Premier support for Oracle Discoverer ended in June 2014 and extended support ended in June 2017. Since then, Oracle Discoverer has been completely de-supported, meaning no further updates, patches, or security fixes are provided. This move put many Discoverer customers in a tough spot as they were forced to look for a new reporting tool as a replacement.
As a customer for a legacy reporting tool like Oracle Discoverer, you need to understand your options and make the best choice based on your unique business needs. Before selecting an ERP reporting solution as a replacement for Oracle Discoverer, you need to consider the following aspects and answer certain questions regarding those.
Considerations for Oracle Discoverer Migration
Multi-Dimensional Reporting
Do you require basic static reporting capabilities or multi-dimensional reporting across multiple data sources?
Basic Static Reporting: If your organization primarily needs pre-defined, scheduled reports with minimal interaction, a basic reporting solution within your ERP (e.g., NetSuite, Oracle BI Publisher) may suffice.
Multi-Dimensional Reporting: If you need to drill down into data, pivot across multiple dimensions, and analyze trends across multiple data sources, consider Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), Power BI, or Tableau as alternative solutions.
Mobile BI
Do your employees need to view reports on the fly? Do you need ERP reports that can be accessed from a mobile device anytime, anywhere?
Not Required: If employees work primarily on desktops and do not require mobile access, a traditional on-premises reporting tool may be adequate.
Required: If real-time access to reports on smartphones or tablets is necessary, choose a cloud-based BI solution like Oracle Analytics Cloud, Microsoft Power BI, or Tableau, which offer native mobile support.
Data Visualization
Does your business need advanced data visualization capabilities or simple table based reporting or a combination of both?
Simple Table-Based Reports: If your business requires only tabular reports similar to Oracle Discoverer, tools like Oracle BI Publisher or SQL-based reporting tools may work.
Advanced Visualization: If you need interactive dashboards with dynamic charts, graphs, and AI-driven insights, consider Power BI, Tableau, or Oracle Analytics Cloud.
Combination of Both: A flexible solution that supports tabular reports while also providing rich visualizations would be ideal (e.g., Power BI, Oracle Fusion Analytics).
Ad hoc Reporting
Does your business generate monthly planned reports or do you need quick access to information from the ERP system?
Pre-Defined Reports Only: If monthly or quarterly reporting is enough, an ERP-integrated reporting tool (like Oracle BI Publisher) may work.
On-Demand Ad Hoc Reporting: If business users need to create reports dynamically without IT intervention, opt for Power BI, Tableau, or Oracle Analytics Cloud, which offer intuitive self-service reporting.
Data Sources
Are the reports coming from data stored in a single system or from multiple sources – potentially outside of the ERP solution?
Single ERP Source: If reports are generated only from Oracle ERP, a native solution like Oracle BI Publisher or Fusion ERP Reporting may be sufficient.
Multiple Data Sources: If your business needs to pull data from multiple systems (CRM, third-party apps, or external databases), a data warehouse with a BI tool (Snowflake + Power BI, Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse + Oracle Analytics Cloud, etc.) would be the best approach.
Why Should You Replace Oracle Discoverer?
Oracle Discoverer, once a widely used reporting tool for Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS), is now considered outdated. While it was designed specifically for EBS, Discoverer is limited to working with data from this single source, making it an inefficient choice for businesses that need to consolidate information from multiple systems. Additionally, Oracle ended support for Discoverer, further diminishing its viability as a long-term solution.
As a legacy tool, Discoverer is not intuitive, and running reports can be a slow process. Its complex, technical nature means that creating reports requires specialized expertise, making the process cumbersome and time-consuming. Even after reports are generated, users lack the ability to easily drill down into the data and perform in-depth analysis. This limitation often leads to unanswered questions, prompting additional report requests to the IT department.
Another challenge with Discoverer is the scarcity of skilled resources. Due to its age, it’s increasingly difficult to find professionals with the necessary technical knowledge to work with the tool. This results in an over-reliance on a single resource within the IT team, creating bottlenecks and dependencies that slow down reporting and add friction to business processes.
When IT teams spend the majority of their time building complex reports, they have little capacity to focus on other critical initiatives, such as system upgrades or integrations. Moreover, despite IT’s efforts, the inherent limitations of Oracle Discoverer prevent users from interacting with reports in the way they need. As a result, many users resort to using spreadsheets, which introduces a host of issues, including data errors, inconsistencies, and the proliferation of multiple versions of reports.
Oracle Discoverer Migration Options
Investments in ERP and reporting tools cost a lot of time, money, and effort. You need to evaluate all your options, not just the options that Oracle is pushing you to consider. So, let’s consider your options while migrating from Oracle Discoverer:
Oracle BI Publisher
This solution is best for organizations needing pre-formatted, regulatory, or batch reporting integrated with Oracle ERP.
Pros:
- Pixel-perfect reporting – Ideal for invoices, purchase orders, and regulatory reports.
- Seamless ERP integration – Works well with Oracle ERP and other Oracle applications.
- Handles high-volume reporting – Can generate and distribute thousands of reports efficiently.
- Low overhead – Minimal impact on system performance compared to full BI tools.
Cons:
- Not ideal for ad hoc analysis – Requires IT intervention to create and modify reports.
- Limited visualization – Primarily focuses on tabular, formatted reports rather than interactive dashboards.
- Not a self-service tool – Business users may find it difficult to generate reports independently.
Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC)
This solution is best for organizations looking for cloud-based BI with AI-driven analytics and self-service reporting.
Pros:
- Modern cloud-based solution – Provides scalability, security, and AI-driven insights.
- Self-service analytics – Business users can create reports and dashboards without IT.
- Multi-source data integration – Connects to Oracle DB, third-party applications, and cloud data sources.
- AI & ML features – Offers predictive analytics and automated data discovery.
Cons:
- More expensive – Requires an Oracle Cloud subscription, which may be costly for some businesses.
- Steep learning curve – Advanced features may require training for non-technical users.
- Not ideal for detailed transactional reporting – Primarily designed for dashboards and strategic reporting.
Oracle Analytics Server (OAS)
This solution is best for organizations that require a comprehensive on-premises BI solution, self-service analytics, and strong Oracle ERP integration with the flexibility of modern reporting features.
Pros:
- Modern reporting and analytics capabilities – Provides a comprehensive suite of BI tools, including reporting, dashboards, and data exploration.
- On-premises deployment – Ideal for organizations that require on-premises deployment and are not ready to move to the cloud.
- Supports ad hoc reporting – End-users can create and modify reports with minimal IT involvement.
- Oracle integration – Seamless integration with Oracle ERP, Oracle Cloud, and Oracle Databases.
- Data visualization and interactive dashboards – Offers strong visualization features like interactive dashboards, advanced charting, and self-service BI.
- Scalable – Can be scaled to meet enterprise-level reporting needs, similar to OBIEE but with modern enhancements.
Cons:
- Higher cost – Licensing and infrastructure costs may be significant, especially for smaller organizations.
- Steeper learning curve – While OAS is designed for end-users, it may require training for business users to take full advantage of the features.
- Requires pre-defined data models – Like OBIEE, OAS is more structured and requires pre-configured data models, making ad hoc and exploratory reporting more challenging unless well-planned.
- Not as agile as cloud alternatives – OAS may not offer the same speed and flexibility of cloud-native tools like OAC or Power BI or Tableau for quickly adapting to changing reporting needs.
Oracle Application Express (APEX)
This solution is best for Oracle Database users who need custom operational and interactive reporting.
Pros:
- Best for Oracle DB users – Works directly within Oracle Database, reducing integration costs.
- Interactive reports & dashboards – Users can drill down into transactional data.
- Low-code development – Custom reports can be built with minimal programming.
- No additional licensing cost – Comes included with Oracle Database.
Cons:
- Limited cross-platform capabilities – Works best within Oracle environments.
- Requires development expertise – Though low-code, still requires IT involvement to build and maintain applications.
- Not a traditional BI tool – More suited for operational reports rather than strategic analytics.
Microsoft Power BI
This solution is best for organizations needing agile, self-service, and interactive reporting at a lower cost.
Pros:
- User-friendly – Business users can create and modify reports without IT.
- Strong data visualization – Interactive dashboards with customizable visuals.
- Connects to multiple data sources – Works with ERP systems, databases, and cloud apps.
- Low cost – Power BI Desktop is free, and Pro/Premium versions are affordable compared to Oracle solutions.
Cons:
- Limited native Oracle integration – May require additional connectors or data warehousing.
- Performance issues with large datasets – May require optimization for high-volume reporting.
- Requires Power BI Premium for enterprise features – Some advanced capabilities (AI, paginated reports) need an upgrade.
Tableau
This solution is best for organizations prioritizing data visualization, exploration, and deep analytical insights.
Pros:
- Best-in-class data visualization – Highly interactive and visually compelling dashboards.
- User-friendly for analysts – Drag-and-drop interface for quick report creation.
- Connects to multiple data sources – Supports Oracle DB, cloud applications, and external sources.
- Strong performance on large datasets – Optimized for big data exploration.
Cons:
- Expensive licensing – Higher cost compared to Power BI.
- Requires a separate transactional reporting tool – Not designed for traditional, pixel-perfect reports.
- Steeper learning curve for beginners – May require training for business users.
In summary, while Oracle Discoverer may have served its purpose in the past, it no longer meets the needs of modern businesses, creating inefficiencies, dependencies, and operational challenges. While migrating to another Oracle Analytics solution is one option for Discoverer customers, it’s not the only path forward. There are several powerful non-Oracle alternatives, such as Tableau and Power BI, that can fully meet your reporting needs. Both of these tools address common ERP reporting challenges by providing fast, intuitive visualizations and interactive dashboards. They are also highly flexible, able to seamlessly integrate data from both Oracle and non-Oracle sources, ensuring comprehensive.
Note: This article was originally published in December 2019 and revamped in February 2025.