As part of Quest’s 2019 Cloud Webinar Series, John Cafolla, Vice President of HCM Cloud Center of Excellence at Oracle, presented on how to get the most out of HCM Cloud and make good use of your solution.

Why Oracle Cloud?

Cafolla explained that there are numerous reasons behind why customers choose Oracle SaaS Cloud and shared that some of the most frequently noted reasons include:

Continuous Innovation: Get the Most Out of HCM Cloud

Going live with Oracle HCM Cloud is only part of the journey – it’s not the final destination. After going live, it is important to emphasize continuous innovation and the adoption of new functionality. This can be as simple as going through an update. There are endless benefits of adopting continuous innovation, including:

• Less downtime
• Predictable schedule
• Faster delivery
• Easier consumption
• Minimal operational disruption
• Simple activation

Less downtime means no more upgrades, just quarterly updates. A predictable schedule helps you know what is coming sooner and helps you align the adoption of new features with your business style. Features are delivered as soon as they are ready, so features are being delivered faster and more frequently. In addition, new features are easier to consume with continuous innovation, which means you can start testing whenever you are ready. You can also switch off continuous innovation, which helps minimize operational disruption. Continuous innovation is also your choice, which means you can choose when to enable new features on your own schedule. In addition, continuous innovation makes new features simple to activate. They are designed to be simple to enable and configure.

After going live, you need a balanced approach for maintaining a successful life in the Cloud. This balanced approach includes stabilizing, improving, and innovating. You can stabilize through operational continuity post-go-live and through updates. You can also continuously improve through simplification. Finally, you can continuously innovate by planning to consume and leverage new features.

Stabilize, Improve, and Innovate: Get the Most Out of HCM Cloud

Preferably before going Live, it is recommended that you review and become knowledgeable about several aspects of the system. Cafolla said that you must know the what and why of Configuration Docs and Design Decisions. You must also have users trained and engaged in the SOP Guide and Run Books. It is also important that you utilize and become familiar with the Process Flow Diagrams and Activity Guides. You will also need to fix and finish your Backlog List, and make sure that your system and users are ready.

Move from stabilizing to improving to ensure continuity of operations post-go-live and through updates. You need to fix and finish the basics. You also need to look at manual tasks/workarounds for standard process flows, missing reports, and offline tasks. It is important to monitor for a reduction in call volumes to Service Center/Support and look at your regression testing levels for indicators of where you have customized with cost. Update your Instance Management Plan to align your business cycle plans with Oracle updates and regression testing for continuity.

Oracle’s Responsibilities vs. Your Responsibilities

Within Oracle HCM Cloud Service you need to remember the basics of what Oracle does and what you do. Oracle manages the software and delivers innovation with every new release. Oracle also manages the service and the schedules for maintenance and upgrades. You manage your functional and technical setups and data. You are also responsible for preparing and testing updates against your own business processes.

New Cloud Service Role Models

Cafolla discussed several new Cloud service role models to consider, including:

• Service Innovation Manager
• Solution Delivery Manager
• Service Testing Manager

The Service Innovation Manager is responsible for promoting the adoption of Oracle innovation and driving your deployment schedule. The Solution Delivery Manager coordinates your business schedule with instance management. The Service Testing Manager manages testing for business continuity and manages testing for deployment of innovation.

Getting the Most Out of My Oracle Support

There are seven primary ways to get the most out of My Oracle Support:

1. Utilize it as a primary resource for solutions and support
2. Take advantage of the 24/7 technical assistance with Service Requests
3. Take advantage of the 24/7 online resources in the MOS portal
4. Enhancement Requests that are reported/tracked via Service Requests
5. Utilize Knowledge Services through Application Help and Manuals and Guides
6. Get up-to-date information on patches, bug fixes, security alerts, and new releases
7. Utilize the My Oracle Support community

There are several considerations for creating a well-formed Service Request (SR). Ask yourself if it is reproducible. Give a full problem description along with error codes, correct product and problem type for proper routing, and answer all SR questions. It would also be beneficial to research in the MOS/Cloud portal database for a guided solution. Briefly describe the business impact and set the severity level according to business impact. Synchronize the communication method, record the issue, and upload your SR.

Getting the Most Out of Cloud Customer Connect

The Idea Lab within Oracle Applications Cloud Customer Connect is an interactive platform provided for customers to share and discuss ideas on improving Oracle products and services. The Idea Lab provides customers with an opportunity to help prioritize and influence Oracle’s roadmap. Oracle’s responsibility is to manage the ideas submitted and provide feedback. The Idea Lab provides transparency in the Oracle HCM Cloud Roadmap.

Conclusion

Success happens when we change the discussion from technology to what the technology can do for the people that use it. You and your business will thrive in the Cloud when you adopt consumer thinking, embrace improvements, and innovate for value creation.