be working on more entries but this is definitely a big show and the content and strategy from Oracle is a must for IT executives and those who are on Oracle OpenWorld. Meanwhile, if you're looking for more information, check IT Convergence's Oracle OpenWorld Resources page.

Ensuring Security in Oracle R12 Financials Q&A

2010-09-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Last week IT Convergence held its most recent OAUG Vender Product Awarness session and like several others before it, this one dealt with Oracle Financials. We are happy to provide a transcript of the Q&A section of “Ensuring Security in Oracle R12 Financials” here:

Is Role-Based-Access Control available in 11.5.10?

Yes, RBAC is available in 11.5.10 with less seeded permissions provided by Oracle.

Our IT Dept controls set-ups etc... Is there a way to create an Admin Responsibility that will allow, let's say for example, the Finance team to modify security on the users it currently manages but not be able to do something like add a new user? We’re trying to understand how we can have control and still have IT feel they are in control as well . Is this type of dual-control scenario possible or is it all or nothing?

Yes, you can create a “delegate” administrator responsibility to handle Finance’s security requirements. For regions in a form you can use Form Personalization’s to restrict security.

Is Oracle User Management available in 11.5.10?

Yes, Oracle User Management is available in 11.5.10, although Oracle provides fewer seeded permissions than it does in Release 12.

Within a GL Ledger Set, which C's can we share? Is it only Chart of Accounts and Calendar or are there others we can share?

Yes, you may only share the COA and the Calendar in Oracle General Ledger.

What is the reason that many of the users do not use User Management in 11.5.10?Is this because of ignorance or is it because User Management was not that effective in 11.5.10?

Using Oracle User Management is a project on its own. You need to perform a detailed and extensive security analysis to adapt to Oracle User Management. Currently, most Oracle customers have configured Responsibilities and it meets their security needs, so for those users there is no compelling need to use Oracle User Management.

We are using a single Ledger set which has Ledgers in multiple currencies can we do period end processing ?

Yes, a ledger set allows you to assign ledgers with different currencies, the requirements are ledgers in a ledger set must share the same COA and Calendar. Using a ledger set, you can perform period end processing. How is the Management segment different from, security rules in Oracle General Ledger?) Security rules (configured at the value set level) can be used across the E-Business Suite whereas the Management segment is only for GL where you can also specify whether you permit “Read Only” or “Read and Write” privilege for a ledger or ledger set against the management segment values.

Do we have to use Definition Access Set and Data Access Set together?

No, because Definition Access Sets are independent of Data Access Sets, you can secure access to definitions independently of the data access.

With respect to security in Oracle R12, what is the difference between a role and a responsibility?

Responsibilities can now be considered as a special type of role that represents the set of navigation menus contained within an application. Therefore, responsibilities loosely represent an application itself, whereas roles can be used to determine what parts of that application (and data therein) a user has access.

In the event you missed the presentation, you can download the Power Point by visiting our Oracle R12 Resources Page. You can also register to attend our October 4th Webcast on Oracle R12 Subledger Accounting.

If you need more detailed education on Oracle R12, you can attend one of the Oracle Applications Workshops that IT Convergence is sponsoring with the Oracle Applications Users group.

New Features in Oracle Financials R12 will be held in San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Madison, and Anaheim. Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade will be held in San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Madison, Anaheim, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Houston, and Orlando.

Oracle OpenWorld 2010 White Papers on R12 Upgrades Now Available!

2010-09-20T13:19:00.001-07:00

IT Convergence Global IT Manager Gustavo Gonzalez will be presenting Oracle OpenWorld Session S313329 “Mission Possible: Oracle E-Business Suite 12 Upgrade on 3 Continents in 6 Months” later this afternoon (Monday, September 20th) in 5 pm - 6 pm, Moscone West L2,Room 2018.

The presentation tells the story of IT Convergence’s internal Oracle Upgrade, which took place in 2008 and made IT Convergence one of the first companies to use Oracle R12 in Latin America.

If you can’t make the presentation then IT Convergence invites you to download it from our Oracle OpenWorld 2010 resources page.

Oracle R12 & Shared Services - Your Questions Answered

2010-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well over 60 people attended last week’s Webcast “Oracle R12 Shared Services Centers: Best Practices for Business Success.” The Webcast lasted about 40 minutes, followed by about 15 minutes of questions and answers.

Unfortunately we did not have time to answer everyone’s question, but we are happy to share them with everyone now:

At very high level which Oracle processes can be part of shared service mainly if you’re focusing on it from a Projects perspective?

In the Oracle Projects’ suite, Oracle R12 allows you to work with multiple Operating Units and also allowing you, on the billing side, to interface and work in Accounts Receivables with MOAC and Security.

Will the table structure of the database change in anyway, eg. will SQL scripts used in R11 be usable in R12 (bit more of a technical question)?

In R12 many table structures have changed because of the MOAC and the new General Ledger structure. The old model remains there (meaning some views still work) but with respect to major changes such as vendors, which was moved into the Oracle TCA (Trading Community Architecture) model, and AP invoices with a new level (details), just to mention two, are very important table structure changes. This is an issue that needs to be thoroughly reviewed before you get started on a project.

There’s more information at Oracle Support under the knowledge base for R12.

What will be the first step to start a reporting strategy for Shared Service Center?

The first step will be to assess the existing systems that you’ll be incorporating into the scope of the reporting solution. This assessment will include identifying which tools will need to include at least 3 views: Analysts Users, Business Users and Executives/Managers

- Analysts Users: near real-time, summarized data, historical trending, drillable reports

- Business Users: operational reports, ad hoc query, real-time, detailed data.

- Executives/Managers: strategic, performance management, enterprise wide and analytics / KPIs

Once you have defined this scope, you’ll evaluate tools and we recommend using existing tools in the market that is guaranteed to work with any Oracle E-Business Suite version change to metadata (or how the information is being stored.) This ensures that which makes your report run just like in the previous version.

In the event you missed the webcast, you can click here to download the Power Point from IT Convergence’s Oracle R12 Resources page.

If you’re interested in getting more information about Oracle R12 be sure to register for our next Webcast “Improving Security in Oracle Financials R12” and/or make plans to attend the workshops that IT Convergence and the OAUG are sponsoring “Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade.”

Why Oracle Project Accounting?

2010-07-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

When considering undertaking any project, regardless of which business sector involved, the budget is always defined along with a proposed time-frame for executing the respective phases of the project. The Oracle Projects Suite allows a team to streamline their joint efforts to effectively control a projects life-cycle; the core modules which formulate the Oracle Projects Suite comprise of Project Costing and Project Billing. This is why it’s only fitting that we’ve titled our upcoming workshop under what should have been its true name – Oracle Project Accounting!

There are several modules that make up the Oracle Projects Suite, which include; Project Contracts, Project Resource Management, and Project Management. These additional layers are complimentary to the core Project Costing and Project Billing modules.

Project Costing was developed to process expenditures and determine real-time costs to specific projects while integrating “Posts“ to the appropriate General Ledger Accounts (Oracle General Ledger). The Costing module handles the following types of expenditures; Labor (Oracle Human Resource), Expense Reports (Oracle iExpense), Usages, Supplier Invoices (Oracle Purchasing/Payables), Pre-Approved Expenditures and Burden Transactions.

Project Billing on the other hand, assures that the revenue is defined in terms of a process; allowing the organization to comprehensively control each stage of the billing cycle from invoicing to the interface with Oracle Receivables as well as “Posting” transactions to the appropriate General Ledger Accounts. The Billing module handles the following types of functions; Customer Information, Defined Contracts, Time and Material, Auditing along with Reporting Projected Revenue and Status (Oracle Receivables).

Premier Support to the 11.5.10 Application will conclude on November 2010. Many organization are planning an Upgrade to R12 in order to avoid de-support affiliated costs and remain competitive, with the latest features available. In answer to Oracle’s deadline to Upgrade or become de-supported, the OAUG and IT Convergence have responded with our latest set of Oracle Applications Workshops. The partnership creates an added benefit for affiliates of the OAUG by providing discounts to help develop and maximize the potential of Oracle competencies within the member organizations.

The “Oracle R12 Project Accounting” Workshop focuses on helping you understand the capabilities and boundaries of each module within the Oracle Project Suite, so that you can effectively monitor and avoid variances. Thus, maintain a project that meets specifications. The curriculum includes; Accessing Billable and Non-Billable costs (iExpense, Timecard, Purchase Order, and Supplier Invoice), Define Expenditure Categories, Track Project Costs, Transaction Control, Interface Oracle Projects with Oracle Financials, Auditing Trails, Accrue Revenue, Manage Funding Agreements and Revenue Budgets.

Take your first step in the right direction; ask the questions and get the answers you need before starting your next project. The “Oracle R12 Project Accounting” Workshop will be held in New York from September 13th to 16th, 2010. Be sure to reserve your place and move your career in the fast lane, click here to go to our website.

Interested in finding out more information?

How do Oracle Users in China Set up COA’s?

2010-07-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

As promised during last week’s Webcast “Rolling Out Oracle in China: Meeting the Localization Challenge” we’re happy to provide the answers to questions that came up during the Q&A session that required further research.

Q: How do you handle the data stamp in case operations are in China while the Oracle instance is hosted in North America?
A: Most of our clients who have subsidiaries in China face this situation. The time zone difference won't result in too many difficulties to business operations in China . With global single instance, company can only setup server time to one certain time zone. However as mentioned during the Webcast, the 'Time zone' profile can display local time for local daily operations. For instance, if a China user sets up the profile as 'China time zone,' the user will be able to see local time when he/she process transaction in Oracle.

The biggest challenge caused by 'Time zone differences' is that businesses need to define detail month-end procedures for all the operations across global to ensure transaction data are accurately recorded in correct period for each operation.

Q: If we’re operating in China, can we have simply use the global COA without having to set up the second ledger?
A: Even we suggest you setup 2 ledgers for your China subsidiary, one that confirms to US GAAP and another that conforms to China GAAP, however, setting up a secondary ledger is not a mandatory requirement in China. Before designing the ledger structure for a China subsidiary, you first need to see whether the existing COA can cover the detailed accounts required in China, and whether the GAAP difference under one ledger is controllable.

If the answer to those two questions is yes, then you can follow the global COA and the primary ledger should be sufficient. In this case, you may use a global natural segment plus a local segment combination to represent one detail China account, while you need to carefully design the FSG for create statutory reports required in the People’s Republic of China.

You can also add detail accounts for China in global COA, in this case, you need double check existing FSG reports to make sure necessary accounts won't be impacted.

In addition to the situation above, you also need to consider how to handle any GAAP adjustments that are required when you design the solution.

If you missed the Webcast, you can download a copy of it is available on our is Oracle R12 Right for You page.

Likewise, if you’re interested in China more information on rolling out Oracle in China, please take a moment to visit our China mini-site or download white papers on deploying Oracle in China from our white papers library.

Oracle R12 iSupport and Teleservices - Support Questions and Answers

2010-07-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

During last month's webcast "What's New in Oracle Financials R12" we got the following question from Steve:

Has there been any updates to the SUPPORT functionality in R12? (Teleservice/iSupport)?

Although our workshop was focused on R12 Financialse, we're happy to share the answer, which you can find below:

Oracle R12 iSupport:

Remote Support through Web-Collaboration
o Collaboration suite integration to share their desktops, utilizes a whiteboard, share presentations or documents in a view only mode, and engages in online chat.

Enhanced Self-Service User Registration Capabilities
o Enhanced integration for iStore and iStupport for a single registration UI.

Support for Contingent Workers to Report and Track their Issues Online
o In R12, iSupport allows the contingent worker to access and report service requests.

Reporting of Service Requests against Assets
o Enhacement with the integrations of iSupport with eAM, the employees can create, view, update, and search service requests referencing eAM assets.

Creation of Related Objects Links on Service Request Creation from Web
o iSupport service request pages can accept the values for the related object type and the related object id from the calling applications and create the service request - related object link on service request creation from iSupport.

Grouping of Service Request Types into Service Request Type Categories
o iSupport can include Service request type category to provide a more user friendly customer experience.

Association of Items or Item Categories with Service Request Types
o New setups pages have been provided that allow an administrator to define associations between service request types and item category or items. This association is utilized in iSupport to display only the list of products associated with that service request type.

Secure Enterprise Search Capability
o Oracle Secure Enterprise Search allows the users to search for unstructured content stored in external repositories such as files servers, in addition to the structured content stored in the Oracle Knowledge Management repository.

Support for HTML Service Request Notifications
o Administrators are able to define the notification content for the service request notifications to contacts listed on service request using the same configurability mechanism as currently being used for service request pages in iSupport.

Oracle R12 Teleservice:

Advanced Personalization
o Flexible configuration of the customer information in the Contact Center enables personalization of the user interface for B2C or B2B needs.

Enhanced Order Management
o This capability includes a new set of business functions (sub-tabs) within the Orders tab in the Contact Center.

Managing Products and Services
o Expanded Contact Center capabilities improve the efficiency of managing products and services in the Installed Base.

Streamlining Service Request Creation via IVR
o This feature provides the ability to default the relevant information provided by the customer in the IVR into the Service Request tab to reduce call-handle times during the service request creation process.

Enhanced Dashboard Refresh (via Telephony)
o This reduces customer wait times by improving the performance of the screenpop of the Contact Center.

Flexible Dashboard Information Grouping
o The Custom Grouping in Dashboard based on Customer Information improves customer service by providing personalized information about individual customers.

Integration with Oracle Web Conferencing
o Oracle Contact Center integration with Oracle Web Conferencing allows agents to leverage web collaboration sessions for diagnostics and troubleshooting.

Direct Integration with Third Party Telephony
o Oracle Contact Center direct integration with third party telephony systems allow the contact center screen pop without having to implement the Universal Work Queue for managing telephony.

More information about enhancements in Oracle R12 iSupport and Teleservice can be found in the white papers "What's New in Oracle CRM R12" which you can click here to download.

In the event you missed last year's webcast you can still register for this month's webcast, "Rolling Out Oracle in China: Meeting the Localization Challenge," by clicking here.

Oracle Financials R12 - Question and Answers

2010-06-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last month’s webcast “What’s New in Oracle Financials R12” was the most successful Webcast IT Convergence has hosted yet.

Over two hundred people registered for the event, and attendees downloaded the Presentation Power Point in record numbers.

The Webcast also generated a lot of questions from the participants, and we’ll are happy to publish the part I Q&A Transcript here:

Dianne M. What type of forms personalization is available in Oracle R12’s web-based forms/user interface?
There are many ways to personalize the forms in Oracle R12. End Users can add favorites, change the layout of the form, view items at the top –vs- the bottom, etc.
What is the major purpose for Oracle R12 Financials new Sub-ledger Accounting (SLA) functionality ? Is the main purpose to keep the sub-ledger whole? What other positive factors does this have?
Oracle R12’s SLA functionality allows you flexibility in reporting, reviewing, reconciling, data etc. It also helps ends users see journal entries without having GL access. It is great for finding find possible accounting errors in accounting before they are posted to the GL ensuring that you establish a clean audit trail.
Mark D.: What percentage of customers move to R12 by upgrading from 11i as apposed to migrating from 11i - In other words doing a re-installation?
Most of our customers have upgraded to R12 as opposed to re-implementing. However, we recommend an R12 Impact Assessment to review your specific needs and to help you make the best decision for your organization.
In Oracle R12, Can COGS (cost of goods sold) and Revenue be linked to ensure COGS is recognized when the goods are Invoiced and Accepted by the customer and not when the goods ship?
In Oracle 11i this link would have required a modification to the COGS workflow in 11i. Revenue and COGS are recognized in 11i when goods are shipped unless the COGS workflow is modified. However, in R12, the functionality to tie the COGS and Revenue is standard, which is a huge improvement and helps with compliance to the standards laid by US GAAP.
Bill D.: We have heard that Concurrent Manager goes away in R12, is this true?
No, the concurrent manager still exists in R12 to run standard reports and programs. It does not go away.
Ronald W.: Although most upgrades to Oracle R12 aren't "standard," what is an average time and cost to upgrade?
Cost and time will vary based on footprint, customizations, etc. However, you can assume the timing will be a minimum of 4 months to upgrade.
Todd R.: Progress Payments and Retainage are new in R12. How do this processes relate to the subledgers and General Leder?
R12 creates a Journal Entry (JE) for the full amount of the payments, then creates a separate JE for the retained amount. At the end of the project, a release is done and another JE is created to offset the retained transactions.

If you missed the webcast but are looking for more resources on Oracle R12, you’re in luck.
You can register for our July webcast “Rolling Out Oracle in China: Overcoming the Configuration Challenge.”

If you’re looking to deepen your R12 expertise even further, you can register for one of the Oracle Applications Workshops that we are sponsoring with the Oracle Applications User Group.

Our workshop “New Features in Oracle R12 Financials” will be held during the week of July 19th in Atlanta, August 5th in New York City, and August 30th in San Francisco. Click here to learn more about “New Features in Oracle R12 Financials.”

Those who need to develop a plan for upgrading to Oracle R12 can get a head started by attending our workshop “Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade” held the week of July 12th in New York City and again the week of July 29th in San Francisco. Click here to learn more about “Preparing for a R12 Upgrade.”

If you’re more interested in what comes out of the Oracle E-Business Suite, then you can join our workshop “Reporting Options for the Oracle E-Business Suite” which we’re holding in San Francisco on the week of July 12th. Click here for more information on Reporting Options for the Oracle E-Business Suite.

All workshops are competitively priced to be friendly to even the tightest of budgets, AND OAUG members get an additional $500 dollar discount.

Companies that register multiple members are also eligible for additional discounts. To learn how you can qualify for these additional discounts visit our website or call 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2804 and we’ll be happy to fill you in.

End-user Training that’s worth it: Oracle Applications Workshops

2010-06-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Application upgrades or new implementations are essential to keeping current in today’s fast-paced business climate. Technology is changing as rapidly as the markets it serves, and companies risk losing their competitive advantage if they do not adapt swiftly enough.

However, although Oracle ERP software is constantly advancing in capabilities and functionalities, any gains the software can deliver may be stymied if the employees that will work within those systems need a learning curve to adapt to new interfaces or processes.
In other words, the potential gains that can be realized once new software goes into production may not be realized for a long time or even get lost completely, when the end-user workforce is unprepared for the change.

The solution? End-user Training. Additional training with the specific focus to get end-users that are directly affected by software changes – such as account managers, customer service reps, or data-entry personnel – up to speed with the new applications and/or features.

Why? Research* has shown that end-user training is critical to the ongoing success of Oracle environments, as well as the respective business in general, especially since environments change at a highly accelerated pace. In a recent study on End-user Training, 60% of the respondents agreed that providing end-user training for an upgrade or new implementation provides notable productivity benefits. Benefits cited include reduced help desk calls and increased employee output.

What? IT Convergence has teamed up with the OAUG to offer Oracle Administrators and End-users just the training they need, in the form of Oracle Applications Workshops. The workshops are especially designed for teaching and updating attendees’ skills on Oracle solutions from a business perspective and given by trained Oracle professionals with many years of experience in the field.

Now I can already hear you thinking about the costs of such training… More than half of the companies claim the budget for post-implementation training on their most recent upgrade or implementation was either non-existent or equivalent to less than one percent of the total project cost. In fact, training (cost) issues – and related to that end-user productivity – turns out to be such a significant issue that it led one out of seven companies to cancel a large project.

Are you one of those companies with a limited training budget available? There is no more need to worry. Even this most common obstacle for companies to obtain the necessary training – the lack of training resources available – can now be easily overcome. ITC is proud to announce that our Oracle Application Workshops are not only of high quality, but also offered at an extremely competitive price.

Avoid letting a new solution lag behind expectations due to a lack of training. Instead, make sure to become one of those companies increasing end-user productivity while simultaneously cutting end-user adaptation time & costs to a minimum. Check out our website today!

Workshops are offered on a wide range of topics for different modules – HR, Financials, OBIEE – in the Oracle E-Business Suite. Reviewing the brochure will help determine if our programs would be suitable to match your current business needs.

Interested which interesting workshops OAUG and ITC are hosting? Or when? Or where? Please click here for more information about and/or registration for our Oracle Application Workshops, or call us on 1800-675-0032 ext. 2804.

ITC Educator

* McKendrick, Joseph (2008). “End-User Training: The Path to Productivity in Times of Change”. Research initiative by OAUG; produced by Unisphere Research.

Oracle Solutions for Brazil: Power Points Available

2010-06-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

"A nossa sede quer implantar o ERP Oracle aqui no Brasil... Ótimo!... Mas… Como vamos começar?"

For those of you who are not fluent in Portuguese, the quote above is something you’d be likely to hear if you were a fly-on-the wall in an IT managers meeting in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

Roughly translated, the question asks, “Now headquarters wants us to implement Oracle here in Brazil. That’s great, but where do we get started?”

As a member of the BRIC group, Brazil has one of the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic markets. And Oracle can be a powerful asset to both rapidly expanding Brazilian firms and multinationals who are doing business there.

But implementing Oracle in Brazil comes with its challenges. To fully integrate Oracle to meet local reporting requirements, you have an entire series of CEB (Complemento Estatutário Brasileiro) interfaces that need to be installed. And then you have to integrate that with the third party EBSI system.

It is not simple, but it isn’t impossible either as the recent webcasts hosted by IT Convergence reveal.

IT Convergence hosted two webcasts on implementing Oracle in Brazil this spring, one in English, the other in Portuguese.

In the event that you missed those webcasts, you can still download the Power Points from the Executive Highlights section of the IT Convergence Website.

To download the Power Point to either “Successfully Deploying Oracle in Brazil” or “Um Roteiro Para Implementar Com Sucesso O Erp Oracle No Brasil” simply click here to visit our Executive Highlights page.

Profit Online Article: Cash Flow Efficiency Improvements with Oracle

2010-06-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Interested in making your cash flow more efficient of your cash flow? Who isn’t?

Improving cash flow efficiency was the topic of a recent article penned by IT Convergence’s Oracle Financials Practice director in the June 2010 edition of Oracle’s Profit Online Magazine.

The article highlights how organizations can improve cash follow efficiency by:

Leveraging real-time transactional and customer data
Managing delinquencies by using configurable scoring, strategies and dunning plans
Processing transactions
Streamlining the overall collections process
Rating your customers
Automating processes end-to-end

You can read the full article in Profit Online by clicking here.

And, if you’re interested in getting detailed information on Oracle R12 Advanced Collections, you can click here to visit or Collaborate 09 page, and download our white paper “Bad Debt Recovery: Improving Debt Collections Strategy in a Volatile Global Economy.”

Next Step R12 Upgrade

2010-06-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

It’s imperative to remain competitive with the latest technology; obsolete software will greatly diminish communication within an organization. Informed decisions can easily be produced if you have clear access to the content you’ve already gathered. That’s why many businesses have decided to upgrade the Oracle R12 E-Business Suite, which offers a comprehensive array of modules and tools to help secure a return on investments in terms of time and performance.

We recently asked our Global Information Systems Manager to explain the benefits of upgrading in comparison with remaining on an older version of the Application, and we received the following response:

• Maintenance linked costs can be significantly lowered if software upgrades are performed on a regular basis. Remaining on an older version of the application will incur Extended Support fees that are considerably higher than those related to Premier Support. An organization will also have to dedicate a support team whose primary purpose is to patch customizations whereas competitors will not need to devote resources to patching.

• Organizations with an Oracle infrastructure that have not sustained regular upgrades will require a labor intensive data migration. A Database upgrade to facilitate the R12 is composed of a series of Data Conversions; this is one of the requirements to producing a streamlined architecture.

• Upgrading a de-supported version of the Application creates the added hurdle to train the staff on relatively new technology in comparison with a simple introduction to the new features available within the latest version.

Premier Support to the 11.5.10 Application will conclude on November 2010. In answer to Oracle’s deadline to upgrade or become de-supported, the OAUG and IT Convergence have responded with our latest Workshop -
Preparing for an R12 Upgrade.

The “Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade” Workshop focuses on pre-project activities, this includes: Infrastructure, Installation, Configuration, User Adoption, Customization, Data Conversions, Support and Hosting. Creating a comprehensive Business Process Map is a key aspect in defining realistic Project Goals and Boundaries. The primary objective of the upgrade is to maximize the efficiency within the organization with a minimal amount of disruption to the day-to-day business activities.

Technical and Functional roles within the upgrade require particular educational requirements, but an interdependence exists! This is why it is imperative for all roles within the core team to have a clear view of the big picture to effectively allocate resources during appropriate phases of the upgrade. This Workshop creates the unique opportunity for individuals from varied roles to exchange ideas along with share perspectives, thus potentially gather tips for mitigating project risks.

Take your first step in the right direction; ask the questions and get the answers you need before you start. The next "Preparing for an R12 Upgrade" Workshop will be held in New York from June 14th to 17th, 2010. Be sure to reserve your place and move your career in the fast lane, click here to go to our website.

Interested in finding out more information?

Contact us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409

ITC Oracle Educator

How IFRS Impacts Oracle Project

2010-05-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

During a recent Webcast on IFRS solutions for Oracle users, one of our attendees asked the following question:

"What impact does IFRS have on companies using Oracle Projects? For example, autoaccounting rules, the revenue extension, billing clients, etc."

After doing some research, the IT Convergence Education Services team has put together the following answer:

Oracle Financials records business transactions according to the accounting rules you define, whether they’re based on U.S. GAAP, IFRS or another standard. Gradually, a company will reconfigure transaction systems to produce IFRS data directly, both at home and in subsidiaries facilitating IFRS for statutory reporting.

During the beginning stage of studying the impact and determining strategy for IFRS compliances, you’ll need to perform preliminary studies in conjunction with an accounting compliance advisor to assess the impact of IFRS on your business and systems. With this analysis, you’ll be able to determine their overall IFRS adoption
strategy.

Currently, there are many features in the Oracle E-Business Suite that are currently used to support US GAAP or Canadian GAAP environments. If you’re converting to IFRS, you may need to make some reconfigurations to bring things in line with IFRS principles. For example, in certain circumstances, expenses classified as being “development” would need to be posted to the balance sheet and released into the P&L later according to the IFRS principles, where these expenses probably would have been expensed sooner under US GAAP.

You can comply with this IFRS principle by configuring Oracle Projects, by creating cost centers on the balance sheet and using allocations to release the expense, or by tracking the development into Bills of Material using Oracle Inventory. The appropriate choice will depend on your the circumstances, the products involved, the underlying business process, and so on.

To adopt standardized IFRS systems, for example, in respect of billing and revenue recognition means working with your accounting compliance advisors from major accounting firms to identify the right migration plan for your organization. With your accounting plan in place, your Oracle subject matter experts will be able to ensure that your systems are configured to comply with IFRS.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave a comment.

Otherwise, check out our IFRS page for more information on IFRS solutions for Oracle end-users. Likewise, you can also click here to register for our next webcast, “Put Oracle R12 Financials New Features to Work for You.”

Oracle SSHR – Get What You Need When You Need It

2010-05-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a monkey wrench thrown into the perfect, the spur of the moment “let’s make it a long weekend” proposal because you didn’t know if you had vacation available and you needed to make a snap decision?

Have you had to hold up submitting a budget simply because you didn’t have updated salary information at your finger tips?

These kinds of frustrations are common through the business world, despite the fact that the automation and integration brought by enterprise information technology was supposed to eliminate these kinds of bottlenecks.

Enter Oracle HRMS’ Self Service Module. Oracle SSHR is an Oracle module that makes life easier for the functional specialists, HR professionals, and everyday employees.

Oracle SSHR was the focus of attention last month at Collaborate 10 as IT Convergence’s Oracle HRMS practice director gave a presentation entitled, “Oracle SSHR: Get Your Information When You Need It Without Waiting.”

If you missed the presentation, but are still interested in the topic, you are in luck. The white paper supporting the presentation is now available.

The white paper details how Oracle SSHR aid’s managers, HR specialists, the IT department, and rank and file staff members.

Click here to download, “Oracle SSHR: Get the Information You Need When You Need It” from our Collaborate 10 resources page. Or, if you’d like to speak to someone about Oracle SSHR, call us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409 and we’ll be happy to set you up with one of our experts.

Oracle R12 HRMS - Implement Oracle HR

2010-05-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

I know how you feel, your company has just upgraded (or is thinking of upgrading) to R12 and you’re left to figure out what’s new in the HRMS world, what changed and what stayed the same in the software suite you used to know so well.

Well, we have the solution to that problem! Because the R12 HRMS – Implement Oracle HR Workshop has been designed especially for people like you!

From 6/28/2010 to 7/1/2010 in the Big Apple, the OAUG and IT Convergence are partnering up to offer all HRMS users a world-class, hands-on technical workshop that will make their transition into this new HRMS suite so simple, they won’t believe it!

This course introduces students to the HRMS product family and provides step-by-step guidelines and instructions on how to configure and use Oracle HR. This is one of the most detailed and productive courses you will find on this topic and by the end of this class, you will know enough about R12's new features and functionalities to implement and maintain a robust instance of Oracle HR.

Once you've completed the class you’ll:
• Understand the implementation flow needed to configure Oracle HR - Become the "A" HRMS Player in your organization
• Have a working knowledge of the work structures that form the fundamental foundations of Oracle HR
• Understand Oracle HRMS’ date track feature to control the effective date for data entry and retrieval purposes
• Know how to use the key flexfields owned by Oracle HR
• Practice with hands-on exercises:

Entering data into the People form to trigger various date track modeso Creating a folder to retrieve data based using date track
Create a business group for a new Oracle HR installation
Create a security profile for a new business group
Create HRMS work structures such as – location, organization, grade, grade rate, job, position
Create salary basis, payroll, costing, elements and paid time off absence plans

Do you still need convincing? How about this? If your company buys 3 seats, they get one free and OAUG members get an extra 25% discount (which amounts to $500 each course), which in turn means that for OAUG member companies, if they buy 3 seats they end up getting 2 free seats!

Click here to sign up for this class or here to review the listing of all the classes available in many other topics just as interesting or call 1800-675-0032 ext 2995

OBIEE for Administrators

2010-05-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

There are several reporting options that have surfaced in the last few years, but only a select few have truly defined the concept of developing a comprehensive Business Intelligence solution, which organizes what you already know. The key strength of the upcoming OBIEE for Administrators Workshop is that it has been created to help you deploy the OBIEE tool quickly and deliver maximum functionality within a matter of weeks, therefore creating a best fit for your Oracle footprint and business.

Several components make up the OBIEE umbrella, including; BI Server, BI Answers, BI Publisher, BI Interactive Dashboards, BI Delivers, BI Disconnected Analytics, BI Publisher, BI Briefing Books and Hyperion Plug-Ins . Oracle has reinvented the idea of out-of-the-box solutions with a series of interdependent components that work to streamline and facilitate a rapid implementation.

If you’ve created an Oracle Shop you’ll find that with OBIEE there will no longer be a need for customization but rather more time and effort can be directed to what really matters; configuring reports and metrics. Understanding the difference between Functional and Technical Users is imperative when setting up an effective presentation. It’s the OBIEE Administrator that is responsible for controlling the quality of the content provided in various queries along with the delivery of comprehensive data that will be published in a series of enhanced Graphs and Dashboards.

The Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence have paired up to offer an array of Oracle Applications Workshops that are suitable for End-Users and Administrators. Performance will be expected when integrating OBIEE with your Applications; ask the questions and get the answers you need before you start.

The next OBIEE for Administrators Workshop will be held in San Francisco from June 28th till the 1st of July, 2010. Be sure to reserve your place and move your career in the fast lane, click here to go to our website.

Interested in finding out more information?

Contact us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409

ITC Educator

Reporting in Oracle E-Business Suite: Opt for optimization

2010-05-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Familiar with the feeling of knowing which results you want to obtain, but just not exactly which measure to use to obtain them?More specifically, you know which information you’d like to obtain, but not sure which reporting tool is best to get (to) that information?

If you’re using Oracle E-Business Suite and you’re getting ready for some serious reporting, the OAUG and IT Convergence might have just the solution for you to make up your mind.

The workshop “Reporting options for Oracle E-Business Suite” is directly directed at this reporting dilemma and will enable you to review and compare various reporting tools for the Oracle E-Business Suite, including OBIEE, Noetix, and Discoverer.

You’ll learn about various E-Business Suite reporting tools and discover what each tool potentially offers your organization. Specifically, you'll analyze Oracle E-Business Suite reporting from operational, analytical, and business intelligence perspectives.

The workshop “Reporting options for Oracle E-Business Suite” is organized by the OAUG and ITC and will be held in New York from June 21st-24th, 2010.

But that’s not all. This workshop goes beyond theory. You will not just learn about the different aspects of each tool, you will actually start using the reporting tools discussed in class.

This hands-on practice will help you identify which reporting tools for the Oracle E-Business Suite have the elements you need to transform data into useful information for your organization. Moreover, you’ll gain a solid understanding of how each reporting tools works.
As a consequence of this practice, participants of this workshop will be able to make an informed decision about which tool(s) is best to optimize reporting across their organization.

Ready to find out how you can optimize your reporting? Please click here to register for this workshop.

Interested what other interesting workshops OAUG and ITC are hosting? Or when? Or where? For more information about our Oracle Application Workshops, please click here or call us on 1800-675-0032 ext. 2995.

Mastering Oracle 11g RAC

2010-05-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

Wondering how administering a RAC environment differs from managing a single instance Oracle database? Not 100% sure how to install, create, and manage an Oracle RAC database?

Become a master of RAC with our upcoming workshop “Oracle 11g Real Application Clusters Administration”.

This workshop gives you the chance to master the art of creating and maintaining Oracle Real Application Cluster (Oracle RAC) environments.

Every day, students will get detailed instruction on Oracle RAC's key features reinforced by concrete examples of RAC installation, administration, and performance tuning. And by “concrete” we mean real-world examples, all directly drawn from Oracle RAC deployments in corporate environments.

Also, this course includes 6 hands-on labs to help you integrate the Oracle 11g RAC concepts you learn, including RAC architecture, integration with 11g ASM, performance tuning for RAC, special considerations for backup and recovery, and troubleshooting.

The workshop “Oracle 11g Real Application Clusters Administration” is organized by the Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence and will be held in the center of San Francisco from June 21st-24th, 2010.

Workshop seats are filling up quickly, so be sure to register!

After finishing this course, the above-mentioned issues will no longer trouble your mind. Among other things, you’ll be familiar with failover of instances and restoring lost connections, and you’ll know how to use the Oracle 11g’s configuration and management tools to monitor and tune a RAC environment.

If you are interested in this workshop, please click here to register.
Interested what other interesting workshops OAUG and ITC are hosting? Or when? Or where? For more information about our Oracle Application Workshops, please click here or call us on 1800-675-0032 ext. 2995.

White Paper on Oracle Mobile Provides Insights into Improving Warehouse Accuracy and Efficiency

2010-04-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is amazing how much things can change without us noticing.

Even people in their early 20’s remember a time when the idea of talking someone a continent away on a hand-held, wireless device was the exclusive province of science fiction shows, with the emphasis on “fiction,” like Star Trek.

Of course here in 2010 the smart phone, let alone the cell phone, is something we take for granted.

Mobile devices have revolutionized the way we live our life, transforming everything form how we stay in touch with loved ones, listen to music, and get our news.

But mobile devices are beginning reshape businesses function, and that trend is only going to gain steam as enterprise platforms such as Oracle integrate more tightly with technologies supporting hand-held devices.

You can begin bringing yourself up to speed on this latest trend by reading the white paper “Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of LPN Transactions in Warehouse by Deploying Oracle Mobile.” One of the consultants from IT Convergence’s Oracle Supply Chain and Manufacturing team recently delivered the white paper at Collaborate 10.

You can click here to visit our Collaborate 10 page, where you’ll be able to download, “Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of LPN Transactions in Warehouse by Deploying Oracle Mobile.”

Oracle R12 Financials New Features

2010-04-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Oracle R12 Financials New Features

Has your company upgraded to R12 and left you trying to figure out what’s new and better with this new version of Oracle Financials?

Well, from 6/14/2010 to 6/17/2010 in Sunny San Francisco the OAUG and IT Convergence are providing Oracle Financial users with a world-class, hands-on, technical workshop that will meet all of their educational needs!

This workshop gives you a detailed look on functional enhancements, new features and an overview of new modules included in the Oracle R12 Financial suite of products.

During the course, students will review new features and functions of the Core Financial module and the instructors will demonstrate and discuss enhancements to existing features and functions. In addition, students will explore two new financial modules: SubLedger Accounting and E-Business Tax.

By the end of the course you will understand R12 functional & technical architecture, know how your organization can benefit from Oracle R12 E-Business Tax and understand the enhancements, new features, and new functions in R12 Financials.

Sounds good right? Click here or call 1800-675-0032 ext. 2995 to register for this workshop and become a pro in R12 financials!

Or click here to see what other great workshops the OAUG and IT Convergence have to offer!

Oracle Configurator and iSupplier Portal White Paper Now Available

2010-04-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Collaborate 10 is over, but that does not mean that you cannot still “Hit the Oracle Jackpot” as another white paper is now available.

Anyone who missed the session or is simply interested in the topic may now download the white paper supporting Collaborate 10 session “Effectively Deploying Configurator and iSupplier Portal in your Drop Ship Order Fulfillment Process.”

You can click here to download the paper from our Collaborate 10 page. Be sure to visit back soon, as more papers will be published as they become available.

OBIEE for End Users

2010-04-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

OBIEE for End Users

I’m sure you’ve heard it before… Business Intelligence has the potential to solve data processing and management issues. But so far, Business Intelligence projects have been measured in terms of months or even years and as something far too complex to try on your own.

Well, that’s all ancient history now!

Oracle Business Intelligence (OBIEE) is the solution that finally realizes the potential Business Intelligence has promised for over a decade! Not only is it easy and quick to deploy (deployments are usually complete in a matter of weeks!), it will soon become your best and most used tool for getting the data you need to make difficult business decisions in today’s challenging economy.

From 6/7/2010 to 6/10/2010 in Cosmopolitan NYC, the OAUG and IT Convergence are partnering up to offer all OBIEE end users a world-class, hands-on technical workshop that will make their lives a whole lot simpler.

During the course, students will learn how to use OBIEE to create, modify and distribute their own reports, charts, dashboards, and graphs. This course provides step-by-step instructions for creating ad-hoc queries in Oracle Business Intelligence Answers and incorporating them into Interactive Dashboards. Students will also learn to build an Oracle BI Interactive Dashboard, requests created in Answers, pivot tables, charts, gauges, prompts, embedded content, navigation links, and Oracle BI Publisher reports.

The course profiles Alerts (iBots) and provides an introduction into BI Publisher. Finally, students will learn how to incorporate content from BI Answers into Excel spreadsheets.

So, what are you waiting for? Click here or call 1800-675-0032 ext. 2995 to register for this workshop, become an expert OBIEE user and start enjoying the possibilities OBIEE has to offer!

Or click here to see what other great workshops the OAUG and IT Convergence have to offer!

Global Oracle Footprint: Successfully crossing borders

2010-04-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Imagine having a plan ready for implementing Oracle across geographies. And simply sensing whether it’s best to provide your foreign subsidiaries with Oracle by using a Big Bang or applying the so-called Phased approach.

Impossible? Not quite. Dream? Let’s make it reality.

The OAUG and IT Convergence have joined together to give you the opportunity to get familiar with the requirements and complications of global or multi-country Oracle Rollouts by offering a workshop on the topic.

The workshop is called “Incorporating Localizations into an Oracle Footprint”, and will be held in San Francisco from June 7-10, 2010.

During this workshop you will get a detailed overview of what it takes to roll out Oracle globally. You will learn from experts how to integrate localization requirements into a global Oracle E-Business Suite R12 Design.

In addition, you will get a chance to preview key local considerations for each region, including pointers on how to cover gaps that exist between local needs and business requirements.

After this course, you’ll understand Oracle localizations for more than 15 countries around the world and feel more comfortable discussing Oracle upgrades, Re-implementations and fresh Implementations.

Besides the considerations involved in rolling out Oracle across geographies, the experienced instructor will address the key elements Project management and Staffing a global implementation team.

And last but not least, this workshop focuses on how to integrate end-user education, on the job training, and post-production support to ensure a Successful Go Live, regardless of whether your global rollout takes the Big Bang approach or a phased implementation approach.

Planning to incorporate a subsidiary onto your global Footprint? Or interested in the topic for any other reason? Please click here to register.

Interested what other interesting workshops OAUG and ITC are hosting? Or when? Or where? For more information about our Oracle Application Workshops, please click here or call us on 1800-675-0032 ext. 2995.

Oracle Solutions for Brazil Webcast

2010-04-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE to register for our free webcast!

This Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 at 8:00am EST / 11:00am PST, IT Convergence will host a webcast titled ‘Successfully Rollout Oracle in Brazil’ which will be directed to IT Managers, DBAs, Project Managers and Representatives. The goal is to share insight relating to Oracle Projects from all over the U.S., Brazil and Europe.

This webcast in meant to help understand the power of Oracle as a business tool, even though some unique challenges exist if you’re deploying it in Brazil. We know that a successful Oracle Implementation in Brazil is not a simple process; however these challenges should not stop any organization from taking advantage of these state of the art business solutions.

A successful rollout not only allows you to meet the challenges but gives you the chance to convert each challenge into an asset. Oracle’s Rollout enables high levels of governance and control, required for every company doing business abroad. Your Latin America rollout should be carefully planned, taking business decisions in advance and relying on experienced partners.

To overcome those challenges join our Webcast, and learn how to deploy Oracle for Brazil.
During this webcast you'll get insights and best practices on successfully managing an Oracle E-Business Suite deployment in Brazil.

Multinational companies will learn about experiences on applying strategies for dealing with the Complemento Estatutário Brasileiro (CEB) and the EBSI, for E-Business Suite Integration.
Brazilian users of Oracle Applications need to utilize CEB products to implement a system that fully adheres to Brazilian fiscal, financials, and accounting requirements.
The EBSI identifies the complementary modules for Brazilian software companies and these products are not necessarily related to Brazilian statutory requirements. Their focus is usually business requirements such as Fiscal Books, IN68, COMEX among others.

Oracle Champions from IT Convergence will share tips for understanding and incorporating legislative economic and cultural factors into your project plan will also be shared as well as questions related to managerial and functional issues.

A Roadmap for Successful Oracle Rollouts in Brazil on April 28, 2010at 8:00 am PST/ 11:00 am EST

To register click here!

Interested in finding out more information?

Contact us at 54-11-4000-8400 ext. 2288

Oracle SSHR, Oracle Mobile, and iSupplier Portal Close Out Collaborate 10

2010-04-22T04:06:00.000-07:00

Collaborate 10 has almost come to an end.

But for those of you who are still in Las Vegas, IT Convergence wants you to also close out Collaborate with a bang.

Therefore, we have three sessions to share with you.

IT Convergence HRMS manager Karen Busco will get things started at 11:00 am, in Breakers C as she presents the session “Oracle SSHR: Get Your Information When You Need It without Waiting” (#3795).

After that Harsha Limaye will lead the first of his two sessions. He’ll begin with "Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of LPN Transactions in your Warehouse by Deploying Oracle Mobile", which provides detailed setup tips for Oracle Mobile.

“Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of LPN Transactions in your Warehouse by Deploying Oracle Mobile,” Breakers J, at 11:00 am.

When he finishes that session, Harsha will not need to go far, as his next session is next door in in Breakers I.

In this final session, Harsha will show you the ins and outs of how to interface Oracle Configurator and Oracle iSupplier to improve your drop shipments.

For anyone who has ever dabbled into the logistics behind making drop shipments, you’ll know that the devil truly is in the details. But the solution Harsha profiles will help you get a handle on those details.

“Effectively Deploying Configurator and iSupplier Portal in your Drop Ship Order Fulfillment Process” (#3351) in Breakers I, 12:15 pm

If you’ve either left Vegas or will need to leave before you can attend these sessions and/or meet the presenters in person, you can download the white papers supporting these sessions by visiting the IT Convergence Collaborate 10 page.

(Check back frequently, we are uploading more papers for you every day.)

Oracle Mobile and Oracle iSupplier Portal Sessions Highlight Collaborate 10’s Closing

2010-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

I always like going to Collaborate events as there is so much to do for all days. However this time, due to an ongoing client engagement I’ll be there only for Thursday April 22nd for the two presentations I submitted for Collaborate 10. I’m looking forward to share my experiences on these interesting topics while working on some of the challenging assignments in the last two years.

Session# 3351 - Effectively Deploying Configurator and iSupplier Portal in your Drop Ship Order Fulfillment Process

Session# 3352 - Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of LPN Transactions in your Warehouse by deploying Oracle Mobile

Interested in the above topics? Hopefully we can meet today or tomorrow in case you would like to discuss more on any of the above areas! May be Las Vegas is the place for you to start a long term relationship with ITC and derive maximum benefits from your IT budgets!

If you can't make my session, please check out our Collaborate 10 page. The white paper will soon be available there.

-Harsha Limaye
Managing Principal Consultant

Oracle R12 OTL and Hot Tips for the Apps DBA @ Collaborate 10

2010-04-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is upon us, which brings us to the last full day of sessions here at Collaborate 10.
But there is still a lot going on, and IT Convergence is in the thick of the action.

IT Convergence Education Services Manager Melissa English leads off things at 10:30 AM in Breakers B where she will present “R12 Multi-Org Consideration in Oracle Time and Labor (OTL).”

As the title suggests, this session gives you a thorough rundown of all of the considerations you need to keep in mind when setting up a Multi-Org instance of OTL.
“R12 Multi-Org Consideration in Oracle Time and Labor” (#4295) is at 10:30 am in Breakers C.

Gustavo Gonzalez will go into action shortly before lunch time, as he’ll be delivering the IOUG Vendor Product Awareness Session, “Virtualizing your Oracle E-Business Suite Environments” at 11:45 am in Lagoon E.

And IT Convergence’s Brian Crowely will go into action just after lunch time with his session “Hot Tips and Techniques for the Oracle Applications DBA (#4440), in South Seas G at 1:00 pm.

Remember, you can arrange to meet any of the presenters in person at booth 2631 and you can visit the IT Convergence Collaborate 10 page to download some of the white papers (check it frequently, as more are being added every day).

Oracle VM, CRM and Global Rollouts @ Collaborate 10

2010-04-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

We’re into the thick of things here at Collaborate 10, and IT Convergence is looking forward to a Tuesday full of sessions.

The action will be begin very soon, as IT Convergence Global IT manager Gustavo Gonzalez will deliver his presentation “The New CIO’s Plan V: Virtualizing Your Oracle E-Business Suite Environments” highlighting some of the key considerations you need to make if you’re planning on going the virtualization rout with Oracle VM.

“The New CIO’s Plan V: Virtualizing Your Oracle E-Business Suite Environments” (#4159) will be held at 8:00 am in South Seas E.

If you’ve got a need to go global and are planning to be near Breakers E and D during the afternoon, you’re going to have a difficult choice to make.

If you’re thinking of doing a global Oracle E-Busienss Suite Rollout and have project management concerns, then you should make it your business to attend the session “Business Readiness for Changes in a Global Oracle Rollout Program” presented by Daniel Levia who is one of the leaders of IT Convergence’s Latin American Consulting team, and Danny Rodriguez, who is representing one of our major clients in the region.

“Business Readiness for Changes in a Global Oracle Rollout Program” (session #4364) will be in Breakers E at 3:15 pm.

If you’re struggling to manage your global sales and marketing efforts then the session “Manage Global Marketing and Sales Efforts on an Integrated Oracle CRM Platform.” This presentation was developed jointly by Keith Thomas of the IT Convergence Marketing department along with the ITC’s internal IT Business Department.

It highlights how IT Convergence’s decision to “Take Its Own Medicine,” which is to say to use Oracle internally has lead it to successfully manage global sales and marketing efforts using a variety of Oracle CRM tools including Oracle Telesales, Oracle iSupport, Oracle Portal, and executive dashboards with Noetix.

Gustavo Gonzalez will be delivering the presentation on behalf of both departments, where he will also profile IT Convergence’s decision to further intergrate their platform with Oracle Marketing.

“Manage Global Marketing and Sales Efforts on an Integrated Oracle CRM Platform” (#4502) will be held at 3:15 pm in Breakers D.

If you’d like to attend both presentations but can’t, don’t despair. Visit our Collaborate 10 page where the white paper for “Manage Global Marketing and Sales Efforts on an Integrated Oracle CRM Platform” is already available for download on our Collaborate 10 page, and we will soon be publishing the white papers for our other Collaborate 10 sessions.

Click here to visit our Collaborate 10 page.

Collaborate 10 IFRS White Paper Now Available

2010-04-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may have missed it, we are happy to announce that the white paper supporting the presentation "IFRS for Beginners, an overview of the International Financial Reporting Standards" has been published.

You can download the paper directly from our Collaborate 10 page.

If you’re interested bringing yourself up to speed on International Financials Reporting Standards you can check out our page on IFRS Oracle Solutions and/or click here to register for our May 7th Webcast "Decoding IFRS for Oracle End-Users."

Oracle R12 Upgrade - Preparation is Everything!

2010-04-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

So you’ve been looking at the calendar and notice that your Oracle Footprint is about to be de-supported and will need to be updated, many questions will have to be answered before considering the notion of taking the next step to Oracle Release 12.

Nobody understands your Oracle footprint better than you! The primary reason why project’s of this undertaking fail is because they lack structure and guidance. The focus of the upcoming Preparing for an R12 Upgrade Workshop is it helps establish what you don’t know and renders insight on what you and your team should expect.

Achieve the results you expect by understanding the best direction for your next move, whether it comes in the form of an Upgrade or a Re-Implementation. Technical and Functional areas that will be covered during the class, include; hardware requirements, planning, conversion strategies to configuration, user adoption and documentation to support the Upgrade. Once all the bases have been covered you’ll be ready with a concrete plan that is sure to make your plans a success.

IT Convergence is a company that takes its own medicine! We’re not only responsible for over a great deal of the Global Implementations but we also are running a Footprint supported on Release 12. Learn Oracle Solutions from our team of Oracle Champions, veteran implementers and professional instructors.

The Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence have paired up to offer this Workshop, along with an array of Oracle Applications Workshops. Take your first step in the right direction; ask the questions and get the answers you need before you start.

The next Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade Workshop will be held in New York from May rd to the th, 2010. Be sure to reserve your place and move your career in the fast lane, click here to go to our website.

Interested in finding out more information?

Contact us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409

ITC Oracle Educator

Oracle UPK at Collaborate 10

2010-04-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

Collaborate 10 has started off to a bang.

Yesterday, IT Convergence President Patrick Krause and IT Convergence Financials Practice Manager Karen Kerames presented “IFRS for Beginners, an overview of the International Financial Reporting Standards.”
Haven’t been able to make it to the presentation? Don’t worry. Just click here to get the whitepapers on the topic.

Currently planning what to see and do while at Collaborate 10? Be sure not to miss this next presentation, given today!

IT Convergence Education Services Manager Melissa English will be presenting “UPK an End-to-End Implementation Tool”, which highlights the utility of Oracle UPK to help customers implement the Oracle E-Business Suite R12 better, faster, and at a better ROI.

You can meet all of the presenters in person by stopping by Booth 2631. Alternatively, you can visit our Collaborate 10 page, as we will be uploading White Papers and other presentation materials as soon as they become available.

Enjoy Collaborate 10 to its fullest extent!

Collaborate 10: Get Real Time Analytics with OBIEE

2010-04-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Collaborate is known in the Oracle community as the event where you can get product information from the true experts: the end-users who’ve rolled up their sleeves and learned to make the applications run successfully in business environments.

The OAUG is giving its Collaborate 10 attendees the chance to get live product Demos through its Mini-Theater Sessions, and IT Convergence is proud to be offering one.

So please join us at the OAUG’s booth, #3025, on Tuesday April 20th at 10:30 am for a 30 minute demo on OBIEE.

The Demo is titled “Real Time Sales and Marketing Analytics with OBIEE.” As the title suggests, this is your chance to grab a front row seat to a live demo that reveals how to use OBIEE to get real-time visibility into your sales and marketing data. Gustavo Gonzalez, IT Convergence’s global marketing manager, will provide the Demo.

Gustavo led ITC’s internal implementation of OBIEE and has been one of the driving forces behind IT Convergence’s strategy of Taking Its Own Medicine, including its decision to base its sales and marketing footprint on an integrated Oracle CRM platform in action.

At Collaborate 09, Gustavo delivered presentations on ITC's Oracle R12 Upgrade, an upgrade that included one of the first successful R12 Upgrades in Latin America, and he also co-presented a session on Oracle Telesales. He also gave a presentation on building shared services centers with Oracle at Oracle OpenWorld 2010.

So make a point to be at booth #3025 on Tuesday April 20th between 10:30 am and 11:00 am for “Real Time Sales and Marketing Analytics with OBIEE.”

Can’t make it?

No problem.

You can either drop by the IT Convergence booth, # 2631, for a private demo on OBIEE, or you can visit our Collaborate 10 page where we will soon have white papers and Power Points available for download.

Oracle Tutor and UPK – The Antidote for Documentation Woes

2010-04-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

“How am I supposed to do this again?”

It’s a classic situation. One of your employees leaves the company and the rest of the team is left in the dark.
Are you fed up with losing hours of your precious time looking for the right piece of information on how to perform a certain task? But does the thought of the word “documentation” alone make you want to cry?

You can now choose to keep your employees’ tacit knowledge within the company.
The key to success is to combine your business processes, procedures, online help and simulations into a common asset for staff. Robust, dynamic, interactive reference and learning materials will empower your staff.

But how does one create such a comprehensive on-line manual for any process or task to be performed? By using Oracle Tutor and UPK.

Oracle’s Tutor and UPK tools enable you to produce dynamic documentation that strengthens the effectiveness of your Oracle solution from end-to-end, while simultaneously complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).

And the best of it all is that one of the interesting upcoming workshops organized by the Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence regards this exact topic.

The next workshop on the topic is called “Documentation and Compliance with Oracle Tutor and UPK” and will be held from the 10th till the13th of May in the center of San Francisco.

This workshop will help you jumpstart your documentation effort by teaching you how to plan your documentation and training simulation creation. An experienced Oracle instructor will teach you to how to create a plan, determine the resources needed, and establish guidelines, standards and conventions to maintain consistency throughout your organization.

By the end of this course participants will know how to install and use the features of Oracle Tutor Author, Tutor Publisher, and the UPK tools. They will also be able to create reusable eLearning simulations and test scripts.

As a result, documentation of your processes will comply with regulations such as SOX and ISO, and your employees will be able to transform process information into robust reference manuals and interactive training materials.

Sounds amazing, right? If you are interested in the workshop Documentation and Compliance with Oracle Tutor and UPK, please click here or call 1-800-675-0032 ext 2295 to register.

For more information on the other great Oracle Applications workshops we are hosting, please click here.

R12 and UPK for Collaborate 10 Training Sunday Sessons

2010-04-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

IT Convergence is happy to announce that our experts will be delivering a full day’s worth of Training Sunday sessions at Collaborate 10 on Sunday April 18th.

Our first session is “Combining Oracle Tutor and Oracle UPK Documentation” held between 10:00 am and 12:45 pm.

This session highlights how to document your processes to comply ISO, SOX, or other regulations. You’ll also see how to build robust reference manuals and eLearning situations with both the UPK and Oracle Tutor.

The session ID number is: 4783, and it will be lead by IT Convergence Education Services Manager Melissa English

During the afternoon, you can attend our next session titled “Planning for Oracle R12,” which will run between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

This session will give you a chance to get to know Oracle R12’s technical and functional architecture. You’ll also leave with a better understanding of Oracle R12’s infrastructure, installation, configuration, training, and customization needs.

The session ID number is: 4782 and will be lead by IT Convergence Director of North American consulting James Utz and Senior Consulting Manager Daniel Leiva who has extensive experience in rolling out the Oracle E-Business Suite in Latin America.

Both session will be held in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center’s Lagoon 1.

If you can’t make it to training Sunday, please stop by booth 2631 to meet the presenters in person or click here to visit our Collaborate 10 page as these experts will be delivering additional presentations during the week.

Oracle R12 Supply Chain New Features

2010-04-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

New to Oracle R12 Supply Chain? Want to see how other pros do it and get expert tips and tricks of the trade? Has your company recently upgraded to R12 and you feel lost? Or perhaps you think you know everything there’s to know about Oracle Supply Chain?

Well, let me tell you something you may not know….

If you’re used to working with Oracle 11.5.10 Supply Chain modules, Inventory, purchasing, bills of material, engineering, work in progress, quality, Cost and Order Management, between May 10th to May 13th, you can become an expert yourself and never feel lost again with the Oracle R12 Supply Chain New Features workshop that the OAUG and IT Convergence are hosting in the Big Apple!

During the workshop you'll learn about functional enhancements, new features and an overview of new modules included in the Oracle R12 Supply Chain suite of products. We will review Oracle’s core Supply Chain module new features and functions and demonstrate and discuss enhancements to existing features and functions.

And the best part of it is that this is not just another workshop taught by people who only have theoretical knowledge of the work. This workshop is given by instructors who have actually worked with the tool they’re instructing on and in a completely hands-on environment!

Sounds good right? Click here or call 1-800-675-0032 ext 2295 to register for this workshop and to see the options for all the other great courses we host as well!

Oracle IFRS Solutions – One Hot Ticket

2010-04-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

You know a topic is hot when people start registering for one of your company’s webcasts before there is any mention of it on your website.

And that is exactly that has happened with our May 7th Webcast “Decoding IFRS Accounting Standards for Oracle Users.”

Earlier this week we published our webpage dealing with IFRS solutions for Oracle users, and we also took advantage of that opportunity to mention the presentation "IFRS for Beginners, an overview of the International Financial Reporting Standards" (Session #4359) that IT Convergence President Patrick Krause will be delivering at Collaborate 10.

Although we had planned to do a webcast on AFRS on May 7th, we had no yet made mention of it on our Website. That didn’t stop 5 people from registering for the webcast, however….

Oracle Vendor Product Awareness Sessions

…There is actually a simple explanation for this.

Our May 7th Webcast is part of the Oracle Applications User Group’s Vendor Product Awareness sessions, and is now being advertised on the OAUG’s site. The registration information had to be created and submitted to the OAUG several weeks ago, and as a famous radio personality used to say, “Now you know the rest of the story.”

You Can Register Today

In due course, we’ll have a web banner, mailers, and additional blog posts to advertise the Webcast. But you needn’t wait for that as you can simply click here and register for “Decoding IFRS Standards for Oracle Users.”

Oracle R12 Delta Training Webcast Next Friday

2010-04-07T08:29:00.001-07:00

Wish you could go to Collaborate 10 but are unable to attend in person?

IT Convergence plans to do its part to bring you closer to Collaborate 10. As mentioned in an earlier post on IFRS solutions, we will soon be making the white papers and Power Point Presentations from the our Presenters available on our Collaborate 10 page.

Likewise, we will be offering a Webcast on Oracle R12 Delta Training the Friday before the show beings. The IT Convergence Education Services Manager Melissa English will be presenting the Webcast, sharing insights and lessons learned from leading multiple Oracle R12 Delta Training Engagements.

“Oracle R12 Delta Training: What It Can Do For You” will take place on Friday, April 16th, at 2:00 pm Eastern/11:00 am Pacific.

You can click here to register for “Oracle R12 Delta Training: What It Can Do For You.”

Info on Oracle IFRS Solutions Now Available

2010-04-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Attention accountants, reporting analysts and Finance professionals.

IT Convergence is pleased to announce that we are now offering solutions for Oracle E-Business Suite users who either need or will need to comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as established by the International Accounting Standards Board.

Interested?

If you’re facing a need to shift from US GAAP to IFRS or you’re merely interested in learning more about this accounting methodology that is rapidly spreading through the globe, you’ve got two options for getting up to speed.

First, you can attend the coming presentation “IFRS for Beginners, an Overview of the International Financial Reporting Standards” on Sunday April 18th at Collaborate 10, offered by IT Convergence President Patrick Krause and IT Convergence Oracle Financials Practice Manager Karen Kerames. Click here for more information about this and IT Convergence’s other Collaborate 10 presentations.

If you’re unable to make it, you can click here to check out IT Convergence’s web page on Oracle R12 IFRS solutions.

Remember to check back with both pages in the near future, as the white paper supporting the presentation will be available very soon.

Month End Closes with Oracle R12 Financials: Don’t Panic! It’s Easy and Expedient

2010-04-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Your company has taken a big step to the R12, but is everyone on board?

There have been a great deal of changes to the configuration and functionality of the Oracle Release 12 and it’s imperative that the key Oracle Financials users become familiar with these modifications to understand how they affect the Month End Close. The advantage of attending the upcoming Expediting Month End Close with Oracle R12 Workshop is that it gives you an in-depth perspective of everything you need to know, before its time to close the books.

Don’t waste time troubleshooting, learning the Release 12 architecture will greatly assist in offering a smooth transition from your current environment. It’s essential that the correct functions within the Application are applied in order to close the books right, this is why we base the class around the fundamentals; Report, Review, Reconcile and Close. Areas that you’ll cover during the Workshop include the following; Accounts Payable, Account Receivable, Cash Management, Fixed Assets, General Ledger / Inventory / Cost Management, Projects, Purchasing and Sub Ledger Accounting.

The Year End Close will also be discussed, highlighting the variances between month end processing and year end processing in the R12 Financials. The workshop will not be limited to the Financials, but will also include segments relating to HR Payroll, Inventory, Purchasing and Cost Control Management.

The Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence have paired up to offer this Workshop, along with an array of Oracle Applications Workshops. Learn how to close the books right the first time; ask the questions and get the answers you need before you start.

The next Expediting Month End Close with Oracle R12 Workshop will be held in San Francisco from May 3rd to the 6th, 2010. Be sure to reserve your place and move your career in the fast lane, click here to go to our website.

Other Workshops that might be of Interest include: Oracle R12 Financials New Features and Reporting Options for Oracle E-Business Suite.

Want more information?

Contact us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409

ITC Oracle Educator

Oracle Application Workshop Registration Opportunities for April

2010-04-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

April is here bringing Oracle users a new series of new OAUG-ITC Oracle Applications Workshops to help them sharpen their skills.

What Are the “Oracle Applications Workshops?”

The Oracle Applications User Group (OAUG) and IT Convergence joined forced back in August 2009 to offer a series of Oracle Applications Workshops aimed at providing the end-users business-focused Oracle training at a cost effective price.

New York City was the first host location beginning in the summer of 2009, with additional workshops becoming available in San Francisco in January of 2010.

The initial focus of the workshops was on Oracle R12, 11g, and OBIEE, but has since expanded to include other topics such as Dynamic Documentation and Global Rollouts, as well as courses focusing on new features in Oracle Financials and reporting Options for E-Business Suite users.

Who Are these Workshops For?

Workshops cover a wide ranged of functional, technical, and business topics meaning that almost any Oracle professional looking to learn to use Oracle to do his or her job better can find something relevant to their career development path.

A healthy portion of our attendees live in the Greater New York and San Francisco Bay areas, but students have traveled to the workshops from all over the United States. April saw a large group of students come in from Canada, and the Workshops have also hosted one student from Tunisia.

If the OAUG Sponsors the Workshops, Must I Be an OAUG Member to Attend?

No, absolutely not, these workshops are open to everyone. Moreover, IT managers struggling to squeeze training into already tight budgets will be please to learn that the cost of attending these workshops is budget friendly.

However, OAUG members do receive an addition 25% discount.

Just Where in New York and San Francisco are These Worskhops Held?

All workshops will take place at IT Convergence’s offices in San Francisco and New York. Both offices are centrally located, with the San Francisco office sitting squarely on the block between the Transamerica building and Embarcadero Center, while the New York office is in downtown Manhattan, only a few blocks from Wall Street.

Both locations offer convenient access to public transportation, and discount rates at nearby hotels are available.

Which Workshops Can I Register for in April?

It depends on which city you wanted to visit.

The following Workshops are available in New York from mid-April to mid-May:

New Features in Oracle R12 Financials
Oracle RAC 11g
Recruit to Pay in Oracle R12 HRMS
Oracle R12 Supply Chain

You can click on any of the titles above for more information, and you can click here to view the workshop schedule.

The following Workshops are available in San Francisco from mid-April to mid-May:

Month End Closing in Oracle R12
Documentation and Compliance with Oracle Tutor and UPK
Preparing for an Oracle R12 Upgrade
OBIEE for End Users

How Do I Sign Up?

You can register for any of the workshops on line and either pay using PayPal or elect to have your company invoiced.

For more information click here to visit the Oracle Applications Workshops home page, or feel free to call 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409/ext. 2995.

It pays to “Recruit to Pay” with Oracle HRMS

2010-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

We are dedicated to getting you acquainted with all there is to know about the Oracle HRMS product family and its key business flow "Recruit to Pay."

Our workshop ‘Oracle HRMS Recruit to Pay’ is organized by the Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence and will give you a chance to learn the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of Oracle HRMS.

And now I can just hear you wondering, “Why would I attend this workshop?” The answer is surprisingly straightforward. It pays to “Recruit to Pay”!

The next HRMS R12 Recruit to Pay Workshop will be held in downtown Manhattan from May 17th to May 20th, 2010.

This workshop is ideal for Recruiters, Human Resource Specialists, Payroll Administrators or anyone else interested and/or involved in HR, as it will enable participants to handle all day-to-day activities within the HR office.

In more detail, participants of this workshop will learn how to create an applicant with Oracle iRecruitment, how to hire employees, and how to manage employees with Self-Service HR.

Moreover, this course teaches its students to enter timecards with OTL, to enroll employees for benefits with Oracle Advanced Benefits, to enroll for classes with Oracle Learning Management and to process payroll with Oracle Payroll.

But this workshop does not just teach! Prepare yourself for some hands-on practice! Activities in this workshop are based entirely on Oracle HRMS transactions, with all lessons being "How to" exercises including real transaction processing.

Discussions surfacing in class will focus on adapting best practices to live business Oracle HRMS solutions.

By the end of this class, all users will have sufficient knowledge to use and apply the features and functionalities of Oracle's Recruit to Pay business flow.

Interested in this workshop? Please click here to register.

Interested what other interesting workshops OAUG and ITC are hosting? Or when? Or where? For more information about our Oracle Application Workshops, please click here or call us on 1800-675-0032 ext 2995.

ABC's of OBIEE

2010-03-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

There are several reporting options that have surfaced in the last few years, but only a select few have truly defined the concept of developing a comprehensive Business Intelligence solution, which organizes what you already know. The key strength of the upcoming OBIEE for Administrators Workshop is that it has been created to help you deploy the OBIEE tool quickly and deliver maximum functionality within a matter of weeks, therefore creating a best fit for your Oracle footprint and business.

Several components make up the OBIEE umbrella, including; BI Server, BI Answers, BI Publisher, BI Interactive Dashboards, BI Delivers, BI Disconnected Analytics, BI Publisher, BI Briefing Books and Hyperion Plug-Ins. Oracle has reinvented the idea of out-of-the-box solutions with a series of interdependent components that work to streamline and facilitate a rapid implementation.

If you’ve created an Oracle Shop you’ll find that with OBIEE there will no longer be a need for customization but rather more time and effort can be directed to what really matters; configuring reports and metrics. Understanding the difference between Functional and Technical Users is imperative when setting up an effective presentation. It’s the OBIEE Administrator that is responsible for controlling the quality of the content provided in various queries along with the delivery of comprehensive data that will be published in a series of enhanced Graphs and Dashboards.

The Oracle Applications User Group and IT Convergence have paired up to offer an array of Oracle Applications Workshops that are suitable for End-Users and Administrators. Performance will be expected when integrating OBIEE with your Applications; ask the questions and get the answers you need before you start.

The next OBIEE for Administrators Workshop will be held in San Francisco from June 28th till the 1st of July, 2010. Be sure to reserve your place and move your career in the fast lane, click here to go to our website.

Interested in finding out more information?

Contact us at 1-800-675-0032 ext. 2409

ITC Oracle Educator