Each month PARC analyzes Oracle’s EPM Cloud updates with an eye toward our customers’ ability to take full advantage of them. The monthly updates include things like bug fixes, modest changes, and even powerful new functionality. This update is part of PARC’s service to its valued customers and is centered around changes to the products and technologies most impacted in their implementations.
The below changes are scheduled to take place during the first nightly maintenance period on or after 2AM ET on Saturday Dec 3, 2021 (test environments) and on or after 2AM ET on Saturday, Dec 17, 2021 (production environments).
Customers needing more information or with questions about any of the changes summarized below should contact us. Oracle’s web page for the full contents of the update can be found here:
Oracle EPM Cloud Update – December 2021
EPM Common
EPM Automate updates
A new version of EPM Automate is now available. This version introduces the deployTaskManagerTemplate, enableQueryTracking, and executeAggregationProcess commands. Additionally, this version includes updates to the exportLibraryArtifact, exportQueryResults, and importLibraryArtifact commands.
For more information, see this topic in the update at the link above.
New version of Oracle Smart View for Office
Oracle Smart View for Office version 21.200 will be available later in December 2021.
The following new features are included:
- Export/import reports to Smart View Excel in EPM Cloud platform
- Ability to edit rows or columns in flex forms
- Support for task lists to open flex forms
- Save documents to the EPM Cloud library
- Improved connection error reporting for HsGet functions
For more information, see this topic in the update at the link above.
Flex Forms – Support for flexible dimensions on Columns
Flex forms now support flexible dimensions on columns, in addition to rows.
Support substitution variable functions for both Books and Bursting
You can now select substitution variables in the member selector for both Books and Bursting. These substitution variables are defined in Reports for specific members that change regularly. For example, you can use the variable CurrMonth to represent the current month (Jan), and now you can insert it as a member selection in a Report, Books, or Bursting Definition.
Row/column indicators for Formula, Text and Note Segments in report grids
With the introduction of the Note rows and columns for the inline grid entry of Notes, new row and column segment indicators have been added for Text, Formula, and Note Segments to distinguish between the segment types more easily.
New category mapping option in Data Integration
You can now define category mappings in Data Integration. Category mappings enable you to categorize and map source system data to a target Scenario dimension member.
New Before Extract event to invoke business rule in Data Integration
A new Before Extract event enables you to run a business rule before data is extracted from the source application. The Before Extract event is available when registering business rules in independent mode.
Planning
Copy Versions functionality is restricted to Service Administrators only
We’ve restricted the ‘Copy Versions’ functionality in Planning to be available only to Service Administrators.
Workforce performance enhancements
Note: The following changes apply only to customers who have Oracle’s “out of the box” Workforce module installed.
All Workforce rules and some member formulas have been updated with changes to enhance performance. There are no functional changes, but the logic has been updated to leverage performance gains in the underlying technology. Any Workforce rule or member that is unmodified will automatically receive these performance enhancements. Any modified Workforce rule or member will remain as-is without these performance enhancements. Oracle recommends restoring these artifacts to their current state to uptake these performance enhancements and reapplying your modifications to the updated logic, if necessary.
Additionally, a new rule, Calculate Employee Compensation for All Data (or Calculate Job Compensation for All Data in a Job only model) allows administrators and power users to calculate compensation for all data within their scope.
Other Important Notices
Smart View
Long label names will be truncated at Runtime on Horizontal Tabs
Starting with the February 2022 update (22.02), label names on horizontal tabs will display up to 30 characters at runtime. Hovering your cursor over the tab will reveal the entire label.
Smart View Add-on Installation for Task Manager and Supplemental Data Manager
In a future update, the installation of Smart View add-ons for Task Manager and Supplemental Data Manager will change. At that time, users of the Smart View add-ons will need to uninstall and re-install their add-ons to take advantage of the latest features and fixes.
Planning Modules
Removal of Strategic Workforce Planning from EPM Cloud Workforce Planning
In a future update, the Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) enablement option will be removed for all EPM Cloud Planning Modules (Standard and Enterprise) and Enterprise Planning applications that have not already enabled this feature in the Workforce Module. Customers who have already enabled this feature will see no change in their existing applications with this feature already enabled. No new applications will support this feature after this change.
Workforce performance enhancements
In an upcoming release, all Workforce rules and some member formulas will be updated with changes to enhance performance. There are no functional changes but the logic will be updated to leverage performance gains in the underlying technology. Any Workforce rule or member that is unmodified will automatically receive these performance enhancements. Any modified Workforce rule or member will remain as-is without these performance enhancements.
Oracle recommends restoring these artifacts to their current state to uptake these performance enhancements and reapplying your modifications to the updated logic, if necessary. As always, such significant enhancements will be documented in the “Updating Workforce Artifacts” section of Appendix C of the Administering Planning Modules guide.
