HCM/ERP Cloud Release 12 - Security Console

Oracle Cloud Applications Release 12 included many new areas of functionality.  One in particular has had a major impact (positive) on those of us who implement the product for our customers.   This feature is called the  "Security Console".

Since the earliest releases of Oracle Cloud, the security has been managed by the Fusion Middleware products Oracle Identity Manager (OIM) and Oracle Authorization Policy Manager (APM).  Whilst extremely powerful tools for managing user accounts and role based access, the tools required a level of knowledge beyond standard application configuration.  They were also displayed through a separate UI to the main applications and configuration of security rules involved using multiple screens and UIs.

Leading up to Release 12, Oracle have done a lot of work to transition onto a tool called the "Security Console".  This tool is embedded in the application and is intended as a "one-stop shop" for security configuration.   By Release 12, this transition is virtually complete.

Now, the Security Console allows us to see the holistic view of all aspects of functional and data security using a visual tool.   We can focus on parts of the security configuration and drill down towards detailed privileges or up towards users.  The Security Console includes functionality to copy roles and create custom versions, to add/remove functional data data privileges and to view detailed analytics about roles and role usage.

This image shows a typical view of roles in the Security Console, complete with colour coding to indicate what type of role each role is (seeded or custom), and to distinguish between roles, privileges and users.



It has simplified the management of users and roles into a single UI and is a great advance for implementors and system administrators alike.

Oracle HCM World 2017

Oracle HCM World 2017

I've just returned from Oracle HCM World 2017 in Boston, MA.   This year, we saw many customer stories about their journeys to the cloud.   This is a real sign of the scale of adoption of Oracle's Cloud applications.

Many of the customers were global, with implementations spanning over 100 countries.

Another indication of the way in which Oracle Cloud applications are moving was the increasing number of multi-pillar implementations (e.g. ERP+HCM).

Another theme, dear to my heart, was how many times we heard that it was really important to use a partner who understood the product in depth.  I couldn't agree more!   We at Certus Solutions pride ourselves on being such a partner.

I'll write a fuller account later, but for the short term just wanted to share some initial highlights.

Views From OpenWorld 2015

I've spent the last week in San Francisco participating in the annual Oracle OpenWorld conference.  This is a summary of my 'takeaways'.

At Certus Solutions, we specialize in 'Cloud'.  We've been working on Oracle HCM Cloud implementations all the way from Fusion HCM version 1 up to R10.  So, I was encouraged that the 3 main messages coming out of Oracle at OOW15 were 'Cloud, Cloud and Cloud'.

Over the past 2 years, the messages have included Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and all sorts of other X as a Service propositions.  This year, there was a unified message 'everything in the cloud'.

Previously, we have heard lots of talk about 'Applications Unlimited', keeping the old legacy EBS/PeopleSoft systems going as long as you want.  This year, that talk was conspicuous by its absence.   In its place, the mantra was 'why wouldn't you move to the Cloud?'.  After all, it's where all the development effort is going.

So, have we reached the time where the critical mass of Cloud customers has been achieved and a tipping point occurred where EBS/PeopleSoft customers begin to think 'if I renew on-premises, will I be left with a Dinosaur system in just a few years time?'.  I think it has.

Take a look back to other major shifts in IT developments.  It's not long ago that client/server systems were in vogue.  Who talks about them now?    My money is on a mass movement to the Cloud in the next couple of years.  That's the subtle, and not so subtle, message coming out of OOW15.

Oracle HCM World 2015

Last week I attended the Oracle HCM World conference at the Gaylord National Convention Center in Washington DC.  Here are a few of my thoughts and observations on the event.

Cloud and Social.  Those were the key messages coming out from Oracle.  Mark Hurd gave a keynote in which the main theme was 'embrace the Cloud'.  Almost every session I attended brough Social into the mix in some form or another.

Certus Solutions was well publicised and I was pleased to see a number of tweets about our implementation successes appear on the main screen during keynotes!

Learning

 

One of the big surprise announcements was the introduction of the new Oracle Learning module in HCM Cloud.  Learning will be very integrated with social and the demonstrations we saw were primarily based on embedding YouTube videos into the application.

 

The tag lines for Learning were "Contextual, Intelligent, Scalable, Secure".  The contextual part means that  we can embed learning materials into a process.  If, for example, you are going to perform the annual compensation review but there is some mandatory training you must have taken before you are allowed to change salaries or give bonuses, then Oracle Learning will intercept your transaction and ensure you do complete the training before continuing with the transaction.

You can also showcase learning based on factors that are relevant ot the user.  This is the "Intelligence" part.  There is an algorithm based on over 100 objects in the system and the algorithm identifies what is most relevant to you and presents that learing to you.

 

 

The learning material is displayed on any device using the same UX.  Adaptive streaming is built in to regulate the display according to the optimum speed for your device and access emthod.  It will even work over 3G or 4G.

 

Managers and administrators can control what learning is available to different categories of users and many of the familiar HCM Cloud configuration techniques are used, e.g. approval management and eligibility profiles.

 

The functionality is going to be available under a controlled release in R10.

 

Watch for more developments in later releases!