I have been given the interesting job of pulling these Oracle HCM releases apart for the last 6 years with Claremont, and double that with other Oracle Partners, and I think I can finally hear the death knell for Release 12.1 this year. In previous years there has been a growing number of new features for 12.2 users to enjoy, and on the opposite side an ever-dwindling number of features for 12.1 users. This year we have zero new functionality for 12.1 users.
The annual RUP for E-Business Suite 12.1 and 12.2 was released in May. I have been charting the decline in new functionality for 12.1 customers and the line has been reached this year. As Premier Support for 12.1 will cease at the end of December 2021 there is now little necessity to add improvements. Anyone still using 12.1 would still be required to apply and test this patch before applying the next Tax Year End patch. You won’t receive much value out of this, but it would be mandatory for any payroll users to apply of course.
What is RUP?
The HCM Release Update Pack forms part of Oracle’s continuous innovation program and is a major release every year for EBS customers and contains new functionality and bug fixes.
We recommend applying the RUP around the October-December sweet spot each year, thus allowing time for any bigger known issues to have raised their head, and to have settled in before the tax year end patch is released at the end of January next year.
New features for EBS 12.2 customers
Oracle EBS 12.2 users can again expect plenty of new features across the HCM suite of modules, as I identified in my 12.2 HCM Upgrade blog, this has been a clear trend over the last 6 years. This year 12.2 users applying RUP14 will see new functionality across Oracle Payroll, Advanced Benefits, Learning, Self-Service HR, and Time & Labor. Many of the Payroll & Advanced Benefits standard reports have been converted into BI Publisher, which will make it much easier to create more useful and pretty output reports directly from Oracle, which has always been a bugbear of the Standard Reports.
A new API has been provided to Update Processing Dates, which will get any Payroll Implementer/Manager out of a difficult situation when they need to amend offset dates for all periods. In SSHR you can now make attachments mandatory for an absence type, including existing absence types.
The OLM module, as it has in previous years, has 3 new useful features. There will be the ability to delete subscriptions to certifications, there is an enhanced copy function to copy information from an existing class and finally, a new Profile Option is added which enables the ability to hide old Catalog items.
The above features represent additional value when applying the latest RUP to your 12.2 installation and if you are on the cusp of upgrading from 12.1 to 12.2, it's worth considering the additional functionality that 12.2 has been granted over and above the 12.1 code level.
Known issues on top of the RUP
The known issues list (12.1 RUP13 2656621.1 & 12.2 RUP14 2656623.1) is something that we would check in with regularly, especially before planning to apply the RUP for testing.
Currently, there are no Known Issues affecting 12.1 RUP13.
There are the following Known Issues affecting 12.2 RUP14:
If you would like to find out more about upgrading from Oracle E-Business 12.1 to 12.2 the following resources may be of interest:
Our upgrade assessment delivers an action plan mapping out the route and cost implications.
Check out our blog on how time is running out for your last EBS upgrade
Choosing the right Managed Services Provider
If you are looking for an Oracle partner who can help you with your Oracle Managed Services and goes about it the right way and can back up the talk, then contact us. If you would like to find out more about the E-Business Suite updates or have a an HCM question, you can email us at info@claremont.co.uk or phone us on +44 (0) 1483 549004
Useful Links:
Oracle E-Business Suite Releases 12.1 and 12.2 Release Content 1302189.1
Oracle Human Resources Management Systems Readme, HRMS RUP13 for Release 12.1 2656549.1
Oracle Human Resources Management Systems Readme, HRMS RUP14 for Release 12.2 2656548.1
Known Issues on Top of Patch 28669292 - HRMS 12.1 RUP13 2656621.1
Known Issues on Top of Patch 28862999 - HRMS 12.2 RUP14 2656623.1
ANNOUNCEMENTS: E-Business Suite 12.1 Premier Support Now Through Dec. 2021 1495337.1
Geoff Pitcher, Oracle HCM Functional Consultant at Claremont, with over 15 years of experience in the world of Oracle Applications Support. Geoff has specialised in Oracle HR and Payroll and has extensive experience in legislative patches, release planning, and patch testing.