Part of my role is to introduce Claremont to Oracle User organisations. I enjoy it! Why? I get to speak to a wide range of people, from a broad spectrum of industries either knowingly or unknowingly experiencing challenges with their Oracle systems.
Some are fire-fighting and reactively trying to put the fires out as soon as they start, others are proactively working towards achieving more from their Oracle investment. So, what have I learnt during the last 3 years working in this eclectic industry?
My top 4
Most Oracle user organisations have an impressive internal team, working hard on a daily basis as part of their everyday process.
Most companies feel that Oracle could provide more bang for their buck.
Many users feel disengaged with the system and want to change to different software.
A large part of Oracle’s focus continues to revolve around Cloud Applications and this is often felt for many users across the globe, who extensively rely on Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS).
I have discussed all of these topics on a regular basis with many Oracle users. They aren’t wrong either….after all, who knows their organisation and systems better than them? So let’s look at possible reasons as to why Oracle users, particularly those using EBS, might feel the way that they do.
Impressive Internal Teams
We work with many fantastic internal teams, who are the backbone of the companies’ systems. They work hard, but often find they don’t have enough time to be proactive or do non-“business as usual” projects, so they encounter the same issues, and with a small team, tend to be reactive, rather than pro-active.
Value for money with Oracle
Most organisations believe they don’t receive as much value as they feel they should out of their Oracle investment. Why is that? Well, Oracle has produced something highly complex and functionality-rich with Oracle E-Business Suite, with one of its massive benefits being its ability to be tailored to a specific organisation’s needs. Companies are always evolving to meet the needs of their clients, and despite a bespoke system at hand, in most cases, they don’t feel that it’s evolving at the same rate.
Disengaged users
We are all human, we look positively on systems that are easy to use, do what we want them to do and are intuitive. There is the perception that EBS has seemingly ‘stood still’ whilst users are seeing great videos about what can be done on other systems, with lots of colours, insights and interactive user interfaces.
Oracle is all about Cloud Applications - not EBS
Yes, my interpretation of the last few years is limited development of EBS. Once you have bought the licenses, there is the proverbial carrot in order to encourage users that the grass is indeed greener on the other side, encouraging one to make the switch to the sky-high, limitless world of clouds.
How about each of these as solutions
Internal Teams
They are an incredible asset to the organisation, so show them some love! I speak to many of them every day, they are lovely people and really good at what they do.
At Claremont we work with internal teams to take the weight off their daily grind, giving them the opportunity to work on more proactive projects. We are about knowledge transfer.
We have over 40 Managed Service clients, so statistically, we encounter far more situations/challenges than just working in one company, which enables us to provide solutions and transfer that knowledge in the process.
Value for money with Oracle
There are several other facets to driving value from your EBS system such as Enterprise Command Centers (ECCs) and mobile applications and are free if you have the underlying application licenses. And using an Oracle specialist, such as Claremont, to perform a health check, to identify areas of improvement, can result in big savings for organisations, helping them to become more efficient.
Disengaged users
It may be the same system you’ve used for the last 10 years, but that’s because it’s reliable. But to keep things fresh and relevant for the user, there are plenty of innovative upgrades, providing updated user interaction, tailored to meet current needs. In addition, by implementing third party technologies, such as 21st-century reporting functions and other EBS compatible tools, users are more engaged and their day-to-day computing lives become easier and less stressful. As an example, such tools could include SplashBI, Enginatics, ApplaudHR or Mi Invoices.
Cloud Applications
Oracle are fully committed to this technology, but they are also very much dedicated to E-Business Suite. The fact being that Oracle is rolling out a minimum of 10 years of support as part of the EBS R12.2 final upgrade, with innovations such as ECCs, shows us that the long term future is not only secure, but EBS users are loved too!
If any of the areas above ring true with you and your company, drop me a message: simon.beresford@claremont.co.uk, it would be great to hear from you!
Choosing the Right Managed Services Provider
If you are looking for an Oracle partner who can help you with your Oracle support requirements, goes about it the right way, and can back up the talk, then contact us.
And if you would like to find out more about the E-Business Suite upgrades or have a question, you can email us at info@claremont.co.uk or phone us on +44 (0) 1483 549004.
Simon Beresford, Account Development Manager at Claremont. Simon is responsible for Introducing UK and global organisations to Claremont's quality support services with a keen focus on driving a return on investment.
