R12 Upgrade Approach

and
Lessons Learned
Brian Pellot, AXIA Consulting

Agenda
Introductions
R12 Example Projects

The Upgrade Project

Lessons Learned
Major R12 Module Changes

Please ask questions!!!!!

The Speaker
Founded in 2005, AXIA Consulting is an firm made up of Senior
Consultants averaging 15+ years of Systems Integration
experience.
AXIA has a core group of Oracle consultants currently working
with 6 clients in the region. AXIA also provides strategic
business services, project management and systems integration
services.
Brian Pellot is a senior consultant with 14 years of experience
implementing and upgrading the Oracle Applications. He is also
a past president of OVOAUG.

Current Status

Where is everyone now?

11.5.10
Earlier versions

What modules?
Financials
Supply Chain
Manufacturing

How long have you been on Oracle?

>2 years
>5 years
>10 years

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

Why upgrade?
Support
New functionality
Implementing additional modules

R12 Overview

Oracles Major Release after 11i

Various versions have been release semi-annually

R12.0 thru 12.0.6 and 12.1.0 to 12.1.3
Bug fixes
The R12 versions have functional enhancements and changes

Major Enhancement

Centralize functions that were common amongst modules

User Interface changes

More Web-based look-and-feel

Common Data screens and functions moved to java framework

Suppliers

Customers
Technology Changes JRE instead of JInitiator

R12 Projects
Industry`

Public, Regional Ohio

Utility ($3 Billion)

Industrial Equipment
Manufacturer ($500 Million)

Large Steel
Manufacturer ($2 Billion)

Location

Dayton, OH

Mason, OH

West Chester, OH

Versions

12.06

12.1.2

12.1.2

Timeline

9 months

6 months

9 months

IT Staffing
(FTEs)

2 Internal
8 External

5 Internal
4 External
2 Developers

2 Internal
3 External
1 Developer

DBAs

2 Internal

Outsourced / Hosted

Outsourced

Scope

12 Modules: Financials, Supply

Chain, HRMS

18 Modules: Financials, MFG,

Supply Chain, HRMS

3 Modules; Financials

Custom
Objects

~300 custom objects,

7 complex interfaces

~500 custom objects

Minimal interfacing

~100 custom objects

Moderate interfacing

Down
Time

70 hour upgrade window

69 hour upgrade window

48 hour upgrade window

Issues

90 patches, 269 issues logged,

811 test scripts

50 patches, 145 SRs, 418 issues

logged

45 patches, 120 SRs, 214 issues

logged

The GOAL
Dont mess it up!
Availability
The system will be available on Monday morning.

Shortest possible downtime.

Business Continuity
On Monday morning everyone can do their job.
At the end of the period, the business can close the books.

Have system on Oracle R12

The Approach
Repeat

Plan

Test
Upgrade

Production
Upgrade

Test
Issues

Cookbook
Steps

Patch List

Multiple practice rounds determine correct steps

and patches to ensure a successful upgrade.
More rounds => Less Risk

Sample Plan

Lessons Learned
Project Management
Agree on scope upfront
Maintain a parking lot for items to be considered after go live
Maintain an issues list
Maintain awareness of ongoing 11i Production support changes
Intermediate milestones
Weekly DBA meetings
Project Schedule
Ensure that the project phases and milestones are aligned with important business
considerations such as quarter end/year end
Set expectation that going-in schedule is subject to change
Build in a contingency month if possible
Initial phase was a bug hunt to try and find obvious glitches try to navigate through
and test basic functions
Subsequent upgraded environments serve as Pilot systems to help finalize R12
setups and resolve any bugs
Following Pilots, perform formal tests with business users

Lessons Learned
Custom Objects
Many will need to change
Many of the changes will be minor
Some will be rewrites
All need to be tested thoroughly
Some will work with old data but not with new

Testing
Ensure you have comprehensive test scripts to cover all processes
Involve the business team creating test scripts and executing
Test with old data (that was upgraded) and new data
Be aware of how Subledger Accounting data is converted
Dont assume anything each upgrade iteration brings new 11i data
Establish a test lab with PCs so that business team can participate in a focused
environment
Test standard and custom report printing

Testing Flow

Patch

Test

Issue

Process
Change
Cookbook Step

Used in Next
Round

Cookbook

Cookbook Steps
Well documented
Assigned
Timed

Lessons Learned
Patching
Take the most recent CPC (critical patch collections) proactively at the start of the
project
Evaluate timing of other CPCs and new releases as the project progresses
Track every patch applied in every environment
- you wont want to take all of them forward
- Important to know whats where if you have more than one instance
Set a patch freeze date prior to the cutover event
Be aware of patches for a single bug that might contain additional bug fixes. If one
off patches are unavailable, you must re-test all affected files.
List of specific patches for specific issues can be provided

Training
Depends on number of users, number of testers, use of modules
Some modules had no training HR
Some had full classroom training AP, Inv
Some fell in the middle GL, AR
Some do remedial training

Lessons Learned
If you have interfaces consider this carefully! Oracle will be (partially) down.
Interface Plan
What systems will be affected by downtime?
Linked systems
Interface files to those systems.

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

Process every file and every transaction

Once and
Only once
Will there be format changes or program changes?

Mitigate the impacts

Assign specific actions for each interface

Who will process files?
When will the files be processed?
Who needs to know about what affect to what systems?

Lessons Learned
Cutover Event
Cutover planning starts early in the project
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

No surprises
Assume nothing

Cutover Plan - instructions should be detailed enough that others could do the steps
in someones absence
Assign the steps consider passwords and responsibilities (security)
Practice the steps with each technical upgrade
Time the steps, automate if possible using Dataloader, SQL, FNDLOAD
Develop communication plan, fallback plan, 24x7 contact list (including key third-party
vendors), Go/no-go decision support
Allow time for business team to do some basic testing before the system is open for
business on the first day after cutover
Manage the impact to interfaced systems (inbound and outbound)

This is what weve

trained for people!

Lessons Learned
Experience
Companies considering an upgrade have experienced Oracle Application teams.

Find someone experienced with the upgrade.

The upgrades get quicker and less risky as more upgrade experienced people
become available to help.

Experienced people should provide a head start.

Cookbook
Patch lists
Key risk areas what to test first
Coding change examples
XML Template examples (checks and other payment documents)
Templates for other project deliverables
Project plan
Impact documents
Starting points for cutover plan

Results
STATISTIC AP and Payments modules comprised a large portion of
the project issues and patches.

1 in every 6 issues
Project Issues Log
AP, Payments

Other Modules

Almost 1/3 of patches

Applications Patches
AP, Payments

Other Modules

12.0.6 project - 35 Oracle Service Requests (SRs) for AP/IBY modules

The number was much less for the 12.1.2 project.

New in R12
Dr

Cr

General
Ledger
Ledger &
Ledger
Sets

6 Major Initiatives

1. Ledger and
Ledger Sets
2. Subledger
Accounting

3. MOAC

Subledger Accounting (SLA)

Tax
Engine

Inter
Company

Bank
Model

4. Intercompany
5. Tax Engine

6. Bank Model

Multi-Org
Access
Control

Inventory

Work in Process

Receivables

Purchasing

Payables

Projects

19

Major Changes
Payables
11i Payables split into 4 parts in R12
Payables
Payments
Tax
Accounting - SLA
Supplier form re-written
Bank data centralized
Lines added
Trial balance and write-offs different with some upgrade concerns
Payments
All new module
Some development required
Numerous setups
WebADI
Client ADI is gone
Other modules can be used to fill the gaps.

Who moved my
cheese?

Major Changes
Subledger Accounting
Create accounting process added to all financial modules
Affects GL Drill-back
Some date idiosyncrasies
Powerful capabilities available (but not required)
One accounting method change means full new method decide early
EBTax
Regime will upgrade but dont use it!
Not supported
Not extendable
Difficult to use
Set up a new regime
Good time to go to a 3rd party provider
Lots of power lots of learning
Printing Architecture and BI Publisher
PASTA is available but not exact
Some reports need to be opened and printed from Adobe

Questions?
For more information, please contact:

Brian Pellot
AXIA Consulting
Brian.Pellot@axiaconsulting.net
http://www.axiaconsulting.net