Mark C' Clark

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Case StudyRapid Re- implementation One Path to
Release 11i

• Mark C. Clark
• O2Works LLC
• NCOAUG Winter 2003

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Intended Audience

• Project Managers, Team Leaders
• Functional or Technical Team Members
• Any Groups considering their alternatives in
  getting to Release 11i

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Goal of the Presentation

• Situation/Background of Actual Company
• Some of Their Alternative Paths to 11i
• Challenges
• Deciding Factors
• The Choice
• Approach
• Team Composition
• Challenges and Obstacles
• Lessons Learned

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What We Dont have Time to Cover

• The right or wrongs of re-implement versus
  upgrade
• A group methodology for making the decision
• Specific Recommendations on re-implement versus
  upgrade
• Past Presentations Available online -

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The Case A Real Company

• Retailer - Approx 500 Million in Revenue
• Catalog Sales Direct to Consumer
• Retail Outlets around the United States
• Implemented in 1996 with help of their hardware
  vendor
• AP, GL and Check Clearing Features
• Release 10.7 Character with Some ADI

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Assessment- 3 Day Crunch Session Determine
Challenges

• Technical series of automated scripts run
  against production rapidly paint a picture of
  where we are
• Functional Pre-Meetings to dig up departmental
  issues with current system, face to face sessions
  with stakeholders, working sessions on some new
  features
• Managerial Goals of the business what should
  the system be doing to meet those goals

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Their Challenges

• Hardware and DB combination de-supported
• Entirely New Mgmt team started in July 2002
• Calendar and Chart of Accounts could not meet
  reporting requirements of the new team
• Process Improvements required

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Challenges (continued)

• Very Limited Budget available
• Small staff and Limited time available from
  Finance, Accounting and IS Staff
• Wanted to keep History (okay some history)
• Dozens of off the shelf and home grown software
  packages with duplicity in functionality
• Some non-standard customizations SQL Scripts
  and other run from Batch programs launched from
  users desktops
• Important Later

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Challenges (continued)

• Legacy and other systems all had old chart of
  accounts information hard-coded
• Customizations not documented Mainly reports
• The infamous Second Production instance
• Microsoft Terminal Servers
• ADI was recently rolled out
• Live by End December 2002 (less than 3 months)
• Parts of the system did not function as desired

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Had to Consider Many Alternatives- The Main Ones

• A Fresh Install and 2 Upgrades of History with
  Eventual Merge/Conversion to New Install
• B - Upgrade Use an off the shelf changer and
  a little less consulting help later merge data
  in second production
• C - Re-Implement and selectively convert data
  Save 10.7 instances

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These Factors were a wash

• Staying on 10.7 unsupported not an option
• Inbound Interfaces would be addressed under all
  scenarios (its a wash)
• Extensive Integration Testing needed under all
  scenarios
• Other rewrites such as de-supported AP Interface
  and FSG reports under all scenarios

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Considering the Alternatives
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Alternative A Pros

• 2 Upgrades, install new, then Convert
• You get all your historical data in historical
  format
• You get all your historical data in new COA and
  Calendar Format too
• Can turn over most of the work to outsiders
  except for testing

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Alternative A - Cons

• 2 Upgrades, install new, then Convert
• 3 Instances to maintain
• Reporting across History Instances
• A Lot of work
• We are writing conversion code
• some history not wanted
• Could not make December 2002 live date

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Alternative B -Pros

• 1 Upgrade then Crystallize, then Calendar
  Change, then consolidation
• Meet the go live date requirements
• Can Consolidate instances after conversion to
  alleviate workload
• Can rely on outside software/service providers to
  do the work

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Alternative B - Cons

• 1 Upgrade then Crystallize, then Calendar
  Change, then consolidation
• Custom non-Oracle Supported changes occurring
  behind the scenes (COA and Calendar Change)
• Difficult to determine source of error
  (upgrade, Crystallize, or Calendar related)
• COT Software license and labor

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Alternative C - Pros

• New Install Selectively Convert, and save
  history instances as is
• All desired data can be made available in proper
  format/calendar
• Least labor intensive
• Can still use outside resources to augment
• Old Data still available for inquiry, 1099,
  settle disputes, etc.

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Alternative C - Cons

• New Install Selectively Convert, and save
  history instances as is
• Requires installation and setup of a new system
• The staff remembered how horrible installation of
  10.7 had been
• Extra migration effort (conversion)
• Not all data in the same place

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What was picked and Why?

• Alternative C
• No Custom Worries (Oracle would be the only
  culprit)
• Offered fastest, clearest, and simplest and
  proven approach
• No AP Conversion - Do 1099 Reporting from Old
  instance
• Cheapest perceived route
• History could die a slow death or
• Migrate to DW

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Now we needed to Execute Quickly! Overview
(Six Weeks)

• Install 11i Vision Nav and New Features Basics
• Rapid Review of 10.7 Setups
• Incorporate challenges/issues documented from
  Assessment
• Consultants Suggest and Perform Setups in 11i
• Conference Room Pilot Core Processes
• Feedback and adjust
• Integration Testing Instance Most Processes
• Production Cutover

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More Detail -System DBA

• 10.7 7.3.4 RDBMS non server partitioned
• DG Aviion
• Moving to IBM AIX
• Access apps via telnet sessions
• Default passwords
• Minimal usage sometimes very slow

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More Detail GL Functional

• Finance Provide Old to New COA Mapping in Excel
• Determine Amount of History to Convert
• Pick Top Few FSG Reports to Rebuild with new
  COA
• Produce Budgets in New 4-4-5 Calendar
• Reconciliation and Allocation schemes

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More Detail GL Technical

• Build of the Black Box COA Conversion
• Mapping Table
• Forms
• PL/SQL Package to be called
• Loader Utility (Excel old to New)
• All registered with a custom application
• ADI Install and Configuration
• Modify existing inbound to use Black Box

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More Detail -AP Functional

• Address some of issues and low hanging fruit
  improvements
• Pay out all 1099 vendors in 2002
• 1099 Reports out of history instances
• Identify/Flag Employees in Supplier Database
• Cutover Planning for New System (no conversion of
  open invoices or payments)

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More Detail AP Technical

• Supplier Conversion
• Employee Type Suppliers flagged as such
  creation of employee records too
• Printer Driver Issues Vendor Labels and Check
  Printing Standard Evergreen Short
• Check Recon Cash Management Work with Bank
• New Use of Payables Open Interface

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The Final Outcome

• GL History Converted for 1 year only
• All Suppliers converted cleanup project with
  sites pending
• Cutover on weekend prior to January 1 (New Fiscal
  year start)
• AP Used system immediately new invoices and
  payout old invoices through this year
• GL after close of the year on old system
• Old System still available to support close
• History instances will be finally copied to new
  system very soon

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Critical Success Factors

• Rapid 10.7 Review and 11i Recommendations
• No Re-Engineering 4 Hour Rule Phase II
• Consultants all experienced Functional with
  Technical Skills
• Onsite Squeaky Wheel Approach to Issue
  Resolution
• Customer Flexibility on Conversion of History
  GL and AP
• Consulting Team that has worked together before
• CFO as Project Sponsor

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Critical Success Factors (cont)

• Black Box for COA Conversion
• Customer addressed their inbound interfaces
  modified by no re-writes
• Time was the common enemy
• VPN Access for remote support
• Small teams
• A plan of action was developed before execution
  began

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What could we have done better?

• More testing time from end users
• Better communication plan
• Assumption from Bank File format BAI2 for check
  clearing
• Better qualify need for history
• Plan for using offsite developers in advance
• Logistics taken care of VPN, Logins, Workspace,
  heat!

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Our Team Structure

• Project Manager/Customer Liason
• Project Strategist and QA
• Prime Functional Specialist
• Supporting Functional Specialist
• 2 Developers (Offsite) Cross Module
• Team Leads and Sponsors from customer side
• DBA with experience on 10.7 and 11i

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Gotchas and Roadblocks

• Supplier Conversion Leading/Trailing Spaces,
  Validation better in 11i
• Unix Install done on the cheap initially
• No backup plans or capabilities for test systems
• Focusing on the small details rather than big
  picture
• Centralized Issue tracking system unreliable
• Skepticism of IS staff and the old guard
• Customer Staff already worked 7 days/week 12 hour
  days

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Enablers What Helped

• Templates and Pre-Existing Code
• Experience of team and their flexibility
• Small number of participants
• Data Loader
• ADI to point to history and production instances
• The Mission of the CFO and his deadline
• Scope Control in place

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Future Phases

• AP and GL Improvements
• Internet Expenses
• BIS and OFA
• Purchasing and I-Procurement
• Oracle Projects
• A large number of other modules in the Oracle
  E-business Suite

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Post Mortem Costs and Timeframe

• Start Early October
• Unit Test done End October
• Integration Test Complete Thanksgiving
• Cutover to Production Dec 30 2002
• Approx cost with Travel expenses 225K

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For More Information Re-implement vs Upgrade

• OAUG www.oaug.org
• List Server
• Paper Database
• O2Works Website www.o2works.com follow link
  to KnowledgeWorks
• Email Author mclark_at_o2works.com

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THANK YOU

• Mark C. Clark
• Managing Consultant
• mclark_at_o2works.com
• O2Works LLC
• Dallas - Chicago

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QA
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About the Presenter

• 13 Years Consulting Oracle Applications
• North Central OAUG Co-Founder
• South Central OAUG Board of Directors
• North Americas GEO Coordinator for OAUG
• Past Several Years specializing in strategy and
  issues related to moving to latest releases of
  Oracle Applications
• Founded and managed two nationally focused
  boutique consulting firms dedicated to Oracle
  Applications