Some real case customer scenarios looking to upgrade towards Oracle R12, Happy new year!

From: XXXXX
Sent: Friday, December 3, 2011 2:24 PM
To: Alex Antonatos
Cc:
Subject: Advice on R11 upgrade to R12

Hello Alex,

 I am a reader of your blog, enjoy the content. We have embarked in upgrading our R11 instance 

We face issues on patching, can we arrange a call to discuss, would like to hear your expert advice on our situation,

We operate in 27 countries mostly EMEA, Asia and few sites in North America.

Kind regards, 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

As we all learned upgrades are always time-consuming and complex, so anything that makes the task easier and reduces the downtime needed is worth investigating.

The way this works a staged Applications system represents an exact physical copy of a production system, including all APPL_TOPs and the production database.

You can apply patches to a staged system while the production system remains in operation. After that, you connect the staged system to the production system,

update the database, and synchronise the APPL_TOPs. This means that the downtime for the production system only needs to begin after all patches have been successfully applied to the staged system.

After the patches have been applied to the staged system, and the production system updated, you must export applied patches information from the staged system and import it into the production system.

This ensures that the production patch history database is up-to-date.The principles of using the staged approach for upgrading are simple: after meeting the applicable AutoConfig and Rapid Clone patch prerequisites,

you create the R11i staged system.

You then upgrade the staged system to R12.1.3 by updating the production APPL_TOP and database. Finally, you synchronise the patch histories of the production and staged systems.

Feedback received for above mentioned client shaved up to 10 hours from cutover plan.

Metalink note for more information:Using a Staged Applications System to Reduce Patching Downtime in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (Doc ID 734025.1) 

We bought a company and we need to replace SAP with Oracle EBS:The following Oracle Modules will replace SAP.

Financials: GL,AP, AR, FA, PA

HRMS

Discrete manufacturing INV, BOM, MRP, WIP

Order Management and Procurement

Where do we begin with the migration of data?

We are a conservative global company, what plan/approach/timeline do you recommend for the upgrade?

Thank you,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Data

In my experiences with SAP this type of migration of data is better served using a third party tool, you should look into more4apps.com excel based suite of software, ideal in this situation to empower the users in deciding on what to take across from SAP into Oracle.

Plan/Timeline

Once support exists for the R12 Upgrade and the Business is on board, since this will take a lot of their time. 

Here is my rule of thumb that i would use as a baseline using this clients footprint , they have 22 EBS modules in production:

R11 instance will little or no interfaces, extensions and reports, project plan of 4 months

R11 instance with some interfaces, extensions and reports(12-24 objects), project plan of 6 months

R11 instance with many interfaces, extensions and reports (25+ objects) project plan of 9 months

Approach

In this case what was recommended was as follows:The areas of technical below were outsourced to a specialized partner:

1) Understand installed components, system sizing information, NLS considerations
2) Prepare for upgrade using Upgrade Manual Script.
3) Upgrading to R12. This includes upgrading the database and applying the required patches through AutoPatch.
4) Post-Upgrade process. Complete the upgrade process by applying the latest patches to keep the system most current.All the functional upgrade tasks, testing including uat, setups were all done internally.

Architecture

In this client scenario, what was recommended was to upgrade the R11 instance into a new instance of R12, then merge the instances using a consolidation project methodology. (below are the high level steps)

Consolidation Methodology

·         Proof of concept phase

·         Consolidation of AOL, general ledger modules

·         Consolidation phases

·         Standardization of globalsetups

·         Analysis of custom data model

·         Two practice runs to perfect consolidation process

·         Unit/System testing usingcompanies test cases

·         Functional testing using client specific test cases 

·         Documentation and execute the Multiple instance consolidations at the same time during second cycle

 ·         Data integrity scripts

·         Generalized custom scripts tovalidate the data integrityafter consolidate

·         Go Live

·         Project ends after firstmonth-end process

First off, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wishing you all of life's greatest blessings.

Below are my personal predictions for 2012:

In the technology space, the Internet has had a great twelve-year run. It's time for something new. Relating to the Internet, I'd say keep your eyes on SaaS (Software as a Service) and On-demand Software. These models provide cheaper applications, cheaper end-user support, and an instant global reach.

Pitfalls to this model include security and the lack of full control that users have become accustomed to. We will also need to think about the disconnected nature of these applications, integration headaches with your corporate architecture and what does this impact when information is in the cloud.

I also see the end of the typical PC desktop, as we use it today, going away. Time will tell, but we may very well be on our way to a virtualized desktop sitting in front of a screen as a terminal, and having all software available, on-demand via the Internet. (Similar to the Apple, RIM, Google tablet model)

For me the next big thing is to integrate the internet in are lives in real time. Access to the internet is still limited by the devices we use. Once we have human UI to the internet such as voice I think it will be possible interact in real time with the internet.

ERP/CRM space will remain solid; the trends will be internal standardization of deployments and newer functionality to assist the business. CIO’s will be forced to “standardize to economize” no choice with current 2012 outlooks, on the positive side it will be a fantastic year for Oracle ERP consultants since Oracle Corporation announced the R11 de-support for November 2013, second point instance consolidations will remain high on the CIO's footprint (latest survey 19% of corporation have more than one ERP instance).

As companies margins are pressured internal hiring will continue, and consultants will be brought in for specific expertise.

CIO’s biggest headaches will continue to be increasingly complex infrastructures, distributed end users, and a constant expectation for performance.

My favorite growth area is artificial intelligence. The next 2-3 years will be devoted to neural network architecture and the capacity to correlate information entered by humans (ex: Watson – IBM supercomputer used on Jeopardy – is an example in its infancy). Then, you'll see companies across the board selling intelligent machines, the next generation of Neural Network architecture. But the real money will not be on the machines since they will mostly be seen as the operating system. It will be on the big data these machines produce and how to incorporate them to establish a competitive advantage within your enterprise.

Last point, disruptive technologies; Virtualization, Social Networks , Cloud Computing, Contextual computing, Semantics are everywhere, companies must establish an internal process to evaluate these emerging trends and technologies, and how they impact your corporation.

In the corporate management area, Talent retention will be #1

Overcoming fear of making decisions #2 Moving the company forward! Taking it out of park and hitting the gas pedal. #3

You will need to take risk in 2012 to get your business going. The one that takes that first step will stay ahead of the others who are still in park.

In the financial markets, my strategy is a contrarian approach; I just changed my investment portfolio to 100% stock. In my investing career when consensus is so strong about next year markets (Europe recession, slowing of Asia, snail pace in US) I think we will surprise to the upside. I think this will be a great year. It will be a bumpy ride but my take, we will be much higher in the next years than we are today, all these current issues will be resolved and new ones will arise.

I am cautiously optimistic and motivated about 2012; I think great opportunities will arise. This leads me to believe that the economy is continuing its reboot.

Always fun in looking back at last year’s predictions

http://appsconsultant.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=182&Itemid=9

Happy Holidays!

Who am I, What I believe, What I value by Alex Antonatos

• I am a self-governing individual who values a higher sense of right in order to make decisions in life.

• I am an individual who values passionate and unconditional friendship, always wanting to improve the friendships I have, and gain trust and respect from the people I do not know

• I understand that I am created from God a more powerful source than man, and therefore I strive towards a spiritual basis.

• I am constantly growing, learning, discovering, and becoming more developed as an individual daily.

• Every day I succeed. There is no failure. My seeming failures are actually moments in time that help to expand my thought, enabling me to become more aware of my surroundings, which will always lead me to success.

• I am constantly changing; adapting to the demands of everyday life. Each moment my body is different than the moment before, so are my thoughts.

• I am a loving, warm hearted, giving, selfless, hard working, passionate, competitive, unique individual, and at the same time a part of the one spiritual connection throughout with God.

• I do not hide the fact that I have many faults, and in no way shape or form am I perfect. I have definitely lived a life of greed, selfishness, anger and disrespect. These things I am not proud of, but at the same time I appreciate, embrace, and value them as much as anything else. For without these mistakes and faults, I would not be able to understand how amazing the life of a higher standard or value is. Always learn from your lifelong mistakes.

• I believe that every individual has an endless amount of potential. All they need is someone or something to help direct their path towards finding their greatness.

• I value God, Family, Friends, Teachers, Education, Honesty, Unconditional Love, Respect, Accountability and Hard Work.

My Leadership Goals

• Be Willing To Grow
• Work Harder and Smarter than anyone else
• Always be Grateful
• Never be Satisfied
• Love Everyone and Everything
• Live right Now
• Give my Best at all Times
• Think on Spirit, not on Matter
• Believe in God, not in Man
• Always look inward and upward, not outward
• Believe in the power of an idea
• Trust and know that all is well
• Never give up

It’s fun for me to read what I wrote fifteen years ago. I thought maybe my ideas would have changed by now, but almost everything I wrote is still true today.