Claremont | Upgrade Oracle EBS R12.2 for Middlesex University

HIGHLIGHTS

Middlesex University successfully upgraded Oracle E-Business Suite, a key university system, to 12.2 before Oracle’s Premier support expires.
A collaborative approach between Middlesex University’s in-house team and Claremont ensured a smooth and easy upgrade delivered on time and under budget.
It was a genuine partnership ensuring that the in-house team was involved and that skill and knowledge was transferred throughout the project.
At the end of the project, the in-house team was skilled and experienced in running EBS R12.2 and was able to continue supporting their system without a managed service provider.

"We approached Claremont to assist us with our Oracle EBS R12.2 Upgrade. As a collaborative project, Claremont was an excellent partner to work with, providing invaluable support throughout the whole process. It's clear to us that Claremont are a very experienced Oracle Partner, and we would have no hesitation in recommending them to other universities and public bodies."

James Kennedy

Deputy CEO, Middlesex University

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Claremont worked collaboratively with Middlesex University to upgrade their Oracle EBS R12.2 system, ensuring the project was delivered below budget and on time while equipping the in-house team with all of the necessary skills and expertise needed to continue supporting the R12.2 system.

BACKGROUND

Middlesex University has a student body of over 19,000 in London and over 37,000 globally. The University’s London campus is in Hendon, northwest London, and there are additional campuses in Malta, Dubai and Mauritius, as well as student exchange links with over 100 universities in 22 countries.

The university’s history can be traced back to 1878 when its founding institute, St Katharine’s College, was established. Today it is a global university driven by the difference it makes to people’s lives; open-minded, progressive and passionate about its vibrant diversity and embracing the new possibilities of technological, economic and social change.

THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Middlesex University utilises Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) across their business, including Financials, Human Resources, Payroll and Procurement modules.

With Premier Support for Oracle E-Business Release R12.1 expiring in December 2021, organisations were required to upgrade to R12.2, which will allow them to benefit from Oracle’s continuous innovation of the product, being supported until at least 2033.

Faced with the implications of losing their Oracle Support, the university made the decision to upgrade their Oracle EBS system from R12.1.3 to R12.2, providing them with continued Oracle Premier Support.

Middlesex University has an experienced in-house Oracle support team, but wanted to work with a reliable and efficient Oracle partner to ensure the upgrade was implemented smoothly and on time and in particular, have proven expertise delivering R12.2 upgrades.

In Autumn 2020 the university sent out a request for a quote for an Oracle partner to collaboratively help the university with their EBS R12.2 upgrade.

THE SOLUTION

Shortly after the tender process, Claremont was awarded the contract to assist the University in delivering their R12.2 upgrade. The university’s project lead said Claremont’s response “offered the most clarity in terms of all the activities involved and the number of days effort required to complete the upgrade.”

With the clock ticking to complete the upgrade ahead of the deadline of 31st December 2021, Claremont recommended that an early upgrade assessment was performed. This would ensure key information was gathered and plans made at an early stage, which In turn, would de-risk the project by enabling key decisions and accurate plans to be made from the project’s outset.

This upgrade assessment provided useful information to the team at the university, such as:

What customisations needed to be upgraded.
The complexities of these customisations.
Validating whether the hardware the university was going to purchase to run EBS 12.2 was appropriate for the upgrade.
Detailed project plans and timelines based on the information learnt during the assessment.

The information from the upgrade assessment was incorporated into the project plan in the analysis and design phase and provided a great foundation to work from. This ultimately reduced the risk profile on the project by having valuable information upfront, rather than during trial migrations.

Claremont used their standard proven methodology for R12.2 upgrades and advised the in-house team from the very start. During the upgrade process, three trial migrations were completed ahead of the final live upgrade.

A key factor that supported the project’s success was that the university’s in-house team engaged with Claremont and took on board advice and expertise in this area. Conversely, Claremont respected that the university owned and would deliver much of the project, i.e. Claremont did not try to takeover.

This collaborative approach ensured a smooth and easy upgrade, resulting in a genuine partnership with an in-house team being fully involved with knowledge sharing throughout the project.

The upgrade project ran smoothly from start to finish and was completed on time and below budget. The live upgrade was delivered over a long weekend by a team of DBAs from Claremont and the university. At the end of the upgrade the in-house team was skilled and experienced with R12.2 and was empowered to continue supporting the system without the need for a managed services partner.

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