Go-Forward Options for Oracle EPM Hyperion version 11.1.2.X

Summary:

•  Oracle Hyperion EPM (On-Premise) is no longer covered / considered in Gartner’s CPM Magic Quadrant due to its shift in focus to cloud options. More info on trends here.
• Version 11.2 was released in December 2019. This version has been slated as the “terminal” release on the Oracle Hyperion EPM On-Premise version with a set end of support date of December 31, 2030.
• Primary focus of this version has been a technical alignment of the underlying components against the broader Oracle products.
• Certain Capabilities have deprecated in this version — most notably, EPMA.

Considerations:

•  Oracle’s Certification Matrix outlines the technical components it has been tested to work with such as versions for operating systems, browsers, databases, desktop operating systems, MS Office, etc.
• Versions 11.2 Certification Matrix highlights:
  
  •  Server Tier: Currently only supports Windows Server 2019 / Oracle DB 11.2, 12.1, 12.2 & MS SQL 2016 (SP2+).
  • Client Tier: Windows 10 / Internet Explorer 11 & Firefox ESR.
  • FDM Integration: PeopleSoft 9.2 / Oracle EBS 12.1.
  • Essbase: Version 11.1.2.4.x (note: Version 11.2. is not yet Generally Available).
  • Smart View: Version 11.1.2.5.910+ (note: Oracle Smart View for Office supports Microsoft Office 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and local installations of Office 365).
• Installation:
  
  •  Version 11.2 is an out of place installation requiring new hardware with certified technical components
  • The latest version of Essbase is still 11.1.2.4 — upgrade to 11.2 once available is inferred since 11.1.2.4 support end date is December 31, 2021.
  • EPMA has been deprecated — you will need to migrate to an alternate option (e.g., for managing meta data, 11.2 comes with a restricted use license for Oracle’s Data Relationship Management (DRM) tool, EPMA Data Sync can be migrated to FDMEE Data Sync, etc.).

Upcoming Events / Knowledge Base Resource(s):

• Collaborate organized by Oracle Application and Technology User Group (OATUG): April 19 to April 23 in Las Vegas (2020 Collaborate)
  
  •  Conference is more like a mini Oracle Open World – primarily focused on Oracle’s ERPs (e.g., PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, Oracle E-Business Suite) with some dedicated sessions on Oracle EPM Cloud.
  • Mostly attended by ERP focused individuals.
• Kaleidoscope organized by Oracle Developer Tools User Group (ODTUG): June 28 to July 2 in Boston (2020 KScope)
  
  •  Conference is focused exclusively on Oracle Hyperion EPM On-Premise and Oracle EPM Cloud as well as Oracle Developer Tools.
  • Well attended by clients, prospects, Oracle Partners, as well as Oracle EPM Product Team.
• Oracle Open World (OOW-US) organized by Oracle Corporate: September 21 to September 24 in Las Vegas (2020 OOW-US)
  
  •  Official annual conference hosted by Oracle that showcases the entire Oracle Product and Services spectrum. Oracle Hyperion EPM and Oracle EPM Cloud a small part of the venue.

Additional Resources:

•  TGG maintains up-to-date information as well as offers our perspectives on these updates as part of our ongoing knowledge base / community CPMConnect
• Latest Oracle EPM updates and tips can be found on Oracle’s EPM & BI Support Blog

• Oracle EPM Cloud is a Gartner Quadrant Leader in the Cloud Financial Close and Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis categories. (Fall 2019). More info on trends here.
• Oracle EPM Cloud is offered as a Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) compromised of interconnected Modules and Pods.
• A Module refers to a distinct capability set (e.g., Financial Close, Planning, Account Reconcilliations, Tax Reporting, Narrative / Management Reporting, etc.)
• A Pod refers to an individual instance of a Module. For example, migrating from an Oracle Hyperion EPM on-premise platform comprised of 2 Hyperion Planning applications and 3 Essbase cubes translates to 5 Planning Pods on Oracle EPM Cloud. Each application or cube will need to be migrated to a separate Planning Pod connected through configuration of Data Management.
• Migration from Oracle Hyperion EPM on-premise onto Oracle EPM Cloud should not be viewed as a ‘lift and shift’ exercise.
• Oracle EPM Cloud offers two pricing models: Standard Bundling and Enterprise Bundling
• Organizations that require many Pods or plan to utilize the multiple Modules (e.g., Account Reconciliation, Narrative Reporting, etc.) are better off pursuing Enterprise Bundling pricing.

Considerations:

• Current pricing model seems to cater to organizations with broader mandates (e.g., consolidated financial reporting, business planning, account reconciliation, narrative reporting, profitability and cost management, etc.).
• Integration between Modules: Oracle EPM platform is a collection of separate Modules and / or Pods. This will require additional configuration and on-going maintenance to facilitate data flow between Modules / Pods where required.
• In efforts to minimize cost impact of upgrades, Oracle has committed to rolling out EPM Cloud patches that are automatically deployed to your instance on a set schedule. Currently, this is a monthly interval.
• Clients have some degree of flexibility in selecting the time patches are deployed, but does not have the option to keep its version unchanged indefinitely.
• Based on our experience, we recommend that each patch be subject to regression testing. Oracle continues to further refine its EPM Cloud platform and improve connectivity between its Pods and Modules. As a result, there have been noted instances of functionality breaks. We have developed accelerators in this regard to lessen impact of service disruption.
• Migration from Oracle Hyperion EPM on-premise onto Oracle EPM Cloud should not be viewed as a ‘lift and shift’ exercise:
  •  Oracle EPM Cloud – Financial Close Module (“Financial Close Cloud”) is not the same product as Oracle Hyperion EPM on-premise Hyperion Financial Management (HFM). Migration will require re-implementation albeit leveraging most of the existing on-premise set up and configuration. Financial Close Cloud also offers capabilities not found in HFM (e.g., ability to gather and manage Supplementary Financial Information, orchestrate Financial Close activities, etc.).
  • Oracle EPM Cloud – Planning Module (“Planning Cloud”) is very similar to the Oracle Hyperion EPM on-premise Hyperion Planning (HP). Planning Cloud offers pre-built functionality out-of-the-box not found in HP. There could be maintenance savings in leveraging the pre-built functionality.
  • Extending the platform use case: Account Reconciliation, Narrative / Management Reporting, Tax Reporting and Profitability and Cost Management are additional Modules that may be of interest to Finance and Accounting. These Modules are still considered relatively new and developing.

Upcoming Events / Knowledge Base Resource(s):

•  Refer to resources under Oracle Hyperion EPM (On-premise)

Summary:

• OneStream XF is a Gartner Quadrant Leader in the Cloud Financial Close category and Visionary in the Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis category (Fall 2019). More in on trends here.
• OneStream XF is a unified platform that offers an ever expanding collection of capability sets for Finance and Accounting teams beyond Financial Consolidations and Business Planning (e.g., Account Reconciliation, Advanced Data Analytics / Dashboards, Task Orchestration, etc.)
• Same platform can be deployed to Cloud or on-premise. Option to subscribe to hosted cloud or BYOC (bring your own cloud).
• MarketPlace XF is a key differentiator where OneStream continues to expand capability sets of provides a conduit for its OneStream Partner Community to develop and launch their own capability set.
• Founders of OneStream XF wrote the original HFM and Financial Data Quality Management (FDM) on-premise software.

Considerations:

•  As a unified platform:
  •  User experience / interface will be consistent across different capability sets.
  • Sharing the same underlying data model means less time spent on managing and reconciling data movements between modules (e.g., actual financial results against budget / forecast, drill from account balances to underlying account reconciliations / analysis and underlying support, etc.).
  • Same code base means greater flexibility on deployment (e.g., production hosted by vendor, disaster recovery or dev deployed on-premise, etc.).
  • Broader range of configuration options catered to a better end-user experience (e.g., role-based landing pages, guided workflows that can enforce Standard Operating Procedures set by the business, filtered data sets to de-clutter what end-users can see, etc.).
• Greater visible traction on functionality enhancements in comparison with other leading CPM & EPM platforms (e.g., leveraging the platform to satisfy IFRS 16 – Lease Account reporting and compliance).

Upcoming Events / Knowledge Base Resource(s):

• OneStream Splash 2020  organized by OneStream Software: May 12 to May 15 in Toronto (2020 Splash)
  • Official annual conference hosted by OneStream Software that showcases the entire OneStream XF Product and Services spectrum.
  • First day of conference is focused on hands-on workshops.
  • As TGG is a Silver Sponsor to this year’s Splash Conference, feel free to contact us for additional information regarding this event.

Additional Resources:

•  TGG maintains up-to-date information as well as offers our perspectives on OneStream updates as part of our ongoing knowledge base / community at CPMConnect.

Summary:

• Tagetik CCH is a Gartner Quadrant Leader in the Cloud Financial Close category and Visionary in the Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis category (Fall 2019). More info on trends here.
• Headquartered in Italy, a significant portion of its client base is based out of Europe with a growing footprint in North America.
• Recently forged a strategic alliance with SAP — certified to run on SAP HANA technology leveraging in-memory capabilities for better system performance.
• TGG continues to monitor the momentum of this software platform in the North American market.

Summary:

• SAP is a Gartner Quadrant Visionary in the Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis category, but absent from the Cloud Financial Close Category (Fall 2019).  More info on trends here.
• SAP BPC (Budgeting Planning Consolidation) is essentially being sunset as an on-premise option.
• SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is a relatively new cloud offering focused on Advanced Budgeting and Forecasting capabilities, but is not designed to handle consolidated financial reporting requirements.
• There appears to be an overall trend to integrate consolidated financial reporting capabilities into SAP’s existing ERP platform.