Oracle EPM update for ENTERPRISE PCM (EPCM)

MIGRATION ENHANCED TO EXPORT FAILED CALCULATION RUNS

In addition to exporting the details of the latest calculation run for each POV, any failed calculation runs will now be exported as well. 

That is, any calculation runs ending in a status other than "Completed" or "Completed With Warnings" will be included in the export.

UPGRADING TO HYBRID ESSBASE

Starting with this update, Oracle will begin the process of upgrading EPM Cloud environments that currently use a non-hybrid Essbase version to a hybrid Essbase version.

In this monthly update, the Profitability and Cost Management Cloud environments on a non-hybrid Essbase version are upgraded to a hybrid Essbase version. 

This upgrade will occur when the 24.05 updates are applied to your Profitability and Cost Management Cloud environments.

This upgrade affects only the Essbase version used in EPM Cloud; it does not affect the cube configuration of the application. For example, if the application is configured to use non-hybrid cubes, this update will not change it to use hybrid cubes. 

For detailed information on the use of Essbase in EPM Cloud, see About Essbase in EPM Cloud in Getting Started with Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud for Administrators.

To check whether your environment is on a hybrid or non-hybrid Essbase version, look at the value of Essbase Version supports Hybrid Block Storage Option in the Activity Report. 

If the value is Yes, it means that your environment is on hybrid Essbase version. 

If the value is No, it means that your environment is on a non-hybrid Essbase version.

Oracle Release Updates for PLANNING EPBCS

CUSTOM TEMPLATE IN WORKFORCE NOW SUPPORTS MORE TEMPLATES FOR EASIER CUSTOMIZATION AND UPDATES

The Workforce custom template, OWP_Custom Template, now supports more templates.

The following additional templates now support OWP_Custom Template and will read any of the modifications you make to the custom script blocks:

OWP_Calculate Employee Compensation_Te

OWP_Process Loaded Data_T

OWP_Synchronize Defaults_T

OWP_Synchronize Definition_T

Additionally, OWP_Custom Template was updated to include three blank script blocks for each supported rule, instead of only two.

TIPS AND CONSIDERATIONS

If you've already modified OWP_Custom Template, it is not automatically updated to support the newly added third script block. If you have a use case that requires the third script block, restore the OWP_Custom Template to its original state so that it is updated, and then re-apply your modifications.

WORKFORCE BATCH RULES UPDATED TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

The performance of Workforce batch rules is improved.

WORKFORCE NOW LIMITS THE NUMBER OF EDITABLE ROWS IN MASS UPDATE FORMS

Workforce now limits the number of rows that can be edited at one time in the Mass Update forms. If you attempt to edit more rows than the limit, you'll receive an error message. If you see this message, you can reduce the number of rows you are editing and re-submit the form.

PREDICTIVE CASH FORECASTING SIMPLIFIES LOADING THE OPENING BALANCE

Predictive Cash Forecasting now supports an easier option for loading the opening balance, which supports use cases where you can load data for any historical periods, for example, if a new bank is added within the last 365 days.

Oracle Smart View for Office (MAC and Browser) update

SUBMIT NUMERIC ZERO AS REPLACEMENT FOR MISSING VALUES IN SMART VIEW (MAC AND BROWSER)

With the new Submit Zero option, you can choose to submit numeric zero values in place of #Missing label.

To enable submitting zeros as replacement for missing values:

Open the Smart View Option panel, and then go to the Data Options tab.

Under Replacement, enter #NumericZero in the #Missing/NoData Label field.

Select the Submit Zero check box.

ADD MORE DIMENSION ROWS IN FUNCTION BUILDER IN SMART VIEW (MAC AND BROWSER) 

For HsGetValue and HsSetValue functions, you can now add more dimension rows to the Members List in the Function Builder.

Earlier, the number of rows in a function were limited to 10. Now, you can add more rows and enter additional dimensions as per your requirement. Click the Add button to add a new row at the bottom of the Member List.

USER INTERFACE IMPROVEMENTS IN SMART VIEW (MAC AND BROWSER)

User interface improvements have been done in the Home panel and User Preferences panel in Smart View (Mac and Browser).

Right-click menu in Smart View Home panel: You can now right-click on forms, ad hoc grids, and other artifacts in the Smart View Home panel to open forms or ad hoc grids and launch other functionalities such as Job Console, Copy Version, Business Rules, Task List, Approvals, and User Preferences. These options are additionally available under the Action menu in the Smart View Home panel.

Variables tab in User Preferences panel: The associated dimension of a user variable is now seen up-front below the user variable name, instead of as a tool tip. Earlier, the user variable name acted as a button to open the Member Selector dialog, which was not intuitive. Now, a dedicated ellipses menu is introduced for opening the Member Selector dialog.

DISPLAY MEMBER NAMES AND ALIASES IN SEPARATE COLUMNS IN SMART VIEW (MAC AND BROWSER) AD HOC GRIDS

A new Member display option, Member Name and Alias, allows you to display both the member names and their aliases in separate columns on row dimensions in ad hoc grids.

Oracle EPM ARCS Account Reconciliation and Bank Statement Verification updates

Oracle Account Reconciliation update for New Bank Statement Verification option

NEW BANK STATEMENT VERIFICATION OPTION FOR ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION BAI STATEMENT BALANCES

- Account Reconciliation customers can now verify that the correct bank statement is being loaded using the Bank Statement Verification feature in Data integration. 

- When enabled, the system compares the current period expected ending balance to the ending balance provided in the BAI file being loaded.

- To calculate the current period expected ending balance, the system adds the net total of the current day transactions to the previous period ending balance for the Account ID.  

- If a difference is detected or any error is encountered, the transactions remain in the Workbench; however, they are not exported to transaction matching.

- Business Benefit: Bank Statement Verification enables you to identify duplicate transactions and duplicate data loads, missing balances or transactions, statements loaded in the incorrect order (that is, non-chronological order), and incorrect currency codes.

Oracle EPCM Update July 2024

NEW CALCULATION SEGMENTATION OPTION IN CUSTOM CALCULATION RULES

You can now apply calculation segmentation to custom calculation rules. If the Calculation Segmentation option is selected when defining a custom calculation rule target, rules are segmented into smaller rules to execute separately.

Business Benefit: Calculation segmentation enables the calculation to process rules with a very large data range, which would otherwise be too large for Essbase to process.

ADDITIONAL CALCULATION DETAILS AND MODEL SNAPSHOT DOCUMENTATION REPORT AVAILABLE ON THE CALCULATION CONTROL PAGE

The Properties pane on the Calculation Control page now shows whether all rules were included when a model was calculated. In addition, you can now generate a Model Snapshot Documentation report from the Actions menu on this page.

Business Benefit: Having the additional calculation information and quick access to the Model Documentation report on the Calculation Control page eliminates the need to go to the Calculation Analysis page to get this information.

MIGRATION BACKUP ENHANCED TO EXPORT FAILED CALCULATION RUNS FROM THE LAST SEVEN DAYS

When Migration Export runs in full backup mode, in addition to exporting the details of the latest calculation run for each POV, any failed calculation runs from the last seven days are now  exported as well. That is, any calculation runs from the last seven days that end in a status other than "Completed" or "Completed With Warnings" will be included in the export.

Business Benefit: Details of recent failed calculation runs are useful for Oracle Support when analyzing customer issues with calculation runs. Keeping them in the export also gives customers better context when their snapshots are restored.

Oracle EPM and REST API update June 2024

NEW ROLE ASSIGNMENT REPORT FOR GROUPS (V2) REST API

A new Role Assignment Report for Groups (v2) REST API is available that generates a Role Assignment Report of groups in the environment. 

The report lists the roles assigned to groups. It identifies the group’s name, description, type and assigned roles. 

The report can be created for a specific group or a role or a combination of groups and roles. The report includes:

Predefined roles (such as Service Administrator)

Application roles (such as Approvals - Assign Ownership, Approvals - Supervise, Approvals - Administer, and Approvals - Design Process)

VIEW THE CURRENT THEME FOR THE APPLICATION IN THE GET APPLICATIONS REST API

You can now use the Get Applications REST API to view the current theme for the application.

OPTION TO USE EXISTING USERS WITH THE SIMULATE CONCURRENT USAGE REST API

The Simulate Concurrent Usage REST API has been enhanced to use existing users in the identity domain while running concurrent operations on an environment. 

To use existing users in the identity domain with this REST API, you use test mode 4, which includes users defined in the users.csv file included in the input ZIP file. 

In this mode, the REST API does not create the simulated users.

EPM Cloud EPCM Calculation options for June 2024 update

 NEW CALCULATION SEGMENTATION OPTION IN CUSTOM CALCULATION RULES

- You can now apply calculation segmentation to custom calculation rules. 

- If the Calculation Segmentation option is selected when defining a custom calculation rule target, rules are segmented into smaller rules to execute separately.

- Business Benefit: Calculation segmentation enables the calculation to process rules with a very large data range, which would otherwise be too large for Essbase to process.

ADDITIONAL CALCULATION DETAILS AND MODEL SNAPSHOT DOCUMENTATION REPORT AVAILABLE ON THE CALCULATION CONTROL PAGE

- The Properties pane on the Calculation Control page now shows whether all rules were included when a model was calculated. In addition, you can now generate a Model Snapshot Documentation report from the Actions menu on this page.

- Business Benefit: Having the additional calculation information and quick access to the Model Documentation report on the Calculation Control page eliminates the need to go to the Calculation Analysis page to get this information.

MIGRATION BACKUP ENHANCED TO EXPORT FAILED CALCULATION RUNS FROM THE LAST SEVEN DAYS

- When Migration Export runs in full backup mode, in addition to exporting the details of the latest calculation run for each POV, any failed calculation runs from the last seven days are now  exported as well. 

- That is, any calculation runs from the last seven days that end in a status other than "Completed" or "Completed With Warnings" will be included in the export.

- Business Benefit: Details of recent failed calculation runs are useful for Oracle Support when analyzing customer issues with calculation runs. 

- Keeping them in the export also gives customers better context when their snapshots are restored.

NEW PARAMETER IN THE "UPDATE DIMENSIONS AS A JOB" REST API AND THE EPM AUTOMATE LOADDIMDATA COMMAND

- A new parameter is available in the "Update Dimensions as a Job" REST API and in the EPM Automate loadDimData command. 

- The opional acceptableDecreasePercentage specifies the percentage difference in member count that is allowed for the operation.

- Business Benefit: This parameter provides a mechanism to safeguard against data loss that can happen during a subsequent cube deployment if one or more dimensions did not get fully updated due to missing data in the input file