Peoplesoft 9.1: Oracle shows how to do Web 2.0
Many of us have seen at least one PeopleSoft 9.1 demo. Maybe it was at a RUG meeting. Perhaps, you saw it at a conference or possibly on the web. It looks great! But how does it work? How much assembly is required?
My favorite web demo can be found here.
The demo starts with a display generated by Enterprise Portal 9.1 showing a number of pagelets.
There is a pagelet for workspaces. There is a pagelet for discussion forums. Workspaces and discussion forums are new Web 2.0 features. Other 2.0 features include Wiki Content, Documents, Blogs, Links, Action Item Lists, Calendar, Members, Related Data, and Polls.
The demo quickly moves to a standard Purchase Order page with a new “Related Content” frame at the bottom. This new frame contains tabs such as Vendor Discussions and a link to the Vendor’s website. The discussion feature is interesting in that it is actually a Web 2.0 forum. Multiple people in the organization can record interactions with the vendor, initiate topics, monitor comments, and build an issue/resolution audit trail without ever losing sight of the original page.
There are real practical process improvements imbedded in these new web 2.0 features.
Of course, in order to reap the benefits you have to implement new technology. Now Oracle shows you how to do it step by step and with a plethora of pictures no less.
For those of you on My Oracle Support the how-to documentation can be found by performing this search:
“Enterprise Portal 9.1 collaboration Server” – Deploying Enterprise Portal As A Collaboration Server
I had the privilege of implementing a prior version of the Enterprise Portal and connecting that portal with the HRMS application product. As I review the documentation more closely I will be sure to publish my findings here.
Please stay tuned for the next posting in my series – PeopleSoft 9.1: Practical Improvements.
PeopleSoft Projects 2.0: Will the talent be there when you need it?
Are you sure that when you are ready to start your next PeopleSoft project you will have or be able to find the talent you need?
Perhaps, six months ago the answer would have been obvious. Now the answer is not so clear. It could be that in the absence of a creative staffing strategy the talent train may have already left the station just about the time you get to the platform.
Many organizations are starting to think that they may soon need a lot more skilled workers. The New York Times recently detected significant Rays of Hope for Job Hunters. Indeed.com, an internet consolidator of online job postings, currently shows a 17% increase in information technology job postings over this time last year.
“The opportunities are growing fast,” said Paul Forster, chief executive of Indeed.com, which culls its information from sources like corporate Web sites, newspaper classified ads and job boards.
There is a long term labor trend occurring that is not getting sufficient attention and this article draws attention to it. A large number of experienced and skilled people will soon be leaving the permanent worker force. A combination of more demand for skilled workers and less supply may very well lead to shortages; fewer skilled people available to staff your upcoming PeopleSoft 9.1 upgrade project.
Tamara Erickson, an author and work-force consultant said the recession masked a long-term trend that will intensify: a worker shortage caused by the continuing retirement of baby boomers.
Suddenly, she said, employers are starting to realize that they don’t have, or won’t have, people with the skills they need. Some are starting to worry, she said, while others “have no idea what’s going to hit them.”
Reacting after the fact is not innovation. Innovation is detecting the trend, recognizing the implications, and acting before the crisis hits. The key is developing a manpower strategy that retains your most knowledgeable workers regardless of seniority and seeks experienced contingent staff in a variety of inventive ways.
The train has not already left the station. Stay tuned for future postings on novel, innovative options on staffing your upcoming PeopleSoft projects.
PeopleSoft 9.1 Upgrade: News from the Front Lines
In any campaign whether it be sales, political, or military it is often hard to get reliable information from the front lines. So it was my good fortune to notice a real-world oriented piece posted on the Peoplesoft Corner Blog entitled PeopleTools 8.50 Upgrade Issues To Avoid.
…Because PS query has been modified to utilize ANSI standard inner joins for row-level security (and perhaps some “standard” joins as well), any queries against records for which row-level security was implemented that also used old-style outer-joins (with the “(+)” indicator) failed because any select statement cannot contain both styles at the same level of the query….
A member of an upgrade team was kind enough to share some PeopleTools 8.5 upgrade issues. Karen from Chesapeake Energy listed Nine(9) separate issues worth noting. Again the aticle can be found here: PeopleTools 8.50 Upgrade Issues To Avoid .
Please stay tuned for many more postings on the subject of 9.1 upgrades.
PeopleSoft 9.1 Upgrade Insights: After the Fit/Gap
Ah! The glow of the Fit/Gap has waned. It was fun! The sessions were just slightly short of inspirational. People of all persuasions-you know, both functional and technical types- participated fully. Lots of issues were discussed. 
Lots of good ideas were presented.
Many solutions were agreed upon.
A comprehensive Fit/Gap summary report was created and presented to appropriate parties who, of course, freely offered their approval to proceed. But what is the next step?
Your number one job now is to translate all the Fit/Gap results into tangible project work. A tangible project has many attributes that are important to your ultimate success. A project must have an objective: re-develop the Employee Awards program. Also, a project should have a realistic start date, an estimated end-date, possibly a detailed design document, and a test plan that mirrors the real world. And most importantly a project should be assigned to a person. Assigning explicit accountability for each project is your best practice for ensuring upgrade re-development success.
My primary method for controlling the project development process has been to create New Release Development Workbook containing specific spreadsheets for assigned projects as well as individual components (e.g. portals, pages, records, fields, peoplecode…) The PROJECTS spreadsheet should contain at the least the following:
- Project ID
- Project Name
- Project Description
- Fit/Gap Issue
- Fit/Gap Resolution
- Priority
- Start Date
- Estimated End Date
- Status
- Status Date
- Person assigned to
- General Comments
- Related Documents
In the upcoming postings for this series, PeopleSoft Upgrade Insights, I will cover the upgrade comparison process and how you can easily feed the comparison results into your development workbook. Stay tuned.
PeopleSoft 9.1 Upgrade: Important Safety Tip
Warning. This posting may be more technical than my usual fare but does contain important safety information that may keep your hair from turning prematurely grey, keep your right eye from developing a twitch, and keep your boss’s face from turning
an unsightly shade of red.
I have been collecting PeopleSoft 9.1 upgrade information from various sources. Recently questions have arisen over new 9.1 process steps that were not present in the PeopleSoft 8.9 upgrade. These steps revolve around a new PeopleTools upgrade project: UPGCUST. For those who did the PS 9.0 upgrade UPGCUST is familiar. For all others it represents a brand new concept.
UPGCUST is created though a process that compares all comparable objects with your copy of production as the source database and the PS 9.1 demo as the target. A subsequent step filters out all non-customized objects leaving only those objects with a status of *Unchanged or *Changed. It would be reasonable to think that this is a project worth analyzing carefully but it is not. The purpose of this project is not what you may think.
In later steps (see Step 4-5-1) the UPGCUST project in the production source database is compared individually to the target demo and upgrade flags are automatically set. The purpose of the flags is to indicate to a subsequent process those objects to be copied to the demo database. In other words, all or some of your customizations will be copied from production to the PS 9.1 demo.
That is right. Your customizations including that fancy do-it-all global compensation bolt-on you did last quarter are going to be transferred into the PS 9.1 demo database. Why is this necessary you may ask. None of our customizations have ever been copied into any of our other demo databases.
The reason is that in Steps 5-1-10 and 5-1-11 the PeopleTools tables in PS 9.1 demo are exported lock, stock, and barrel and then imported into your copy of production. If you did not copy your bolt-on application to the demo database these steps can wipe it out.
Please stay tuned for many more postings on the subject of 9.1 upgrades.
PeopleSoft HRMS 9.1 Upgrade: Don’t forget to Bundle Up
We all know that even after Spring arrives cold winds can still blow. How do you keep yourself safe and warm? You “bundle up”. It is the same with the new HRMS 9.1 upgrade. I know that Oracle exhaustively tested the recently released HRMS 9.1 upgrade process. However, nothing and no one is perfect. Errors and omissions do arise from time to time.
These errors and other known issues can be found in the “Master Solution” (See previous posting.)
The upgrade bundle is Oracle’s main mechanism for fixing upgrade problems. If you have not started your upgrade it would behoove you to download the available upgrade bundles and apply them to your upgrade process. If you have started your upgrade and are experiencing problems help may be only a few clicks away.
For convenience, Oracle provides a comprehensive HCM maintenance schedule including tax updates, HRMS 9.1 application update bundles, Maintenance Packs (cumulative bundles), and, of course, HRMS upgrade bundles. For example, HRMS Upgrade 9.1 Bundle #1 was first made available on February 7, 2010.
For those of you on My Oracle Support the “HCM Maintenance 2010” and related documentation can be found by performing this knowledge search:
“ HCM Maintenance 2010”
“PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Maintenance Schedule for 2010”
Please stay tuned for many more postings on the subject of 9.1 upgrades.
PeopleSoft HRMS 9.1 Upgrade: The Master Solution
If you have already started your HRMS 9.1 or anticipate starting your upgrade in the near future you should be aware of the Master Solution. I admit that the term Master Solution may sound a little ominous but in reality it is quite benign and can be very helpful. The “Master Solution” is Oracle’s central collectons point for known HRMS 9.1 upgrade issues and solutions.
For those of you on My Oracle Support the “Master Solution” and related documentation can be found by performing this knowledge search:
“HRMS 9.1 Master”
…PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS Human Resources – Version: 9.1 to 9.1 – Release: 9 to 9 Information … relating to the HRMS 9.1 Upgrade path….The purpose of this knowledge document is to act as a repository for issues relating to the HRMS 9.1 Upgrade…
Currently, there are 8 issues and 8 potential solutions. If you have started your upgrade and have run into a problem this should be the first place you look. If you are about to start an upgrade and you want to avoid some frustration it could be worth your while to take a peek before you start executing the upgrade scripts.
Please stay tuned for many more postings on the subject of 9.1 upgrades.
PeopleSoft 9.1 Upgrade: Tis the Season of the Fit/Gap
Many PeopleSoft customers are entering the season of the Fit/Gap. The new PeopleSoft 9.1 demo has been installed. Several people in your organization have looked it over and discovered quite a lot of nice features. However, the main question remains: What are we going to do with it?
A well thought out, well executed Fit/Gap process can help you find the answers you need to be successful.
This seems like a particularly good time to resurrect some PeopleSoft Upgrade Insights from previous postings on the subject of Fit/Gaps. You can’t cross home plate safely if you can’t get to first base. And you can’t get your project out of the batter’s box and running efficiently without executing a successful Fit/Gap.
This is the last of three postings describing how you can obtain the maximum benefit out of your Fit/Gap process. In the next part of this series, PeopleSoft Upgrade Insights, I will discuss how you can use the results of the Fit/Gap to jumpstart the re-development process. Stay tuned.
In my last posting, PeopleSoft Upgrade Insights: Fit/Gap (Part 2 of 3), I talked about how to conduct your Fit/Gap sessions and gather information in an organized and efficient manner. You have created a nice, long list of issues. Now what do you do?
How do you turn all this raw data into useful information that will jumpstart your next phase and set your project on a solid path to success?
- Research and resolve – The main purpose of the Fit/Gap sessions were to identify issues, not resolve them. Your rules were that if it could not be resolved in 10 minutes or less then you would address it later. Well, “later” has now arrived. Maybe, it requires a follow-up meeting with selected individuals. Perhaps, a technical review is needed. One way or another a resolution for each item needs to be generated. One of my favorite resolutions is to do nothing.
- Mind the Gaps – Many issues were recorded in the Fit/Gap sessions. Are they all gaps in functionality? Likely not. I classify them in three ways.
- FIT - The delivered function meets 100% of the requirement. Nevertheless, some level of end user community and/or IT effort may be required to use effectively.
- GAP - The delivered functionality does not address a particular requirement. If the requirement is to be met alternative methods must be developed.
- PARTIAL FIT - The delivered functionally does not meet 100% of the requirement. If the requirement is to be fully met alternative methods must be developed. These methods may involve internal/external workarounds, changes in current processes, modifications to delivered components, and/or development of new components & programs.
Pay particular attention to partial fits. These may be the best opportunities for reengineering.
- Is it important? – The gap may be obvious but perhaps it is not important. Prioritize your list.
- 1-High Importance
- 2-Medium Importance
- 3-Low Importance
- 4-Research Item
- Is it worth it? – Several significant gaps have been identified. Should you fill them? How much time will it take and, more importantly, whose time are we talking about. Information Technology (IT) is not always the biggest player. Often, substantial effort is required on the functional side. I divide the estimates into two columns: IT effort and Process effort for the functional departments. Here is a sizing scheme the seems to get good support from IT and end-users alike.
- None
- Very Low – 1 day or less
- Low – 1 week or less
- Medium – 1 to 2 weeks
- Large – 2 to 4 weeks
- Very Large – 1 to 3 Months
- Sort, filter, slice, and dice – Your list of issues has been researched, classified, prioritized, and estimated. Now you can force the cream to the top. Which are your most important issues? Which items will take the greatest IT effort? Will a large amount of user effort be required? All these questions and more can be addressed by manipulating your list.
PeopleSoft FSCM 9.1 Upgrade Templates Now Available
Oracle has just recently posted the FSCM 9.1 upgrade templates. For those of you on My Oracle Support the new templates and related documentation can be found by performing these knowledge searches:
“FSCM 9.1 Upgrade” – PeopleSoft Enterprise Finance and Supply Chain 9.1 Upgrade Pages for 8.8, 8.9, and 9.0
“9.1 Documentation Home” – FMS, ESA, & ALM 9.1 Documentation Home Page
“8.50 Documentation Home” – PeopleTools 8.50 Documentation Home Page
FCMS PeopleBooks can be downloaded at the Oracle technology PeopleSoft Enterprise site.
Please stay tuned for many more postings on the subject of 9.1 upgrades.
The coming Talent Storm. Are you ready?
A talent storm could be brewing in your organization. The clouds may be gathering just over the horizon. There are several studies and articles that have recently come across the wires that incorporate some form of this critical warning: Retain and attract talent or risk being left behind as the world recovers.
In December 2009 a study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by StepStone Solutions found some very troubled waters indeed. Those closest to the workforce are warning that the most talented are not fully engaged in their work yet those at the very top have not yet realized that fact.
A summary of this new report – Companies at the Crossroads which surveyed executives spread over three continents – can be found here. The full version is available at www.stepstonesolutions.com/eiu. Here are a some statistical findings from the report:
- 41% of respondents agreed they have a shortage of talent in their organization
- 44% agreed they find it increasingly difficult to recruit talented employees
- One respondent in two plans to ramp up recruitment over the coming year; only 18% still plan to reduce or freeze headcounts
- Only 16% of line managers said that staff were fully engaged with the business, yet this is not recognised in many boardrooms, with 38% of CEOs saying that trust is ‘high’.
- The top three priorities for talent investments for 2010 are:
- Performance management (voiced by 46% of respondents)
- Leadership development (41%)
- Training and development (36%)
How can you get ready? There are many ways that you can tackle the coming talent storm. Some are strategic. Some are organizational. Some require new policies & procedures for retaining and attracting talent. And some will require better technology.
One new technology worth considering is PeopleSoft HCM 9.1’s talent management product. A previous posting entitled Managing Talent Mismatches covers some of the more useful talent management features incorporated into the current release. Maybe it is a time to take a closer look before the coming talent storm dampens your organization’s prospects for success.