A few days ago, our wonderful team of EBS and upgrade experts, Jim Perez Bateman, VP of Practices, Gustavo Gonzalez, Chief Technology Officer, and Anupam Sharma, Director of Strategy Consulting at ITC, got together to host a webinar, “Modernize our Oracle EBS Cost-Efficiently & Get Ready for the Cloud” to share expert insights on:
- Cost analysis of MDS versus upgrading to EBS R12.2.x with ITC proven resource-sharing models.
- The value-add of upgrading to R12.2.x versus waiting it out with MDS
- Cloud roadmapping with Business & IT alignment post-upgrade
- Minimizing the risks on your path to cloud with ITC proven methodologies
Next, we’ll be covering the insights-packed Q&A section of the webinar where attendees shared some of the most pressing concerns they have regarding the modernization of their EBS:
- Question: In a hybrid model, how does integration work between EBS and Cloud ERP?
Answer: Integration is one of the most critical aspects of extending to a SaaS solution. In Oracle’s latest releases of Oracle EBS, Oracle has been bringing SOAP and REST as web services to connect Oracle EBS with any other system. The recommendation is that you leverage these web services but there’s also the option of using Oracle Cloud Integration Services that come packed with connectors that can virtually connect with pretty much any system you can think of. - Question: Is there a way to run an upgrade from EBS to Oracle Cloud ERP?
Answer: There’s no direct upgrade path from EBS to Cloud SaaS. They are two completely different systems, even though Fusion Applications took ideas from EBS, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, and more, they are completely different in terms of structures and architectures. The easier path is to re-implement the EBS instance on Fusion Applications. There are some accelerators that can be used, but it’s basically a re-implementation that brings many opportunities that you can leverage such as changing or restructuring of accounts, cleansing your data, and more. As with any SaaS solution, your organization needs to have a specific maturity level to be on the cloud. - Question: Will MDS be longer than 2023?
Answer: The short answer is no one knows. Oracle was pretty clear that MDS is going to be available only for two calendar years, which means that MDS started in January 2022 will end in December 2022. Beyond that, we don’t know what’s going to happen. - Question: Will I need to upgrade my database as part of a 12.2 upgrade?
Answer: It’s important to be on a supported version of the database. Oracle EBS is certified to run on both 12.1.0.2 and 19c. However, the support for limited error correction in 12.1.0.2 ended on March 31st, 2022. Database 19c has Premier Support through April 2024 and Extended Support through April 2027. - Question: My infrastructure is getting old and in need of replacement soon. What options do I have other than upgrading my database and EBS applications and running them on old hardware? I don’t have the budget to do the upgrade and update my aging infrastructure.
Answer: This is a dilemma for many of our customers who have been running EBS for some time. We recommend upgrading to 12.2 on-premises, then migrating to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure or OCI with an ITC proprietary in-flight database upgrade. Our in-flight database upgrade will upgrade your database to 19c while you migrate 12 – 2 to OCI. Running 12 – 2 on OCI eliminates your need for on-site hardware - Question: How can you decide what to do first, re-engineer processes or modernize technology?
Answer: We must first understand that we are interconnected. It depends on how mature your processes are and how capable they are to handle your new technologies. In past experience, we’ve seen firsthand how in most cases, business processes come before tech customization. This is much easier to do with the right methodology, however, the technology is highly disruptive and simply overtakes the process. Thus, it’s important that you conduct a deep assessment of the six dimensions covered during the presentation to understand how mature your organization is with respect to your industry before any decisions are made. - Question: Where can I involve executive leadership for a tech modernization initiative?
Answer: Executive leadership for tech modernization or implementation must be implemented throughout and right at the start. An IT strategy connected with a business strategy is a must-have. It’s important to involve executive leadership across all phases, and we can help you align both your IT and business strategy by conducting a digital maturity assessment or by helping you build a business case for modernization.
At ITC, we can help you cross the upgrade finish line to R12.2.x and save money while doing it thanks to our resource-sharing models and proven methodologies.
