Next-generation Oracle E-Business Suite combats globalisation

Oracle has used its customer show to display its new E-Business Suite

Oracle has previewed the next version of its E-Business Suite supply chain management application. The update adds several new features and a revamped interface, designed specifically with customer usability in mind.

Planned capabilities in release 12 include a profitability analysis and product, channel and segment reporting tool; a strategic network optimisation feature that allows users to continuously evaluate the cost and revenue implications of global supply chain changes; and a Projects Portfolio Analysis applet to help companies ‘choose, fund and prioritise’ global projects based on what-if scenarios.

John Wookey, Oracle senior-vice president of applications, said that the release will let customers running operations in different parts of the world operate their businesses in a more consolidated way. He added that other software enhancements automatically interview the system and create a tailored information script that helps minimise downtime during upgrades, for instance.

“We’ve spent countless man hours in the usability labs, and got feedback from lots of customers who should now see the benefits, including reduced training support,” Wookey said.

Iain Anderson, director of information systems at international packaging company API Group, worked with Oracle in designing the new features. But he added that API preferred not to customise its own implementation of E-Business Suite because upgrading the system would have been too expensive.

“Release 12 includes a product dispatcher which is good in terms of how it allows us to load up manufacturing equipment and have visibility into planning and short flow tasks across global locations,” Anderson said. “What we would like to see in E-Business Suite is a mobile supply chain application that can run on employee handheld devices. The one we are using for shipping and inventory transactions is still Telnet-based, although there is a move to put it in HTML format.”