PBCS Dimensions

 PBCS application contains dimensions. Dimensions are like categories for your data.

1)      Required Dimensions

6 + 1 Required dimensions

 

 1 scenario and version kind of go together because they make up where your budget is in the life cycle of your budget process.

2 Period and year go together. They make up your budget time structure.

3 Account is driving force to store data

4 Entity is driving force for the budget

 

1)      Additional Dimensions

User-defined dimensions are dimensions above and beyond what you need. E.g. Product, Channel, Employee, Project etc.

Dimension Hierarchies

There are three different ways to refer to members.

1)      Genealogy

2)      Levels

3)      Generations 

 

 

 

PBCS Cloud subscription features

PBCS provides end-to-end business processes to meet the requirements of most organizations.

PBCS allows you to create one application for each subscription to an EPM Cloud Service.

Standard cloud Subscription 

• Create new module based application
• Migrate module based application 

Enterprise cloud Subscription 

• Create new module based, free form or custom application 
•       Migrate custom application 
•       Create Sample application - Vision 

Understanding PBCS Home Page

 When any company buys PBCS (standard or enterprise), they receive POD details from Oracle.
·       URL to access PBCS
·       Credentials

It is better way to understand sections of home page.
1.       Navigator
Similar to On premise Navigator – directs user to various actions.
The Navigator menu is reached from clicking the Navigator button in the upper left corner of the home page. And this connects you to the functionality that you have access to. And it's listed by category.
 
2.       Navigation Flow
Directs user back to navigation screen
 
3.       Infolet
Second dot if available directs to infolet.
 
4.       Clusters
Cluster is an icon that contains group if cards. We can think of cluster as container.
 
5.       Announcement Area
The Announcements area displays any system announcements that have been entered by the administrator.
 
6.       Settings and Actions menu
Settings and Actions menu, which is available from your login username, gives you the ability to reload your navigation flow, manage your downloads, contact customer support, etc
 
7.       Cards
A card is an icon that navigates you to the corresponding functional area.
The application cluster. So this accesses the following cards. Overview, Settings, Valid Intersections, Data Exchange, and Jobs.

PBCS Life Cycle

 What are responsibilities of PBCS end user and PBCS implementer?

From #Oracle Documentation reference, it can be explained in simple steps as given below:

PBCS End User Responsibilities:

PBCS Implementer Responsibilities:

Modules of PBCS

PBCS Definition 

PBCS à Planning Budgeting Cloud Service

Oracle Planning is a budgeting, planning, and forecasting solution that provides functionality, such as streamlining data through web, mobile, and Excel-based interfaces,

• ·       A calculation engine called Calculation Manager, to promote business modeling with complex rules and allocations-- that's where we'll be seeing Groovy.
• ·       We do have out-of-the-box pre-built best practice planning modules.
• ·       Potentially sophisticated budget review processes-- you are able to use the approval process and workflow to set that up.
• ·       Infolets and dashboards to focus on your most important information-- that's giving the information consumer a very good visual way to see what's going on in your organization.
• ·       Dynamic reporting capability-- we have a lesson on that.
• ·       And then freeform and customizable business processes

Cloud Service

Two types of Cloud service 

1. Standard Cloud Service
2. Enterprise Cloud Service 

PBCS Modules 

PBCS provides complete planning, budgeting and forecasting solutions for business modules. It includes  best practice predefined content including forms, Calculations, Drivers, Key performance indicators. 

5 PBCS modules are given below:

>> integrated driver-based, trend-based, and direct input planning for your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow accounts.

 

>> allow you to link your financial plan with Workforce so that you can plan for headcount and compensation.

>> allows you to plan for long-term impacts of capital assets and capital expenses

>>  bridges the gap between your project planning systems and the financial planning process.

(More than one fiscal year)

>> allows you to plan for long-term strategic objectives

Let's understand EPM Cloud - bundle and pricing

You seldom improve quality by cutting costs, but you can often cut costs by improving quality.

This definitely makes sense for the new improved EPM cloud with lower cost.

When we checked about different EPM cloud components provided by Oracle in last blog:Check here 

It’s time to understand changes made by Oracle to EPM cloud, clarification about pricing.

Till now, we were using a single, value priced solution $125 per use per month.

E.g. clients were using either FCCS, ARCS, PBCS as per the requirement with this rate. So if a client required FCCS, ARCS and PBCS à It would cost $375 per user per month.

Oracle EPM cloud matured in these 5 years and so is licensing, security etc.

There is no more separate “Cloud Service” Naming. The new bundle and pricing model aims to provide more value and integration between business processes.

The new product names:

·       PBCS & EBCS à Planning (Note: Oracle no longer distinguishes between regular and enterprise

·       FCCS >> Financial Consolidation and Close

·       ARCS >> Account Reconciliation

·       EPRCS >> Narrative Reporting

·       PCMCS >> Profitability and Cost Management

·       TRCS >> Tax Reporting

·       EDMCS >> Enterprise Data Management

These products are not sold separately.

There are two kinds of licenses provided by Oracle for EPM cloud.

1)      Standard EPM Cloud

Standard EPM Cloud license consists of two instances à (1) Production instance and (2) Development/Test instance.

 One standard EPM cloud license costs around $250/£198 per user per month.

 A single unique user across all included business process options.

 Minimum Users = 10

 Additional POD will cost additional $250 per user per month.

 Standard Edition includes following cloud services based on busines process.

 ·       Module-based Planning

§  Capital, Financials, Projects, Workforce (2x) and Strategic Modelling (6 cubes total)2 custom cubes (1 hybrid BSO and 1 ASO cube)

 ·       Narrative Reporting

This includes the two most popular tools Narrative Reporting and Management Reporting

·       Financial Consolidation & Close

This includes Supplemental Data Management, Financial Consolidation, Close Management

·       Account Reconciliation

This includes Reconciliation Compliance 

2)      Enterprise EPM Cloud

Enterprise EPM Cloud license consists of two instances  (1) Production instance and (2) Development/Test instance.

One standard EPM cloud license costs around $500/£396 per user per month.

A single unique user across all included business process options.

Minimum Users = 25

Additional POD will NOT cost additional fees.

Standard Edition includes following cloud services based on busines process.

·       Planning

§  Module-based (same as standard)

§  Custom (6 custom cubes + 6 ASO cubes)

§  A framework similar to EPBCS (3 custom cubes, 4 ASO cubes and Workforce ASO cube)

§  Free Form

·       Narrative

§  Includes Disclosure Management

·       Financial Consolidation & Close

§  Includes all features and support for Complex and Custom Calculations

·        Account Reconciliation

      ·        Enterprise edition includes additional            modules

             §  Profitability & Cost Management

             §  Tax Reporting

             §  Enterprise Data Management (up to 5,000 hosted records)

Organizational Pyramid and EPM

 When a new joiner in IT,  in team asked about basic queries related to EPM, I thought it is good time to pen down  basic facts about EPM in any Organization's pyramid on this weekend. 

Where is EPM used in any organization?

What is the purpose of EPM?

Why it is referred as important finance technology? (Why do people get paid more considering it as niche skill? )

Yes, I used to always think of these queries and finally after some learning and experience , got a fair idea about EPM in any organization.

Let’s think about pyramid of any organization, whether it is IT, manufacturing, automobile, financial or any other domain.

Every organization has this pyramid
 

• 1)      Bottom Most Layer contains front end executives. These include day to day business operations. So these are nothing but operating activities of organization.
• 2)      Middle layer consists of integrations of various business activities, hence integration tools like CRM, SCP are included in this layer.
• 3)      Topmost layer is layer of top level executives who are strategic decision makers for organization. This layer include CFO, his/her core team who are responsible for executive decision making, executive learning, executive MBA. This layer executives are responsible for EPM – Enterprise Performance Management.

 Now let us move to EPM layer

 

•      Financial Planning and Analysis Team
• 
  
• Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is a set of four activities that support an organization's financial health:
• 1) planning and budgeting,
• 2) integrated financial planning, 
• 3) management and performance reporting,
• 4) forecasting and modeling. 
• FP&A solutions enhance the finance department's ability to manage performance by linking corporate strategy to execution. 
• 
  
•      EPM Consultants include both technical and functional consultants - We belong here. 
• From technical perspective, an EPM system such as Oracle EPM is an enterprise software that provides a platform (framework, product, tool…) specified for EPM purpose. Implementation consulting firm will base on that platform to configure, develop specific system that suits with specific company/enterprise/organization.
• 
  

For implementing EPM, there are many vendors and leading one is Oracle EPM contributing to 30% of EPM market.

 Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Cloud

Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud Service provides end-to-end business processes to meet the requirements of most organizations and ensure a connected and agile experience across multiple business processes.

1.       Connected Planning      
   
   
2.       Financial Close

3)      Narrative Reporting 

4)      Enterprise Data Management