June 2020 Update

Revision History

This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:

Date	Product	Feature	Notes
19 JUN 2020	Financial Consolidation and Close	Update View Calculations Rule	Updated document. Delivered feature in June 2020.
19 JUN 2020	Financial Consolidation and Close	Application Setting to Disable View Calculations	Updated document. Revised feature information.
28 MAY 2020			Created initial document.

Overview

This document outlines the upcoming Enterprise Performance Management Cloud update.

Feature Summary

Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Monthly Update Schedule

Test Environments: Oracle will apply this monthly update during the first daily maintenance that occurs at or after 22:00 UTC on Friday, June 5, 2020.

Production Environments: Oracle will apply this monthly update during the first daily maintenance that occurs at or after 22:00 UTC on Friday, June 19, 2020.

The Oracle Help Center provides access to updated documentation. The updates will be available in the Help Center on Friday, June 5, 2020. Some of the links to new feature documentation included in this readiness document will not work until after the Oracle Help Center update is complete.

NOTE: Backing up the daily maintenance snapshot and restoring the environment as needed are self-service operations. Oracle strongly recommends that you download the maintenance snapshot every day to a local server.

Please Join Oracle Cloud Customer Connect

Please take a moment to join the Cloud Customer Connect forums for EPM Cloud services. Oracle Cloud Customer Connect is a community gathering place for members to interact and collaborate on common goals and objectives. This is where you will find the latest release information, upcoming events, or answers to use-case questions. Joining takes just a few minutes. Join now!

https://cloud.oracle.com/community

NOTE: The Settings and Actions menu now contains a link to Cloud Customer Connect. To access this link, from the Home page, click the down arrow next to the user name (in the upper right-hand corner of the screen), and select Cloud Customer Connect.

Give Us Documentation Feedback

We welcome your comments and suggestions to improve the content of the What's New document and the product documentation. Please send us your feedback at EPMdoc_ww@oracle.com. In the body or title of the email, state that you are inquiring or providing feedback, and indicate for which EPM Cloud service and the monthly update cycle.

Follow Us on Social Media

For the latest updates and information about EPM Cloud, follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn at Hyperion EPM Info.

Defects Fixed and Considerations

Software issues addressed each month and considerations will be posted to My Oracle Support.

EPM Cloud Common

This section contains announcements related to the common EPM Cloud components such as EPM Automate, Migration, Access Control, Data Integration, and Smart View for Office.

New Topics in EPM Cloud Operations Guide

The EPM Cloud Operations Guide has been enhanced with additional topics.

New topics include the following:

• Making EPM Cloud-Related Requests
  • Requesting Design Comparison for On-Premises Planning Application Migrated to EPM Cloud
  • Submitting an Enhancement Request
  • Requesting an Increase in Financial Consolidation and Close Dimension Governor Limits
  • Requesting Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for a Resolved Issue
  • Requesting an Old Backup Snapshot of an Environment
  • Requesting an Increase in Capacity
  • Requesting a Health Check for an Environment
  • Requesting EPM Cloud Roadmap Information
  • Making Other Requests

• Asking How-to Questions

Key Resources

• Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud Operations Guide

EPM Automate Updates

A new version of EPM Automate, which contains the runRuleset command, which runs a business ruleset, is available. This command works with Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, and Tax Reporting environments only. Additionally, the sortMember command has been updated to work with Planning Modules applications.

Key Resources

• Working with EPM Automate for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud
  • Installing the Utility
  • Command Reference

Change in Email Address for Outgoing Emails

Emails originating from EPM Cloud applications will now use no.reply@oraclecloud.com instead of oraclecloudadmin_ww@oracle.com as the from address.

Emails from other Oracle Cloud sources, for example, New Account email sent from the Identity Domain, will continue to use the current From email addressses, for example, oraclecloudadmin_ww@oracle.com.

Manage Dimensions with Admin Extension in Smart View (Mac and Browser)

Service Administrators can now use the Admin Extension in Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser) to import and edit dimension and member metadata in a Smart View grid.

You access the Admin Extension functionality by deploying a manifest file with the Dimension group options selected. Upon deployment, you see the following interface elements in Smart View (Mac and Browser):

• In the tree list in the Smart View Home panel, the Dimension and Attribute folders; expand the folders to view the dimensions

• In the Smart View ribbon, the Dimension group with the Update button; other ribbon options supported by the Admin Extension are Member Selection, Refresh, Zoom In (Next, All, and Bottom are all supported), and Zoom Out (only Next Level is supported)

• At the bottom of the Smart View Home panel, the Refresh Database option

Importing dimensions into a Smart View grid refers to selecting a dimension or attribute dimension in the tree list in the Smart View Home panel, which places the dimension and its members, and their respective properties, on the grid in preparation for editing. By importing a dimension or attribute dimension into Smart View (Mac and Browser), you can rapidly add, edit, move,and delete the members of the dimension. You can also designate shared members.

Once you've made changes to dimension metadata, or added or deleted members, refresh the grid, and submit the changes using the new Update button in the Dimension group of the Smart View ribbon. Then use the new Refresh Database command in the Smart View Home panel to update the database with the metadata changes. The Refresh Database makes the changes available to your business process users. 

Steps to Enable

To access the dimension management features of the Admin Extension in Smart View (Mac and Browser), Service Administrators must create and deploy a new manifest file.

1. Create a new manifest file and customize it per your requirements
2. Ensure that you select the Dimension Editor option group, including the Update option
3. Deploy the manifest file to EPM Cloud Service Administrators

See these topics in Deploying and Administering Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser):

• Creating and Saving the Manifest File
• Customizing the Manifest File (optional)
• Sideloading and Logging In or Deploying the Manifest File to Office 365 Users

Key Resources

• Using Smart View to Import and Edit Application Metadata in Administering Planning

Set User Preferences in Smart View (Mac and Browser)

You can now set user preferences in Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser). The changes you make in Smart View (Mac and Browser) are saved to the EPM Cloud business process and are remembered the next time you log in to either the web interface or Smart View.

User preferences control many aspects of function and display:

• Application settings include email notification and display options, alias settings, and options for approvals.

• Display settings include number formatting, remember page member selections, allow a search if the number of pages exceeds a number you specify, member indentation, consolidation operator, perform partial grid fetch, specify number of members on each Dimensions Page, display specified record on each Assign Access Page, and set date formatting.

• User variables help you navigate large forms and grids.

You access the User Preferences panel in Smart View (Mac and Browser) by selecting User Preferences in the Smart View ribbon.

User Preferences apply to Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, and Tax Reporting.

Steps to Enable

For users to access the User Preferences panel in Smart View (Mac and Browser), Service Administrators must create and deploy a new manifest file.

1. Create a new manifest file and customize it per your requirements
2. Deploy the manifest file to Office 365 users

See these topics in Deploying and Administering Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser):

• Creating and Saving the Manifest File
• Customizing the Manifest File (optional)
• Deploying the Manifest File to Office 365 Users

Key Resources

• User Preferences in Working with Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser)

Use HsGetValue and HsSetValue to Retrieve Data in Smart View (Mac and Browser)

You can use now the HsGetValue and HsSetValue functions in Smart View (Mac and Browser) functions to retrieve and send data in specific cells in Excel worksheets.

If you are familiar with the contents of your database, you can use Smart View functions to perform operations on specific data in Excel cells. The HsGetValue function can be used to create static reports which can then be formatted as required by retrieving application data into specific cells. The HsSetValue function allows sending a data value from a worksheet to a data source based on selected members of dimensions.

To implement these functions for Smart View (Mac and Browser) users, administrators deploy a new manifest file with the "Include Functions support" option enabled.

In Smart View (Mac and Browser), users enter these functions manually into cells on the sheet, providing a connection name and the POV, and then retrieve data upon refresh.

Steps to Enable

To use the HsGetValue and HsSetValue functions in Smart View (Mac and Browser), Service Administrators must create and deploy a new manifest file.

1. Create a new manifest file and customize it per your requirements
2. Ensure that you select the "Include Functions support" option
3. Deploy the manifest file to Smart View (Mac and Browser) users

Key Resources

• Deploying and Administering Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser):
  • Creating and Saving the Manifest File
  • Customizing the Manifest File (optional)
  • Deploying the Manifest File to Office 365 Users
• Functions in Working with Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser)

Flash Disabled by Default in Calculation Manager

Flash is now disabled by default in Calculation Manager. You can still enable Flash temporarily, if desired.

By the end of 2020, Oracle will disable Flash in Calculation Manager, and options to enable it will be removed. This change is in response to Adobe’s decision to stop updating and distributing Flash at the end of 2020. See https://theblog.adobe.com/adobe-flash-update/.

Key Resources

• "Enabling/Disabling Flash" in Designing with Calculation Manager for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Simplified Search in Access Control

Access Control now uses a simplified, intelligent search function across screens that supports search for artifacts such as users and groups. This search function, unlike the previous version, does not use wildcard characters with partial search strings. Instead, it searches using a partial string from one of the user (user name, first name, last name, and email ID) or group (group name) attributes to retrieve all artifacts that contains the search string. For example, using the string st to search for groups displays groups such as Test, Cast, Analysts, and so on. Similarly, using the search string Fr displays user names of Frank, Freddy, Alfred, and so on.

Connecting Directly from Oracle Analytics Cloud to EPM Cloud Platform

With this release, you can connect directly from Oracle Analytics Cloud Enterprise Edition or Professional Edition 5.6 to EPM Cloud Platform, provided you have both services. When you've configured the connection, you can visualize data from EPM Cloud business processes (Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, and Tax Reporting) in Oracle Analytics Cloud. You no longer have to model EPM data in a metadata repository (RPD) file to create visualizations and dashboards in Oracle Analytics Cloud.

Key Resources

• Connecting Environments in EPM Cloud in Administering Planning

REST API to Sort Members for Module Applications

You can now use a REST API to sort members for Module applications. Previously, this feature was only available for Planning and Free Form applications. For example, you can alphabetize a list of child members by sorting in descending order to help users quickly locate members in hierarchies in the dimension editor. This feature is only supported for Planning, Module, and Free Form applications. In Module applications, you cannot sort these dimensions: dense dimensions and the Plan Element dimension from Financials and Project Element dimension from Projects (even if they are renamed).

Key Resources

• Manage Jobs in REST API for Enterprise Performance Management

Role Information

• Service Administrators

REST API to Review Rejected Data After Import

While using a REST API to import data, you can now review the errored out records. To do this, you specify an error file that captures the data records that are not imported for each dimension. If an error file is specified, a separate error file is created for each dimension. The error files are then zipped together and the zip file is stored in the Outbox where you can download the file using Inbox/Outbox Explorer or tools like EPM Automate or REST APIs.

NOTE: This applies to Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, and Tax Reporting.

Tips And Considerations

In April, 2020, we introduced the ability for you to review the rejected metadata after import. With this update, you can now review rejected metadata as well as data.

Key Resources

• Import Data in REST API for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Role Information

• Service Administrators

New Applications Option in Data Integration

You can now use Data Integration's simplified user interface to register source and target applications using a new Applications option.

The Applications option shares the existing functionality of the Target Applications option in Data Management and enhances your experience with a more modern look and feel and responsive design. It is named  "Applications” because  it is used as the primary gateway to integrate data between different source systems and target applications.

The Applications page allow you to register various applications so it can be used as source and target when defining integrations.

The Applications option is available on the Actions drop-down on the Data Integration home page for administrators only.

Actions drop-down on Data Integration home page.

After you select the option, an Applications page displays allowing you to register new applications, or you can select an existing application and update application options, delete it, or refresh application definitions.

Applications page

You can use an Actions drop-down next to each row of applications to select different application related tasks associated with the application type including:

• View Dimensions
• Change/Select Applications Options
• Add/Update/Deleted values for Data Source applications.

Actions drop-down options

Key Resources

• Registering Applications in Administering Data Integration for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Registering Applications for Cubes in Data Integration

In Data Integration, you can now register a custom cube as a separate application with no limit to the number of custom cube applications that can be registered. This enhancement allows you to load data to an unlimited number of custom cubes.  Prior to this release, you could only load data to six input cubes.

Key Resources

• Registering EPM Local Applications in Administering Data Integration for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

New Oracle NetSuite PBCS Sync SuiteApp Saved Searches

Two new Oracle NetSuite PBCS Sync SuiteApp Saved Searches are now supported in Data Integration and Data Management. They include two transaction type searches:

• PBCS sync (Data) Income Statement Transactions [.csv] - customsearch_pbcs_sync_is_csv
• PBCS sync (Data) Balance Sheet Transactions [.csv] - customsearch_pbcs_sync_bs_csv

Key Resources

• Registering Oracle Netsuite Applications in Administering Data Integration for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Replace Mode for All Data Type with Security Load Method Now Supported

When loading data to Planning or Essbase target applications using the All Data Type with Security load method, the Replace mode is now supported for administrator users only. In Replace mode, the system first clears any existing data in the application for those referenced in the dataload file. Then the system performs the data load in Merge mode.

Key Resources

• Defining Target Options in Administering Data Integration for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

LCM Migration of Data Load Mappings in Data Management

In order to improve the performance of export and importing large data load mappings, Data Management now exports the mapping by individual locations. When importing the mappings to the target environment, the existing mappings are completely replaced with mappings from the source environment. Prior to this update, data load mappings from the source were merged into the target environment.

Ability to Write to Upper-level Members Using Groovy

Using Groovy’s new setForceEditable() method, you can now write to upper level members that are dynamic Calc in both ASO and BSO cubes within an application. You can then use custom allocation logic in Groovy to push data to lower level members. To implement this, use the setForceEditable() method on a data cell.

Steps to Enable

For details, see https://docs.oracle.com/en/cloud/saas/epm-cloud/groov/oracle/epm/api/grid/DataGrid.DataCell.html#setForceEditable(boolean).

To create Groovy business rules, follow the steps to create a Groovy business rule in Creating a Groovy Business Rule in Designing with Calculation Manager for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud. For a step-by-step tutorial on creating Groovy business rules, see Introduction to Groovy Business Rules and the other Groovy tutorials. For the technical specification of the new feature, see the EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference.

Tips And Considerations

To get a quick introduction to Groovy business rules, watch the Learning Groovy in EPM Cloud video.

Key Resources

• Learning Groovy in EPM Cloud video
• Creating a Groovy Business Rule in Designing with Calculation Manager for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud
• Introduction to Groovy Business Rules
• Groovy Tutorials
• EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference

Role Information

• Calculation Manager Business Rule Designer

Suppress Missing Rows When Building Grids Using Groovy

You can now use Groovy to apply row suppression at the Essbase level when building grids using DataGridDefinitionBuilder. This benefits you by reducing the amount of data on the Planning side and eliminating the impact on query thresholds.

Steps to Enable

Follow the steps to create a Groovy business rule in Creating a Groovy Business Rule in Designing with Calculation Manager for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud. For a step-by-step tutorial on creating Groovy business rules, see Introduction to Groovy Business Rules and the other Groovy tutorials. For the technical specification of the new features, see the EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference.

Tips And Considerations

To get a quick introduction to Groovy business rules, see Learning Groovy in Oracle EPM Cloud.

Key Resources

• Configuring Smart Push for a Simple Form in Administering Planning
• Learning Groovy in Oracle EPM Cloud video
• Creating a Groovy Business Rule in Designing with Calculation Manager for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud
• Introduction to Groovy Business Rules tutorial 
• Groovy Tutorials
• EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference

Role Information

• Calculation Manager Business Rule Designer

Account Reconciliation

Database Tables and Views Guide Available for Help with Custom Reports

A new Account Reconciliation Tables and Views guide is available to help with developing custom reports. This guide outlines all the database tables and views for Reconciliation Compliance, Transaction Matching, and common tables so that you can more easily develop queries for custom reports.

Key Resources

• Overview in Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud Tables and Views for Account Reconciliation

Ability to Split an Unmatched Transaction Amount in Transaction Matching

Splitting transactions allows you to manage timing differences for 1 to Many, Many to 1, or Many to Many matches by allowing you to match part of a transaction, leaving aside only the split remaining amount unmatched. This helps keep the number of unmatched transactions as low as possible at the end of each day and allows a reviewer to look at a reconciliation with fewer unmatched transactions. An administrator must enable this feature in order for users to split transactions.

Steps to Enable

An Administrator must enable the ability to split transactions:

1. From Applications, click Match Types, and select the desired match type (for example, Clearing).

2. From Edit Match Type, select the Data Sources tab.

3. In Data Sources, select the Allow Transactions to be split checkbox.

Key Resources

• Splitting Unmatched Transactions in Reconciling Accounts with Account Reconciliation.

Delete All Transactions Functionality Added to Reconciliation Compliance

You can now choose to delete all the transactions associated with a reconciliation from the Actions dialog without needing to select them individually.

Key Resources

• Editing, Copying and Deleting Transactions in Reconciling Accounts with Account Reconciliation.

Setting Dashboard Maximum Rows for Reconciliation Actions Dialog

The system setting for Maximum Rows now applies to the number of rows of transactions to display in the Reconciliation Actions dialog. Previously, this system setting applied to the Reconciliation, Transactions, Profile, and Matching Lists.

Key Resources

• Setting Dashboard Maximum Rows in Setting Up and Configuring Account Reconciliation.

Financial Consolidation and Close

Update View Calculations Rule

An UpdateViewCalculations rule has been added to Business Rules that allows you to update calculations for View members.  This rule is used to populate the YTD, HYTD and QTD 'Never Share' members so that you can see the respective View data after the data load process if you previously disabled View calculations. This is not needed if you use the _RULE members.  Using the _RULE members is the correct way to view the View members data once you turn this option to 'ON'.

Application Setting to Disable View Calculations

Starting with this update, a new option to disable the View calculations is available in Application Settings. This option disables computation and storing of YTD, HYTD, and QTD data for data inputs (through forms, data import, Data Management, and so on.) in the YTD, HYTD, and QTD members. Turning this setting to 'Yes' will help in improving the performance of data loads.

IMPORTANT! This setting is powerful, and it is recommended that you assess the potential impact before enabling the setting.

Once this setting is set to “Yes” and data is loaded, you should use the required YTD_RULE, HYTD_RULE, and QTD_RULE members to see the respective View data after data load. Data will not be populated and updated in the YTD, HYTD, and QTD members after data load.

The best practice is to use the _RULE members if you turn this setting to “Yes”.  However, if you still want to use the YTD, HYTD, and QTD members and not the _RULE members, a new rule is available called Update View Calculations, which can be run to populate these after data load.

Steps to Enable

To enable this application setting:

1. Set the option to Yes.

2. Load data.

3. Use the YTD_RULE, HYTD_RULE and QTD_RULE members to see the YTD, HYTD and QTD data.

4. If you still want to use the original YTD, HYTD and QTD members, run the Update View Calculations rule for the given Scenario, Year, Period, Entity, Entity Currency, and respective View members. 

Once this option to set to “Yes”, Do Not turn this option back to “No”. If you do want to change the setting to “No”, you will have to use the Update View Calculations rule for all the SYPEs for which data was loaded when this option was set to “Yes”, and pass QTD, HYTD, and YTD as parameters so that the values are correctly computed and stored. This will make sure future data loads will correctly populate the “Never Share” YTD, QTD, and HYTD members.

Key Resources

• Specifying Application Settings in Administering Financial Consolidation and Close

Ability to Automatically Open and Close Journal Periods Using Task Manager

A new Task Manager Integration Type is available that enables you to use Task Manager to open or close Financial Consolidation and Close journal periods automatically during the close period.

Key Resources

• Pre-Built EPM Cloud Integrations in Administering Financial Consolidation and Close

REST API for Importing Supplemental Collection Data

You can now use a REST API to import supplemental collection data from a file to a collection.

Key Resources

• Import Supplemental Collection Data in REST API for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Role Information

• Service Administrators

Item Count Added to Supplemental Data Lists

An item count has been added to the lists for Supplemental Data Tasks, and Supplemental Data Analysis. This enables you to see at a glance how many items are contained in that list.

Intercompany Entity Aggregation Options

Two additional Intercompany dimension aggregation methods, “Subtraction” and “Ignore” have been added to the Create Application options. The default selection is Addition. If Subtraction or Ignore are selected, then the selected consolidation operator will be applied to the “Intercompany Entities” member when aggregating to the “Intercompany Top” member.  The system entries generated by the Standard Eliminations process will also be amended to post the required additional entries should Subtraction or Ignore be selected. Note that the seeded consolidation rules are designed to work with the Addition option, and will need to be amended if the Subtraction or Ignore options are selected.

NOTE: These options are only available during application creation and cannot be enabled after an application has been created.

Key Resources

• Aggregation Options in Administering Financial Consolidation and Close

Ability to Select Level 0 Descendants for Journal Reports

When you run a Journal report, you can now directly select the Level 0 descendants of a parent member. For example, from the Member Selector, you can select Level 0 Descendants of the Total Geography Entity parent member, without needing to first select all the entities for that parent.

Key Resources

• Creating Journal Reports in Working with Financial Consolidation and Close

Year-to-Date and Journal-to-Date Journal Entries

In addition to existing Periodic journal entries, you can now post Year-to-Date and Journal-to-Date journal entries. When you create a journal, you can now select YTD_Input for the View dimension, and then select either of the YTD or JTD options. You can also select Periodic or YTD journals when you run a journal report.

Key Resources

• Creating Journals in Working with Financial Consolidation and Close

Performance Substitution Variables

The EnableSimpleAggregation, OptimizeDBRefresh, OptimizeYTDCalculation, and OptimizeConcurrency substitution variables can be enabled to improve performance:

• EnableSimpleAggregation

This Substitution Variable improves the way that child entities are aggregated into parent entities. This Substitution Variable should be used in conjunction with the OptimizeYTDCalculation to improve consolidation performance.

• OptimizeDBRefresh

This Substitution Variable improves the way that exchange rates are pushed to the consol cube during the database refresh.

• OptimizeYTDCalculation

This Substitution Variable avoids redundant and repetitive calculations. This Substitution Variable should be used in conjunction with EnableSimpleAggregation to improve consolidation performance.

• OptimizeConcurrency

This Substitution Variable improves concurrency of the consolidation process by executing some of the calculations at the very beginning or at the end. The degree of improvement depends on the entity structure of a given customer. Customers with deeper entity hierarchies will benefit the most.

In order to enable the Substitution Variables, set the parameter Cube = Consol, in addition to setting Value = true.

NOTE: The degree of performance improvement varies widely across different applications as it is purely driven by the application design and data distribution.

Narrative Reporting

New Video

Server-Initiated Refresh Using Smart View and Narrative Reporting

Want to easily refresh all Smart View based report content in your Report Package? Watch how to update your Excel reference doclets so that you can easily refresh all Smart View EPM Cloud data within the Report Package Report Center.

Updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Smart View

An updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Oracle Smart View for Office is now available. This update includes a new message that notifies you if a more recent version of a doclet is available at checkout time, along with other accessibility-related and general improvements and bug fixes.

“Newer Doclet Version Available” Warning at Checkout

You may be ready to check out a doclet, but are unaware that the doclet has recently been updated and a newer version of the doclet file is available.  The opened file on your client does not reflect the latest information.  This can happen if you are viewing an opened doclet for a while prior to checking it out.   The doclet may have been updated by another user or had embedded content or variables refreshed while you were viewing the doclet. Now, when you perform your checkout, a new message notifies you that a more recent version of the doclet exists. You are given the choice of either:

• Yes – Default. Clicking Yes closes your working copy of the doclet, then downloads the latest version of the doclet from Narrative Reporting, checks it out, and opens it. You will lose your unsaved changes.

• No - Ignores the warning and checks out the local version that you have been working on; however, you run the risk of overwriting another user’s updates.

To safeguard all of your report content, Oracle strongly recommends that you perform a checkout prior to making any content modifications. This will ensure that any modifications made by you or other users are not inadvertently overwritten.

Steps to Enable

Download and install the latest Narrative Reporting extension for Smart View.

Key Resources

• Working with Oracle Smart View for Office
  • Installing the Narrative Reporting Extension
  • Checking Out Doclets

Updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Disclosure Management

An updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Oracle Disclosure Management is now available. This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.

Steps to Enable

Download and install the latest Narrative Reporting extension for Disclosure Management. 

Key Resources

• Installing Disclosure Management Client in Working with Disclosure Management for Narrative Reporting

Planning

New Tutorial

Introduction to Strategic Modeling

In this tutorial, learn the core concepts and features of Strategic Modeling. The tutorial reviews the essential concepts around Accounts, Account and Data Views, Time Periods and User Defined Accounts and Custom Dimensions. The core features of Forecasting Methods, What-If scenarios, Funding Options, Consolidation and Audit Trails are also reviewed among others.

New Videos

Want to create your own Free Form applications? This new functionality allows you to create an application with the dimensions of your choice without being constrained by the limitations imposed by standard applications. With Free Form applications, you can model and build your own Hybrid BSO or ASO cubes while preserving the ability to leverage Planning features and functions.

• Creating Free Form Applications with a Hybrid BSO Cube

Learn how to create Free Form applications with a Hybrid BSO cube in EPM Enterprise Cloud Service. Free Form Planning enables you to deploy an application with no dimension requirements. The open dimensional solution allows you to create an application with a cube that follows a dimension combination required by your organization. Like a custom or module-based Planning business process, you can load data and create artifacts to help you analyze and work on your plans.

• Creating Free Form Applications with a Reporting/ASO Cube

Learn how to create Free Form applications with a Reporting or ASO cube in EPM Enterprise Cloud Service. Free Form Planning enables you to deploy an application with no dimension requirements.

• Creating Free Form Applications from On-Premises Essbase

Learn how to create Free Form applications from on-premises Essbase outline files and snapshots. Free Form Planning enables you to deploy an application with no dimension requirements.

Workforce Rules and Forms Support Different Planning Years for Plan and Forecast Scenarios

In the Workforce module, rules, templates, and forms have been updated to allow different planning years for the Plan and Forecast Scenarios.

Previously, the Planning and Forecast Preparation configuration task for Workforce set the &OEP_YearRange substitution variable for both Plan and Forecast scenarios based on the configuration settings for the Plan scenario only.  References to this substitution variable are discontinued.  Instead, Workforce has updated all business rules and templates to use methods that read the start year and end year from the Planning and Forecast configuration separately for each scenario.  Forms are modified to display based on the start and end periods for the scenario using Valid Intersections.

When the update is applied:

• Predefined business rules and templates are updated
• Predefined forms are updated

If you’ve modified rules or templates that rely on &OEP_YearRange substitution variable, update the rules and templates to use these functions:

• [[PlanningFunctions.getModuleStartYear(“WORKFORCE”,{Scenario})]]
• [[PlanningFunctions.getModuleEndYear(“WORKFORCE”,{Scenario})]]

For any forms you’ve customized, use ILvl0Descendants of “All Years” instead of &OEP_YearRange and ensure the form properties to Suppress Invalid Data for Rows and Columns are selected.  Valid Intersections are configured for the valid Scenario and Year combinations based on the Planning and Forecast Preparation configuration task.

Key Resources

• Administering Planning Modules:
  • Updating Workforce Artifacts to Use New Features
  • Workforce Planning and Forecast Preparation

New Synchronize Menu Command When Creating Data Maps That Include Strategic Modeling Models

In Strategic Modeling or Planning, when you're creating a data map that includes a Strategic Modeling model, if a newly created Strategic Modeling model doesn't appear in the Model list, a new menu command--Synchronize--is available. When you’re creating a Data Map, on the Create Data Maps page, from the Actions menu, select Synchronize to refresh the model list.

Key Resources

• Pushing Data Between Strategic Modeling and Planning Using Data Maps in Administering Planning Modules
• Pushing Data from a Strategic Modeling Model to Multiple Strategic Modeling Models Using Data Maps in Administering Planning Modules

New Audit Type Tracks Changes to Variables

There is now an audit type, called Variables, that tracks changes, additions, and deletions to user and substitution variable definitions and values.

Enabling the Variables audit type lets you track who is making the changes to variables and what the values were before and after the change, in case of mistakes or accidental changes. Because substitution variable values can change at different points each month, it's also beneficial to know when the changes were completed for each substitution variable and what the values were before the change.

Once enabled, audit details can be exported to Excel by clicking Export.

Steps to Enable

1.  Click Tools, and then click Audit.
2.  Click Enable Auditing.
3.  From the list of audit types, select Variables.

Key Resources

• Auditing Overview in Administering Planning

Display of Long Alias Names Within Member Selector

You can now see full alias names within member selector in the Web interface without these values being truncated.

Key Resources

• Making Selections in Administering Planning

Manage Applications with Admin Extension in Smart View (Mac and Browser)

Service Administrators can now deploy and use the Admin Extension in Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser) to create and manage applications in Planning and Planning Modules.

You access the Admin Extension application management functionality by deploying a manifest file with the Dimension group options selected. Upon deployment, you see the following interface elements in Smart View (Mac and Browser):

• Before an application is created: At the bottom of the Smart View Home panel, the Create New Application and Download Template options
• After an application is created: At the bottom of the Smart View Home panel, Application Management and Download Template options

Using a downloadable Excel application template workbook, you can quickly create, model, and manage application sin Smart View. By modifying the worksheets within the application template workbook, you can define application properties, dimension and member properties, security (access permissions), and substitution variables to fit your needs. You can also load data from the template.

Once the application is created, it's available to users from both Smart View (Mac and Browser) and the web application.The application can be further updated and refreshed in Smart View as needed. You can also delete the application from Smart View.

Application management in Smart View (Mac and Browser) is a quick and easy way to get an application up and running in your business process environment.

Steps to Enable

To access the application management features of the Admin Extension in Smart View (Mac and Browser), Service Administrators must create and deploy a new manifest file.

1. Create a new manifest file and customize it per your requirements
2. Ensure that you select the Dimension Editor option group, including the Update option; this is required to get the application creation functionality for the Admin Extension
3. Deploy the manifest file to EPM Cloud Service Administrators

See these topics in Deploying and Administering Oracle Smart View for Office (Mac and Browser):

• Creating and Saving the Manifest File
• Customizing the Manifest File (optional)
• Sideloading and Logging In or Deploying the Manifest File to Office 365 Users

Key Resources

• Using Smart View to Manage Applications in Administering Planning

New Planning Formula Expression in Calculation Manager

Calculation Manager now supports a new Planning Formula Expression to leverage the Module Plan Start Year setting. The following Planning Formula Expression has been added for use with pre-delivered Workforce content but is available to all customers using the Planning Modules:

isPlanStartYearSameAsCurrentFiscalYear

This Planning Formula Expression returns an integer value of 1 in case of Current Fiscal Year and 0 in case of Next Fiscal Year for the Plan Start Year setting in the Planning and Forecast Preparation configuration interface.

Tax Reporting

New Tutorials

Use the following tutorials to interactively perform tasks and access related documentation, videos, and tutorials.

• Creating an Application in EPM Cloud Tax Reporting
• Navigating in EPM Cloud Tax Reporting

New Consolidated ETR IFRS Tax Rates by Entity Form

With this release, you can now override Consolidated ETR IFRS global tax rates (National and Regional/Local) to calculate Consolidated ETR IFRS rates by Entity using a specific entity-level tax rate. You select the specific Entity on the new Consolidated ETR IFRS Rates form, and enter the override National and Local tax rates for the calculation.

The feature must be enabled along with the Consolidated Effect Tax Rate Reconciliation feature under IFRS. If IFRS is already enabled for your application, the Consolidated ETR IFRS by Entity feature is automatically available.

Key Resources

• Overriding the Consolidated ETR IFRS Tax Rates by Entity in the Working with Tax Reporting guide

Tax Automation by Intercompany Partner and Related Tax Calculations

With this release, customers can select data from an Intercompany Partner source (for instance, ICPTop, Intercompany [Member], and so on) to perform intercompany eliminations for tax reporting, such as Intercompany dividends, revenue and expense. When performing intercompany eliminations by setting an attribute on the profit account, you can now tax effect the elimination, for instance, intercompany dividends.

Key Resources

• Performing Intercompany Eliminations Using Tax Automation in the Administering Tax Reporting guide.

Tax Automation by Scenario

With this release, customers can select data from a Source Scenario, and automate the data to a different selected Scenario. As a result, customers will be able to automatically copy data from one Scenario to another. For instance, copy data from a GAAP Scenario to a Statutory Scenario.

Key Resources

• Working with National Tax Automation in the Administering Tax Reporting guide
• Working with Regional Tax Automation in the Administering Tax Reporting guide

Item Count Added to Supplemental Data Lists

An item count has been added to the lists for Supplemental Data Tasks, and Supplemental Data Analysis. This enables you to see at a glance how many items are contained in that list.

REST API for Importing Supplemental Collection Data

You can now use a REST API to import supplemental collection data from a file to a collection.

Key Resources

• Import Supplemental Collection Data in REST API for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud

Role Information

• Service Administrators

Upcoming Changes

NEW SETTING TO ENABLE INCREMENTAL IMPORT OF DATA USING MIGRATION FOR LEGACY PBCS and EPBCS APPLICATIONS

In an upcoming update, Oracle will create a new application setting for Legacy PBCS and EPBCS applications to enable incremental import of data using Migration.  The default setting will be set to disable incremental import of data using Migration. As a result, you cannot use the daily maintenance snapshot or any extract created using Migration for incremental import of data if this new setting remains in the default configuration; you must import a full snapshot to load data using Migration as a full Clone where the target environment does not have an existing application.

PBCS and EPBCS Service Administrators will be able to change this setting with warnings prompting that doing so may lead to data corruption if subsequent incremental import of data using Migration are not done properly.  Examples of potential data corruption include, but are not limited to, incremental data migration from a different source other than the target application where underlying Smart List values may be different.

EPM Enterprise Cloud Service and EPM Standard Cloud Service subscriptions already do not allow incremental import of data using Migration.  This new setting will not be added to these subscriptions, so there is no change in behavior for these subscriptions.

NOTE:  Existing PBCS and EPBCS subscriptions who have already upgraded to the newer version of Essbase will not be impacted by this upcoming change in line with EPM Enterprise Cloud Service and EPM Standard Cloud Service subscriptions.

This change is being implemented to address customer feedback.  If you have any concerns about this change, please contact Oracle Support.

INTERNET EXPLORER BROWSER SUPPORT

For Internet Explorer browser users, Microsoft recommends using the new Microsoft Edge as your default browser. With this guidance in mind, the 20.08 update will be the last release to support Internet Explorer. EPM Cloud will no longer support Internet Explorer starting with the 20.09 update. If you have any questions regarding de-support, please create a Service Request. For additional guidance on Internet Explorer Lifecycle, please reach out to Microsoft.

APIS BLACKLISTED FROM THE EPM CLOUD GROOVY RULES JAVA API REFERENCE

In an upcoming update in mid-2020, the following APIs are being blacklisted from the EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference:

• TimeZone.setDefault(TimeZone zone)
• Locale.setDefault(Locale.Category category, Locale newLocale)
• Locale.setDefault(Locale newLocale)
• EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference

EPM Cloud Groovy Rules Java API Reference

CALCULATION MANAGER DE-SUPPORT FOR FLASH

By the end of 2020, Oracle will disable Flash in Calculation Manager, and options to enable it will be removed. This change is in response to Adobe’s decision to stop updating and distributing Flash at the end of 2020. See https://theblog.adobe.com/adobe-flash-update/.

REMOVAL OF INSTANCE NAME FROM PREDEFINED ROLE NAMES

Currently, the predefined role names displayed in the Access Control screens of EPM Cloud environments prefix the instance name to the role name in INSTANCE_NAME ROLE_NAME format. They are also stored in this format in the snapshots, making it difficult to migrate snapshots from one instance to another.

To facilitate the migration of security across EPM Cloud environments, Oracle plans to rename predefined role names displayed within EPM Cloud applications by removing the instance name prefix. For example, if the instance name is Planning1, predefined role names are Planning1 Service Administrator, Planning1 Power User, Planning1 User, and Planning1 Viewer, the new role names will be Service Administrator, Power User, User, and Viewer.

NOTE: This change does not affect how the role names are displayed in the MyServices customer portal.

This change won't impact customers who currently use predefined roles for managing application-level provisioning and access to artifacts. Oracle will ensure that all application role assignments and artifact security assignments are automatically updated after the roles are renamed. This change makes it easy to migrate EPM Cloud artifacts across environments.

This change is being implemented to address customer feedback. If you have any concerns about this change, please contact Oracle Support.

PLANNER ROLE TO BE RENAMED AS USER

In an upcoming update, Oracle will rename the Planner EPM Cloud predefined role as User. This change will have no functional effect.

Subscriptions that were provisioned prior to the May 2016 update used the Planner role, which has been maintained in subsequent updates to provide continuity. In subscriptions that were activated after May 2016, the Planner role was already replaced by the User role.

NOTE: This change will affect Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, and Tax Reporting only.

UPDATE TO THE EXCEPTION RESPONSE IN REST APIS FOR PLANNING AND PLANNING MODULES

Oracle will remove the internal package and class names from the following fields in the exception response in REST APIs for Planning and Planning modules in an upcoming update in early 2020:

• message
• localizedMessage

NARRATIVE REPORTING LEGACY (ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE REPORTING CLOUD) ENVIRONMENTS TO SUPPORT STANDARD EPM CLOUD PREDEFINED ROLES

Oracle will, in an upcoming update, change the non-conforming Narrative Reporting predefined roles in existing environments to the following predefined roles.

• Service Administrator
• Power User
• User
• Viewer

Current role assignments in legacy environment will be remapped automatically as follows to the common set of predefined roles.

Current Non-Conforming Roles	Common Remapped Roles
System Administrator	Service Administrator
Application Administrator	Power User
Library Administrator	Power User
Reports Administrator	Power User

REMOVAL OF .XLS FORMAT AS REPORT EXPORT OPTION

Currently, the following report export options are available: csv, xls, xlsx, pdf and html.

In an upcoming update, the option for xls will be removed for Account Reconciliation and Tax Reporting. Customers who have built custom reports must ensure that their reports will export as desired to one of the remaining formats: csv, xlsx, pdf, or html.

FUTURE NEW CONNECTION TYPE AND ADVANCED OPTIONS FOR EXTERNAL CONNECTIONS FOR TAX REPORTING

In a future update, Service Administrators for Tax Reporting will be able to use connections created for external Web services, specifying optional query or header parameters. These connections could be referenced or used in a Groovy script to create a communications link between the Groovy script and the external Web resource. Users will be advised when this new feature is to be supported in Tax Reporting.

EPM MOBILE APP STATEMENT OF DIRECTION

EPM Mobile App is a downloadable application for the phone that is purpose built to perform approval actions for iOS and Android based phone devices. It was purpose built to help users perform Approval and Workflow activities. It is currently only supported for Oracle EPM Cloud for the Planning business process.

The terminal release of EPM Mobile App is September 2020.  EPM Mobile App will not be available for download in the Apple and iOS App Stores effective October 2020. Oracle’s strategic direction is to have customers use the Approval and workflow capabilities using the mobile browser interface on mobile devices.

Oracle will continue to support Oracle EPM Mobile App in its current supported versions until September 2020.  Oracle recommends that users using Oracle EPM Mobile App prepare to instead use the approval functionality using supported mobile browser in tablet devices.