Organizations planning to move to Oracle cloud face challenges. We discuss them with insight on how we prepare for them.
1. Functionality
Oracle has successfully incorporated new features that were long in demand by user communities. Real-time Dashboards and File-based Data import (FBDI) are good examples. However, In some modules, key functionalities available in the OnPrem version have been left out. You can check out our Module wise Oracle ERP Cloud vs Oracle EBS. The missing features pose a challenge for organizations whose business process use those critical functionalities. Solutions provided by oracle partners may plug these gaps.
2. Customizations
Another key area where an organization may face challenges is when they want to adopt Oracle to its business processes using custom code. In its cloud offering, Oracle has improved configurations and personalizations but has taken away the ability to customize. Adopting to out-of-the-box strictly vanilla functionality poses a big challenge. For organizations with processes which if changed, will make them inefficient. Using custom code leveraging IaaS, PaaS, or workarounds mitigates this challenge.
3. Troubleshooting
Lack of access to SQL and code severely constrain troubleshooting. Identifying the root cause using reports increases the latency in issue resolution. It becomes critical when an issue has the potential of adversely impacting business. An organization may find it is entirely dependent on Oracle. Creating a transaction trail through reports mitigates this challenge.
4. Performance
The previous two challenges add another challenge. Inability to create custom indexes, optimize database performance, managing network bandwidth are reasons for possible performance problems. In most cases, we are dependent on Oracle for resolution.
5. Integration
Oracle has done a pretty good job of providing infrastructure to integrate with 3rd party systems. In cases where there are none, there are out-of-the-box REST and SOAP web services to enable integration. While integration itself is not a challenge, building a robust one, especially around exception management, is challenging.
6. Quarterly Patching
Oracle provides enhancements and fixes for every quarter. There is a two-week window to test and upgrade. The lack of flexibility to choose the timing requires tremendous discipline, planning, and streamlined testing. Automated testing and TaaS (Testing as a Service) makes the testing process efficient, repeatable, and reliable.
7. Change Management
Oracle Cloud applications are markedly different in look and feel, navigation, and terminology. The organization has to go through the pain of a ‘re-implementation’ and the change management pangs that come with it. Formal change management methods such as ADKAR become essential.
8. Implementation
There exists a catch22 situation when it comes to the cloud knowledge pool. The resources with years of experience in solution design face a steep learning curve to come out of EBS mode and transform into the cloud. Pure cloud resources with only a few years of experience lack the depth that differentiates implementation success from failure. Hiring consulting partners with expertise only in cloud functional/technical areas is a mistake. Business Process Improvement, Project Management, and effective change management are equally important, if not more.
Summary
Awareness of challenges and appropriate mitigation would make the walk on the path to the cloud successful.