As the year rolls on, Oracle has released the patch update for April 2023 (23.04), which means another blog release helping us to figure out what's in it for PCM and EPCM. In this blog, we will try out something new, our TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) section. This section should help readers who want a high-level overview of information to know if they should invest time reading further. The TL;DR will be at the bottom of every blog post going forward.
As a reminder, this blog contains only those details we feel are the most relevant for PCM and EPCM, but be sure to check out Oracle's 23.04 Patch Release Notes for more information.
The Most Important Features of the 23.04 (April 2023) Patch:
EPM Common:
Suppress Missing Columns for Smart Push in Data Maps (EPCM only):
- The suppress missing columns option in Data Maps is now available when using Smart Push in our data forms.
- Although this doesn't seem relevant for EPCM, Data Maps and Smart Push can easily be configured to move data between the databases in smaller applications.
- The challenge is that they can only be utilized for very small intersections; this update should help increase this functionality's usage in EPCM.
Data Management Feature Replacement by Data Integration/Data Exchange (EPCM Only):
- Oracle will start to turn off Cloud Data Management in favor of customers using the Data Integration/Data Exchange UI.
- Oracle will provide details of which features will be turned off in the patch updates, so keeping an eye on this is a good idea.
- For clients still on PCM, Oracle has not indicated any desire to make the Data Integration/Data Exchange UI available. As such, the CDM will still need to be utilized and will not be replaced in the foreseeable future.
Enterprise PCM Updates:
Application and Rule Design Best Practice Checks in Model Validation (EPCM only):
- The Model validation functionality now checks that rules are configured to align with leading practices.
- When the model validation is executed, you will now see warnings that inform the user of rules that, for example, reference parent members in the Driver Basis (which can lead to poor performance), not utilizing the NONEMPTYTUPLE function in a Custom Calculation formula and/or same parent member selected in both Source and Destination (which can lead to poor performance and/or incorrect allocation results.
- This functionality is helpful to clients who are updating their allocation solutions without the assistance of an experienced partner and/or partners without extensive experience in Oracle Cloud PCM.
Enhanced Calculation Statistics Comparison Report (EPCM Only):
- The Calculation Statistics Comparison Report will no longer support output formats other than Excel. Previously available formats such as PDF, WORD, EXCEL, HTML, and XML are no longer available; by default, the report prints in Excel format.
- The report now has two worksheets; the Job Statistics worksheet, which contains the calculation record-level statistics and comparisons, and the Rule Statistics, which collects the rule-level comparisons.
- Users can select up to five calculation records (previously calculated data sets) for this report.
- The Calculation Statistics Report (Calculation Statistics of a single POV without any comparison to another) will still support multiple export formats (PDF, Excel, Word, HTML, and XML).
REST API To Generate Model Documentation Report:
- A Rest API is now available to support the generation of the Model Documentation Report.
- This functionality is helpful for clients who 1) have very large models and experience long wait times when generating the model documentation and 2) clients who would like an automated archive of their model documentation on a schedule.
PCM Updates:
There are no updates for PCM in the 23.04 patch!
Regression Testing Requirement:
Per our standing recommendation, clients are advised to perform regression testing on the release of the month patches in their test instances regardless of the updates provided in this blog.
Enterprise PCM Regression Testing Requirement:
For the 23.04 Patch, we suggest you do your average level of regression testing, as none of the provided updates should be a cause of concern. It is worth taking note of the update to the Calculation Report to ensure that users are aware of the update and that it does not cause any surprises. Also, you may want to consider using the new REST API for generating the Model Report if you do have a large application or would like to schedule the export for archive purposes.
PCM Regression Testing Requirement:
For the 23.04 Patch, we suggest doing your normal level of regression, as there are no critical bug fixes or features for Oracle PCM in this release.
The 23.04 Patch is scheduled to be pushed to the Production environments at or after 22:00 UTC on Friday, April 21, 2023, so be sure to be done with any Regression testing soon!
TL;DR
Oracle has released the patch update for April 2023 (23.04), which includes various updates for EPM Common and Enterprise PCM, but none for PCM. The EPM Common updates relevant to EPCM include the option to suppress missing columns in Data Maps for Smart Push and the replacement of Cloud Data Management with Data Integration/Data Exchange. The updates for Enterprise PCM include best practice checks in model validation and an enhanced calculation statistics comparison report. Regression testing is recommended for all clients, but no critical bug fixes or features are present in this release. The 23.04 patch will be pushed to production environments on April 21, 2023, at or after 22:00 UTC.
For comments, questions, or suggestions for future topics, please reach out to us at infosolutions@alithya.com. Visit our blog regularly for new posts about Cloud updates and other Oracle Cloud Services such as Planning and Budgeting, Financial Consolidation, Account Reconciliation, and Enterprise Data Management. Follow Alithya on social media for the latest information about EPM, ERP, HCM, and Analytics solutions to meet your business needs.