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 Nov 5, 2021 (test environments) and on or after 2AM ET on Saturday, Nov 19, 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 – November 2021
EPM Common
EPM Automate updates
A new version of EPM Automate is now available. This version introduces the executeBurstDefinition, exportJobConsole, importAppAudit, and importJobConsole commands. Additionally, this version includes support for the use of reverse proxy servers and API Gateways, and the use of enhanced encryption algorithm with the encrypt command.
For more information, see this topic in the update at the link above.
Updates to Dimension Information in the Activity Report
The Activity Report tables depicting outline dimension order and statistics of each cube in the application have been enhanced to include the total number of dimension members based on various settings such as data storage type (store, never share, label only, shared members, dynamic calc and store, and dynamic calc) and the operators in use. Previously, this information was presented as percentages.
Import Books in Smart View using new EPM Books Extension
The new EPM Books extension in Smart View allows you to import EPM Cloud Books into Excel in a refreshable format. After installing the Books extension, launch the EPM Books panel from Smart View using the Launch EPM Books Home link in the Action Panel.
To work with EPM Books in Smart View:
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- Install the current version of Smart View on your system, according to your organization’s installation procedures.
- Set up Smart View data source connections to the EPM Cloud business processes that host EPM Books in your organization. Note that you must connect using private connections.
- Install the EPM Books extension using the extension installation feature in Smart View.
For more information, see this topic in the update at the link above.
Reports
New Repeat With Row/Column Headings property to freeze the Row/Column headings in Reports
A new segment-level Repeat With Row/Column Headings property was added to allow text or separator segments at the top of the grid to repeat with the row or column headings in HTML and PDF preview.
New Sunburst and Treemap chart types In Reports
A Sunburst chart is for visualizing hierarchical data structures. A sunburst chart consists of an inner circle surrounded by rings of deeper hierarchy levels. The angle of each segment is either proportional to either a value or divided equally under its inner segment.
New Text Functions to display Ancestorname and Ancestoralias for a Member
The AncestorName and AncestorAlias text functions return parent and ancestor members for a specified row, column, or POV member.
Other Important Notices
Smart View
Secured URLs only in Logo and Background Images
Starting with the November 2021 update (21.11), only secured URLs will be supported within the Logo Image and Background Image settings in the Appearance page in EPM Cloud.
Restrictions to Copy Version Functionality
Based on feedback from several customers due to its inherent data corruption risks, we plan to restrict the ‘Copy Version’ functionality in EPM Cloud platform (Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, Tax Reporting) to be exposed only to administrators. Starting in October 2021, ‘Copy Version’ functionality will not be available to Power Users and Users.
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.
