Cloud Readiness / Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud
What's New
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  1. November 2021 Update
  1. Revision History
  2. Overview
  3. Feature Summary
  4. Enterprise Performance Management
        1. Monthly Update Schedule
        2. Documentation Updates Available One Week After Readiness Documents
        3. Fixed Issues and Considerations
        4. Please Join Oracle Cloud Customer Connect
        5. Give Us Documentation Feedback
        6. Follow Us on Social Media
    1. EPM Common
        1. EPM Automate Updates
        2. Updates to Classic to OCI (Gen 2) Migration Assistance Program for Early Adopters
        3. Groovy Features
        4. Updates to Dimension Information in the Activity Report
        5. Import Books in Smart View Using New EPM Books Extension
        6. New Language Option in Smart View (Mac and Browser) Manifest File to Facilitate Centralized Deployments
        7. Removing Support for Default Dashboards
        8. "Planning" Source Type Option Renamed to "Default" in Import Data Interface
        9. New Warning Displays When the Group Associated with the Navigation Flow is Deleted
        10. New Repeat with Row/Column Headings Property to Freeze the Row/Column Headings in Reports
        11. New Sunburst and Treemap Chart Types in Reports
        12. New Text Functions to Display AncestorName and AncestorAlias for a Member
        13. Re-Open Successors for Task Manager
    2. Account Reconciliation
        1. Added Flexibility for Role Assignments
        2. Enhancement to Match Status for 1 to 1 Auto Match Rules for Ambiguous Matches
        3. Allow In-Line Edit of Attribute Values on Unmatched Transactions Dialog
    3. Enterprise Data Management
    4. Financial Consolidation and Close
        1. Introduction of Quick Start Checklists for EPM Cloud Financial Consolidation and Close
        2. Enterprise Journals Enhancements
        3. Enhanced Validation for Intercompany Eliminations
        4. Additional Access Permissions for Consolidation Journal Actions
        5. Database Refresh Substitution Variable
        6. Performance Substitution Variables
    5. Narrative Reporting
        1. Support for Connections and Remote Libraries in Narrative Reporting
        2. Publish Sections and Doclets Within a PDF Report Package
        3. Updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Smart View
    6. Planning
        1. New Videos
        2. New Tutorials
        3. IPM Insights
        4. Bring Your Own ML: Machine Learning Model Import
    7. Profitability and Cost Management
        1. REST API to Optimize Query Performance in ASO Cubes
    8. Tax Reporting
        1. Automating Country by Country Reporting (CbCR)
  5. IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations

November 2021 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
08 NOV 2021 Financial Consolidation and Close Enhanced Validation for Intercompany Eliminations Updated document. Revised feature description.
01 NOV 2021 Account Reconciliation Added Flexibility for Role Assignments Updated document. Revised feature description.
28 OCT 2021     Created initial document.

Overview

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We welcome your comments and suggestions to improve the content. Please send us your feedback at oracle_fusion_applications_help_ww_grp@oracle.com.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this document may include statements about Oracle’s product development plans. Many factors can materially affect Oracle’s product development plans and the nature and timing of future product releases. Accordingly, this Information is provided to you solely for information only, is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.

This information may not be incorporated into any contractual agreement with Oracle or its subsidiaries or affiliates. Oracle specifically disclaims any liability with respect to this information. Refer to the Legal Notices and Terms of Use for further information.

Feature Summary

Column Definitions:

Report = New or modified, Oracle-delivered, ready to run reports.

UI or Process-Based: Small Scale = These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of minor field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is minimal.

UI or Process-Based: Larger Scale* = These UI or process-based features have more complex designs. Therefore, the potential impact to users is higher.

Features Delivered Disabled = Action is needed BEFORE these features can be used by END USERS. These features are delivered disabled and you choose if and when to enable them. For example, a) new or expanded BI subject areas need to first be incorporated into reports, b) Integration is required to utilize new web services, or c) features must be assigned to user roles before they can be accessed.

Ready for Use by End Users
(Feature Delivered Enabled)

Reports plus Small Scale UI or Process-Based new features will have minimal user impact after an update. Therefore, customer acceptance testing should focus on the Larger Scale UI or Process-Based* new features.

Customer Must Take Action before Use by End Users
(Feature Delivered Disabled)

Not disruptive as action is required to make these features ready to use. As you selectively choose to leverage, you set your test and roll out timing.

Feature

Report

UI or
Process-Based:
Small Scale

UI or
Process-Based:
Larger Scale*

Enterprise Performance Management

EPM Common

EPM Automate Updates

Updates to Classic to OCI (Gen 2) Migration Assistance Program for Early Adopters

Groovy Features

Updates to Dimension Information in the Activity Report

Import Books in Smart View Using New EPM Books Extension

New Language Option in Smart View (Mac and Browser) Manifest File to Facilitate Centralized Deployments

Removing Support for Default Dashboards

"Planning" Source Type Option Renamed to "Default" in Import Data Interface

New Warning Displays When the Group Associated with the Navigation Flow is Deleted

New Repeat with Row/Column Headings Property to Freeze the Row/Column Headings in Reports

New Sunburst and Treemap Chart Types in Reports

New Text Functions to Display AncestorName and AncestorAlias for a Member

Re-Open Successors for Task Manager

Account Reconciliation

Added Flexibility for Role Assignments

Enhancement to Match Status for 1 to 1 Auto Match Rules for Ambiguous Matches

Allow In-Line Edit of Attribute Values on Unmatched Transactions Dialog

Financial Consolidation and Close

Introduction of Quick Start Checklists for EPM Cloud Financial Consolidation and Close

Enterprise Journals Enhancements

Enhanced Validation for Intercompany Eliminations

Additional Access Permissions for Consolidation Journal Actions

Database Refresh Substitution Variable

Performance Substitution Variables

Narrative Reporting

Support for Connections and Remote Libraries in Narrative Reporting

Publish Sections and Doclets Within a PDF Report Package

Updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Smart View

Planning

IPM Insights

Bring Your Own ML: Machine Learning Model Import

Profitability and Cost Management

REST API to Optimize Query Performance in ASO Cubes

Tax Reporting

Automating Country by Country Reporting (CbCR)

>>Click for IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations

Enterprise Performance Management

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, November 5, 2021.

Production Environments: Oracle will apply this monthly update during the first daily maintenance that occurs at or after 22:00 UTC on Friday, November 19, 2021.

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.

The Oracle Help Center provides access to updated documentation. The updates will be available in the Help Center on Friday, November 5, 2021.

NOTE: 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.

Documentation Updates Available One Week After Readiness Documents

Updated documentation is published on the Oracle Help Center on the first Friday of each month, coinciding with the monthly updates to Test environments. Because there is a one week lag between the publishing of the readiness documents (What's New and New Feature Summary) and Oracle Help Center updates, some links included in the readiness documents will not work until the Oracle Help Center update is complete.

https://docs.oracle.com/en/cloud/saas/epm-cloud/index.html

Fixed Issues and Considerations

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

NOTE: Fixed issues for EPM Cloud Common components (Smart View for Office, EPM Automate, REST API, Migration, Access Control, Data Management/Data Integration, Reports, Financial Reporting, and Calculation Manager) are available in a separate document on the My Oracle Support “Release Highlights” page.

This provides visibility into EPM Cloud release contents.

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 take our quick survey or 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

Follow EPM Cloud on YouTubeTwitterFacebook, and LinkedIn.

These are great resources for the latest updates and information about EPM Cloud.

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.

Applies to: Account Reconciliation, Enterprise Data Management, Financial Consolidation and Close, Narrative Reporting, Planning, Planning Modules, Profitability and Cost Management, Tax Reporting

executeBurstDefinition Command

Executes a Narrative Reporting bursting definition that specifies the artifacts, POVs, and other settings required to run reports or books for more than one member of a single dimension for one data source.

exportJobConsole Command

Exports the job console records to a CSV file to create an export ZIP file. This command, in conjunction with the importJobConsole command, helps you clone job console records across environments during migration or cloning for disaster recovery.

importAppAudit Command

Imports data audit records from a ZIP file that you created by exporting audit data from an environment. This command, along with the exportAppAudit command, helps you clone audit records from one environment to another during migration or cloning for disaster recovery.

importJobConsole Command

Imports job console records from a ZIP file containing job console records exported from an environment. This command, which takes a ZIP file created using the exportJobConsole command, helps you clone job console records across environments during migration or cloning for disaster recovery.

Support for API Gateways and Reverse Proxy Servers

EPM Automate can now connect to Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud through API Gateways such as Google APIGEE, IBM Data Power, and other reverse proxy servers. For this integration to work, using the documentation of your gateway or proxy server, configure the gateway or reverse proxy, and then use the appropriate reverse proxy or gateway URL with the login command.

Enhanced Encryption Algorithm for the Encrypt Command

EPM Automate now uses an enhanced encryption algorithm to encrypt passwords. Because passwords files encrypted using this EPM Automate version will not work with older EPM Automate clients, Oracle strongly recommends that you upgrade your EPM Automate client installation and re-encrypt passwords. Password files created using a previous version of EPM Automate will continue to work with the new EPM Automate client.

Business Benefit: The new commands facilitate the remote administration of EPM Cloud environments and support the cloning of environments for disaster recovery or Classic to OCI (Gen 2) migration. Use of enhanced encryption algorithm ensures a more securely encrypted password file.

Key Resources

Updates to Classic to OCI (Gen 2) Migration Assistance Program for Early Adopters

Oracle has developed a streamlined process for early adopters to enroll in the Oracle Cloud Classic to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Migration Assistance Program. This new process, including the steps you must complete and which OCI data centers you can migrate to, is now available in the Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud Operations Guide.

Applies to: Account Reconciliation, Enterprise Data Management, Financial Consolidation and Close, Narrative Reporting, Planning, Planning Modules, Profitability and Cost Management, Tax Reporting

Business benefit: The streamlined enrollment process reduces the time required in enrolling in the program by providing specific instructions on what you must do to enroll.

Key Resources

Groovy Features

You can now use Groovy to save aliases by non-admin users by calling the saveMember() method on Dimension.

This can be used by any application that has access to Groovy.

Applies to: Enterprise Data Management, Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules

Business Benefit: Using Groovy business rules allows you to automate these tasks.

Steps to Enable

You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.

Tips And Considerations

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

Key Resources

Role Information

  • Calculation Manager Business Rule Designer

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.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Profitability and Cost Management, Tax Reporting

Dimension information in the enhanced table showing actual numbers

Dimension information in a previous report showing percentages

Business Benefit: Displaying the actual number of dimension members based on settings such as storage and the operators in use provides you a quick glimpse into the design of the application cube.

Key Resources

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.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Narrative Reporting, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

In EPM Cloud, Books are a collection of one or more Reports, Books, and other documents. Using the EPM Books extension for Oracle Smart View for Office, you can import Books in to Microsoft Excel and work with them by changing POV values and refreshing. You can also open and work with Books that were downloaded in Excel format from the web application.

After installing the Books extension, launch the EPM Books panel from Smart View using the Launch EPM Books Home link in the Action Panel. 

Launch EPM Books Home LInk in Action Panel

The Launch EPM Books Home link is available from any Office application (Excel, Word, or PowerPoint). Clicking the link launches the EPM Books panel.

Example EPM Books Panel

In the top portion of the panel, you can view a list of available Books to import, view the properties for each Book, and run Book "jobs." Each Book you run is listed as a job in the Jobs Console portion of the Books panel. In the Jobs Console, you can view the status of jobs and manage jobs. When a job is completed, a download button is displayed, which you click to import the Book to Excel. Note that Books always launch in Excel, even if you launched the Books panel from Word or PowerPoint.

In the imported Book, each report is placed on an individual worksheet. A table of contents sheet is generated with links to the individual report sheets in the workbook, based on the TOC Headings defined in the Book Designer in the web application.

Example Books TOC in Smart View for Excel

After importing a Book into Smart View, the Books ribbon is displayed:

Books Ribbon in Smart View

From the Books ribbon, you can change the POV of the Reports in the Book, and refresh the book content. You can also use the Inspect button to view properties of the Book, including the POV.

Business Benefit: Using the EPM Books extension for Oracle Smart View for Office, you can now import Books in to Microsoft Excel and view the Reports they contain in a refreshable format.

Steps to Enable

To work with EPM Books in Smart View:

  1. Install the current version of Smart View on your system, according to your organization's installation procedures.
  2. 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.
  3. Install the EPM Books extension using the extension installation feature in Smart View.

See Setting Up Books in Smart View for detailed setup information.

Tips And Considerations

  • Changing the POV: Excel currently does not support Member Selection in the Select POV dialog if the Book POV definition is set to "All." 

If the Book POV definition is set to "Display Selected Values," the list of available members to choose from is displayed in the drop-down list for each dimension.

  • Only Reports are included in the Book imported into Excel. Inserted books or third-party documents, such as PDFs or Microsoft Word documents, are not included in the Excel Book import.

  • When connected to a non-Narrative Reporting data source, users will not be prompted to enter POV selections before importing the book to Excel, even when the Preview POV preference is enabled.

  • If you need to uninstall the Books extension, you use the "Check for Updates, New Installs, and Uninstalls" link in the Smart View Options dialog, Extensions tab. The extension will be flagged for removal. Select the "Remove" link in the Extensions tab, and restart Office when prompted. The process is described in Uninstalling Extensions in Working with Oracle Smart View for Office.

Key Resources

  • Working with Books in Designing with Reports for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud 

New Language Option in Smart View (Mac and Browser) Manifest File to Facilitate Centralized Deployments

To facilitate centralized deployments of Smart View (Mac and Browser), a new language selection option in the Create Manifest File page allows you to select up to 10 languages for deployment to your users.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

There is currently a limit of 10 languages allowed for each centralized deployment. The new language selection feature in the Create Manifest File page allows you to select up to 10 languages for deployment to your users. If your users require more than 10 languages, then create another manifest file with the required languages and perform a second centralized deployment.

In the Create Manifest File page, use the check boxes under "Supported Languages" to select up to 10 languages to include in your deployment. In the following example, French, Italian, and Japanese are selected. In this case, up to seven more languages may be selected for support in a centralized deployment.

Supported Languages Option, with Languages Selected

Then, still in the Create Manifest File page, continue with your other selections and modifications. Perform your deployment as usual.

Users can change the locale for their Mac system or Chrome browser to one of the supported languages per the usual procedures.

Business Benefit: In the Create Manifest File page, the new language selection option, "Supported Languages," allows you to select up to 10 languages for deployment to your users, ensuring adherence to the current limit of 10 languages per centralized deployment. Users can then change the locale for their Mac system or Chrome browser to one of the supported languages per the usual procedures.

Steps to Enable

Service Administrators:

To deploy Smart View (Mac and Browser) with up to 10 languages selected for localized environments, Service Administrators must create and deploy a new manifest file:

  1. Create a new manifest file and customize it per your requirements.
  2. In "Supported Languages," select up to 10 languages.
  3. Deploy the manifest file to Smart View (Mac and Browser) users.
  4. Repeat if more than 10 languages are required.

Users:

To use a localized version of Smart View (Mac and Browser):

Tips And Considerations

  • If you are only sideloading a manifest file, you must still select only 10 languages per manifest file.
  • English is always selected by default, even in non-English environments and locales.

Key Resources

Removing Support for Default Dashboards

In the interest of providing an improved and consistent user experience, you can no longer mark a dashboard page as default.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Now when you click the Dashboards icon on the Home page, the dashboard listing is displayed instead of the default dashboard page.

For infolets you can still mark an infolet page as default. Marking an infolet page as default makes it accessible directly from the Home page by clicking the second infolet dot that is displayed beneath the global header on the Home page. Only one infolet page can be marked as default, and a (Default) prefix displays before the name of that infolet in the listing. However when you click the Infolets icon on the Home page, the infolet listing is displayed instead of the default infolet page.

Business Benefit: Eliminating the ability to set a default dashboard page provides an improved and consistent user experience.

Key Resources

"Planning" Source Type Option Renamed to "Default" in Import Data Interface

When importing data, the Planning source type option is now renamed to Default.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

The application provides source type options that you can select to help you populate the business process with data using a data import file. One of the options you'll need to specify is now called Default where you'll select one of the following import data file formats: Comma delimited, Tab delimited, or Other.

Business Benefit: To keep the terminology consistent across the business processes, one of the data import source type options was renamed from Planning to Default.

Key Resources

New Warning Displays When the Group Associated with the Navigation Flow is Deleted

The Navigation Flow listing will now display a warning if the group associated with a navigation flow is deleted.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

If a group that is associated with a navigation flow is deleted, the navigation flow listing displays a warning icon and the navigation flow becomes inactive. You'll need to edit the navigation flow to associate it with another group or role before you can activate it.

Business Benefit: Displaying a warning on the Navigation Flow listing page lets you more easily identify and resolve navigation flow associations before making them active.

Key Resources

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.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Narrative Reporting, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Repeat With Row/Column Headings

NOTE: This property is only applicable for text and separator segments in Row or Column Properties, and only those text and separator segments that occur at the beginning of the given axis. This property will not be applicable for any text or separator segments that occur after one or more data or formula segments.

Business Benefit: Improved report presentation when using text and separator rows or columns as row or column headers.

Key Resources

  • Grid Properties in Designing with Reports for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud 

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.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Narrative Reporting, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Sunburst Report

A Treemap chart is a data visualization that shows hierarchical data using nested rectangles of varying sizes and colors.

TreeMap Report

In Reports, you select members and functions from a single dimension to visualize the hierarchy in a treemap or sunburst chart.  You can also set chart properties and define element colors, as needed.

Business Benefit: These two new chart types make it easy to spot data patterns or to compare data quantities.

Key Resources

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.

For example:

  • AncestorName ("Grid", "Dimension", Row/Col, (Index))
  • AncestorAlias ("Grid", "Dimension", Row/Col, (Index))
  • The Index number references how many ancestors level upward in the hierarchy to return, (1) returns the immediate parent.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Narrative Reporting, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Business Benefit: This feature provides additional options for displaying member information in a report.

Key Resources

Re-Open Successors for Task Manager

Task Manager now has the enhanced ability to re-open a series of tasks and re-establish the predecessor/successor links on the re-opened tasks.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Tax Reporting

Business Benefit: This new capability increases the usability of the users to easily reopen successor tasks when a task in a chain is re-opened.

Key Resources

Account Reconciliation

Added Flexibility for Role Assignments

For Reconciliation Compliance, flexibility is now allowed in assigning security privileges in addition to someone’s predefined role privileges. To allow this, Account Reconciliation has implemented Application Roles, meaning that you can assign an application role for certain tasks, such as creating reports, to someone who would not have that privilege with their predefined role. The best practices for using the Application Roles are included in the documentation.

Changes being implemented as part of this enhancement of more granular security are:

  • The Assign Application Roles option under Tools > Access Control allows an Administrator to assign additional security privileges beyond the predefined role.
  • The Choose Roles option for Administrators and Power Users has been removed. Those roles no longer need to choose to be a User role before working on a Reconciliation assigned to them. Note that Power Users must have a security scope defined for them (it cannot be a blank security scope) under Tools >> Access Control >> Power User Security in order to access their reconciliations.
  • Power Users, by default, now have access to the Attributes tab under Application > Configuration, which was previously only available to Administrators.
  • You can now create groups of users to perform tasks in addition to teams.

Business Benefit: Allowing more granular security gives customers more flexibility in assigning specific functions the users can perform, beyond the four default predefined roles.

Key Resources

Enhancement to Match Status for 1 to 1 Auto Match Rules for Ambiguous Matches

In Transaction Matching, two new options are added for the match status of 1 to 1 Auto Match rules to address ambiguous matches. The options are Suggested Ambiguous and Confirmed ambiguous. Use these options if there is a possibility of a large number of ambiguous matches as a result of Auto Match.

Business Benefit: This enhancement provides easier matching when there are a large number of ambiguous matches in the source and subsystem transactions.

Key Resources

Allow In-Line Edit of Attribute Values on Unmatched Transactions Dialog

The value of editable attributes in an unmatched transaction can be edited inline, within the cell, in the Unmatched Transactions dialog.

Business Benefit: This enhancement makes it easier to edit attribute values because fewer clicks are required to edit an attribute value.

Steps to Enable

Administrators must enable inline editing using the Configuration settings.

Key Resources

Enterprise Data Management

There are no new features in this update except for the applicable features listed in the EPM Common section.

Financial Consolidation and Close

Introduction of Quick Start Checklists for EPM Cloud Financial Consolidation and Close

Wondering how to start using EPM Cloud Financial Consolidation and Close? Use these checklists on your first day. Follow the steps to do initial tasks like set up your environment, log in, enter data, analyze forms and use reports. Use the Implement Financial Consolidation and Close checklist to create the business process and application. The checklists are organized by predefined roles for Service Administrators, Power Users, Users, and Viewers.

Financial Consolidation and Close Quick Start Checklists

Business Benefit: These quick start checklists help you learn how to speed up your first day using EPM Cloud Financial Consolidation and Close.

Enterprise Journals Enhancements

Enterprise Journals has been enhanced with a new Oracle Smart View for Office extension and additional journal validations on Debit/Credit & Amount totals.

Smart View Extension for Enterprise Journals:

This new extension will enable users to perform all their journal preparation activities within the Microsoft Excel application. Users can easily connect to their cloud service, open any assigned journals, update all journal fields, and submit & approve their journals from within Excel. Users can create new ad-hoc journals within Excel as well.

Validating Debit/Credit & Amount totals:

Journals have been enhanced to include new validations on the Debit/Credit and Amount totals to ensure proper data entry.

If the journal has Debit and Credit columns, the validation will ensure the Debit and Credit totals match.

If the journal has a single Amount column, the validation will confirm the Amount total equals zero.

Business Benefit: These Enterprise Journals new features enable you to complete journal preparation quickly and more accurately.

Key Resources

Enhanced Validation for Intercompany Eliminations

The system now applies additional validations for Intercompany eliminations. Intercompany eliminations are processed only when the correct conditions are met for a partner that is a sibling or a descendant of a sibling of the current entity. To disable this behavior and maintain previous behavior, create a substitution variable called StrictElimCondition and set it to false. This will allow Intercompany data where the entity and partner are the same to continue to eliminate.

Business Benefit: The additional validation ensures that eliminations only occur in the appropriate place in the Entity structure.

Key Resources

Additional Access Permissions for Consolidation Journal Actions

This update includes new user access requirements for Consolidation Journal actions. To be able to perform Submit, Post and Unpost actions, a user must have Write access to the Data Source member, in addition to the other members used in Journals. To be able to perform Approve and Reject actions, a user must have Read or Write access on Data Source members used in Journals, in addition to all dimension members used in Journals.

Business Benefit: This enhancement provides additional security for the Data Source dimension and other dimension members for journal actions.

Key Resources

Database Refresh Substitution Variable

The DeltaDBRefresh substitution variable is now enabled by default. The system recognizes the changes resulting from a metadata load and performs only the necessary actions based on the metadata changes, which can improve performance. If you want to disable this functionality and have the system execute all processes regardless of metadata changes, you can add the DeltaDBRefresh substitution variable and set it to False.

NOTE: This variable is only available for Extended Dimension applications.

Business Benefit: The DeltaDBRefresh substitution variable improves data refresh performance.

Key Resources

Performance Substitution Variables

The OptimizeConcurrency, OluRatesLoad, OptimizePelimCalculation and EnablePelimNewLogic substitution variables can be enabled to improve performance.

  • OptimizeConcurrency = True

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.

  • OLURatesLoad = True

This substitution variable improves refresh database performance. The more scenarios, currencies and rate accounts in an application, the more noticeable the improvement will be. Please note, in previous months, this variable was incorrectly capitalized; OLURatesLoad is correct.

  • OptimizePelimCalculation = True

This substitution variable improves Partner Eliminations (PElim) performance.  If there is a consolidation performance degradation when deploying a user-created “Partner Eliminations Configurable Consolidation Rule” that has an account re-direction, adding this variable can provide significant performance improvement.

  • EnablePelimNewLogic = True

If you are using Partner Eliminations (PElim) logic in your configurable consolidation rules and are experiencing performance degradation as a result, you can use a new substitution variable named EnablePelimNewLogic to improve performance. Add this variable and set the value to True.

Please note that if you are using PELIM where the entity and partner are the same member, your data values may change.

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

Business Benefit: These substitution variables help in improving performance.

Key Resources

Narrative Reporting

Support for Connections and Remote Libraries in Narrative Reporting

Connections in Narrative Reporting enables you to define access to Reports Data Sources and Remote Libraries. Connections streamline the creation and maintenance of Reports Data Sources and provide a single area of credentials maintenance for multiple cubes in an application.

NOTE: Data source artifacts in the Library can still optionally be used to maintain connections to cubes; however this can also be done via Connections.

You can now create and manage connections directly from the Narrative Reporting Cloud page. Under the Tools icon, you can select Connections. When the Connections page is launched, you can create, edit, and delete connection details.

Connections Icon

For creating a new connection, you need to specify the following parameters:

  • Name
  • Type
  • Server Name    
  • Identity Domain    
  • Administrator User ID (where applicable)
  • Essbase server name (where applicable)   
  • Administrator Password

Connection Details

NOTE: You can Enable Library to expose a Remote Library to the end-users. See the "Working with Remote Libraries" topic below. 

Similarly, you can add and manage the Data sources details by specifying these parameters:

  • Data Source Name
  • Application Name
  • Cube

The following data sources are supported:

  • Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud, used for:
    • Planning and Planning Modules
    • Financial Consolidation and Close
    • Tax Reporting
  • Oracle Essbase Cloud
  • Oracle Profitability and Cost Management Cloud Essbase Provider
  • Oracle Fusion Applications Essbase Provider
  • Oracle Essbase Analytic Provider Services (APS)

Working with Remote Libraries

Remote Libraries in Narrative Reporting allow you to access reporting artifacts in Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud platform instances on the same domain. In the Narrative Reporting Library, users can browse remote libraries for reporting artifacts to Open, or to Copy Reports from the EPM Cloud Platform to Narrative Reporting.

Supported artifacts include Reports, Report Snapshots, Books, Bursting, Microsoft Office files, and PDFs.

NOTE:

  • Remote Libraries are configured by the Service Administrator.

  • Narrative Reporting users accessing a Remote Library need to be a user and must have access permissions to artifacts on the Connections.

  • Remote Libraries cannot be enabled to access other Narrative Reporting instances, only EPM Cloud Platform instances (Planning, Planning modules, Financial Consolidation and Close, Tax Reporting).

  • You cannot edit any of the artifacts in a Report Library. You can only Open any of the artifacts or Copy Reports. Artifacts can only be edited directly in the EPM Cloud instance and not from the Remote Libraries in Narrative Reporting.

Review Remote Library

NOTE: When the Test and Production Pods are updated to 21.11, existing Reports Data Source artifacts will be migrated to Connections and the modified Data Source UI. 

  • There are no actions needed to be taken, as the Connections and Data Source will function in the same manner as before.
  • You can edit migrated EPM Cloud Connections to Enable Library so the Remote Libraries are available to access the instance’s reporting artifacts.

Business Benefit: This feature enables you to specify the connection details for a direct connection to an Oracle EPM Cloud data source.

Key Resources

Publish Sections and Doclets Within a PDF Report Package

You are now able to publish sections and doclets within your PDF Report Packages.

NOTE: Any user with View access to the section or doclet can publish the report content to PDF from the Web browser.

Business Benefit: This feature enables you to publish a section or doclet to PDF separately when needed.

Updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Smart View

An updated Narrative Reporting Extension for Oracle Smart View for Office is now available to download and install. This update includes general improvements and bug fixes.

Additionally, a new extension, EPM Books, is available and can be downloaded while connected to your Narrative Reporting business process. The EPM Books extension enables users to import a Book into Smart View. The extension is available using the Extension update feature in the Smart View Options dialog, Extensions tab. See the Import Books in Smart View Using New EPM Books Extension topic under EPM Common section, and refer to the Books chapter in Working with Oracle Smart View for Office.

Business Benefit: Downloading and installing the latest Narrative Reporting extension for Smart View gives you access to the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes.

Key Resources

Planning

New Videos

There are two new video tutorials for Planning.

Creating Multi-Cube FreeForm Apps from BSO and ASO Cubes

Learn how to create FreeForm Apps in Planning. You can create FreeForm Apps using the Planning business process. With FreeForm Apps, you can deploy an application with no dimension requirements. The open dimensional solution allows you to create a fully custom application with cubes that allow for dimension flexibility needed by your organization. You create a Planning application from BSO and ASO cubes. You add dimensions to the cubes. You then add an additional cube to the application and add dimensions. Like a custom or module-based application, you can load data and create artifacts to help you analyze and work on your plans.

Creating Multi-Cube FreeForm Apps from Essbase Outlines

Learn how to create FreeForm Apps in Planning. You can create FreeForm Apps using the Planning business process. With FreeForm Apps, you can deploy an application with no dimension requirements. The open dimensional solution allows you to create a fully custom application with cubes that allow for dimension flexibility needed by your organization. You create a Planning application from an Essbase outline. You then add additional cubes to the application. Like a custom or module-based application, you can load data and create artifacts to help you analyze and work on your plans.

Business Benefit: Videos provide 3-5 minute overviews and step-by step instructions to perform tasks and achieve an outcome.

New Tutorials

Two new tutorials are available for Planning.

Setting Up EPM Planning Financials Budget Revisions with Oracle ERP Cloud Budgetary Control

This tutorial shows you how to set up budget revisions in EPM Planning Financials and integrate it with Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Cloud Budgetary Control.

Incrementally Enabling Contract Projects and Revenue

This tutorial shows you how to incrementally enable contract projects and revenue planning, plan for expenses, plan for revenue, and analyze plans.

Business Benefit: Tutorials provide instructions with sequenced videos and documentation to help you learn a topic.

IPM Insights

IPM Insights empowers finance and operational users with data science optimized for multidimensional planning and forecasting use cases. IPM Insights analyzes past data and predicted data, helping you find patterns and insights into data that you might not have found on your own. Insights can be trends, anomalies, forecast bias, or variations.

With IPM Insights, the insight discovery phase of the planning process is automated with data science and financial pattern recognition, enhancing your forecast effectiveness. Using IPM Insights, you can analyze and explore data across any account. IPM Insights automates processing large amounts of multidimensional data, so that as new actuals come into the system, you quickly detect patterns in your data or hidden correlations, streamlining reporting, improving your forecasting, and strengthening your decision making. You spend less time in analysis, saving time in the overall planning process.

IPM Insights provides three types of insights, using both historical and predicted data:

  • Forecast variance and bias insights reveal hidden bias in forecasts submitted by planners by analyzing historical data. This type of insight measures the variance or bias between two historical scenarios such as Forecasts and Actuals, and calculates the percentage of risk associated with current forecast.

  • Prediction insights help you uncover significant deviations in forecasts compared to predicted values.This type of insight looks for variances between two future scenarios such as forecasts and computer-generated predictions, and can calculate a a measure of risk, for example the risk of meeting a target forecast.

  • Anomaly insights detect unusual patterns in data that deviate from expected results. This type of insight detects outlier values that vary widely from other values, for example, a sudden volatility in actuals compared to the base level, or missing actuals data.

To get started with IPM Insights, administrators configure insights and then run them. They can also schedule them to run on a regular basis. Planners can then review and analyze insights on the Insights dashboard, and take appropriate action to improve the forecast.

Prediction Insight Dashboard

Business Benefits:

  • Reduces time spent in data analysis.
  • Minimizes hidden biases.
  • Improves forecast accuracy and reliability, enhancing forecast effectiveness with informed decision making.
  • Encourages collaboration with your colleagues.
  • Helps you detect trends early to enhance strategic decision-making.

Tips And Considerations

  • IPM Insights works with applications with Hybrid Essbase enabled.
  • IPM Insights is available only with Redwood Experience enabled. (Auto Predict does not require Redwood Experience to be enabled.)
  • IPM Insights and Auto Predict are not available in FreeForm applications.

Key Resources

Bring Your Own ML: Machine Learning Model Import

With Bring Your Own ML, EPM administrators can import a fully trained Machine Learning (ML) model in PMML (Predictive Model Markup Language) format and deploy it to a Planning application. Planners can then leverage robust, ML-based forecasting that uses advanced predictive modeling techniques to generate more accurate forecasts.

For example, you can predict product volume for an entity, using key drivers such as average sales price, planned spend on promotions and advertising, historical volumes, and estimated industry volumes.

Overview of Steps

Prerequisite: Data scientists build and train the ML model in a data science tool (any third party tool or Oracle Data Science Cloud) and save it as a PMML file.

Next, EPM administrators put the model to work to get business value from the trained model:

  1. Administrators import the ML model in PMML format to a Planning application and define how the input variables and target variable maps to dimension members or cell values in the Planning application. This step generates automatic Groovy rules that connect the ML model to the Planning application. Two Groovy rules are generated for each ML model definition: one rule to associate with a form or dashboard, which allows users to make predictions on demand, and another to generate large scale predictions in a scheduled job for bulk processing.
  1. Administrators deploy the ML model in a Planning application by associating the Groovy rule with relevant action menus, forms, or dashboards. Administrators can also create a job to run the Groovy rule in a batch process.
  1. Planners leverage ML-powered business rules in forms to generate predicted values, which are saved on the form. Planners can perform what-if analysis using the generated predictions, or modify predicted values on the form. Planners add value with their expertise and judgement, and then finalize the forecast.
  1. This is an iterative process. As planners make predictions based on the ML model, administrators can measure the performance of the model, and can work with data scientists to update or replace the ML model when needed. Then, administrators re-import and deploy the retrained ML model.

Business Benefits:

Importing an ML model enables data-driven forecasting using robust predictive modeling techniques. This puts the benefits of machine learning and the power of data science into the hands of business users, enhancing the planning and forecasting process and leading to better business decisions.

Data-driven forecasting helps planners to generate more accurate, fact-based forecasts and reduces time spent on forecast generation.

Key Resources

Profitability and Cost Management

REST API to Optimize Query Performance in ASO Cubes

This REST API optimizes the performance of queries for data extraction by creating aggregate views in ASO cubes for Profitability and Cost Management applications.

Business Benefit: This REST API allows you to perform query optimization operations on ASO cubes in cases where default aggregation is deemed insufficient to meet your data extraction or reporting needs because of large data size.

Key Resources

Role Information

  • Service Administrators

Tax Reporting

Automating Country by Country Reporting (CbCR)

Tax Reporting provides an enhanced Save feature for Country-By-Country (CbCR) automation mapping. This save logic now impacts entities in CbCR cube if:

  • User created an automation rule with source cube as Consol and
  • If data exists in Consol cube

Business Benefit: Users do not need to impact entities in CbCR cube before running Consolidation, if they have just defined CbCR automation rules without any data in CbCR.

Key Resources

IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations

One-Week Lag Between Readiness Documents Live and Help Center Live

Because Oracle readiness documents (What's New and New Feature Summary) are live one week before the monthly update is applied to Test environments, some links to documentation included in the readiness documents will not work until after the Oracle Help Center update is complete when the monthly update is applied to Test environments.

EPM COMMON

Only Secured URLs in Logo and Background Images

Starting with this update (November 2021), only secured URLs are supported within the Logo Image and Background Image settings in the Appearance page in EPM Cloud.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Use the Export URLs Feature to Replace Direct URLs

In the March 2021 update (21.03), Oracle released a feature called Export URLs that exports EPM Cloud URLs to a CSV file which then provides the unique URLs for each card, tab, or sub-tab within a connected EPM Cloud business process. These cards, tabs, or subtabs can contain forms, dashboards, or infolets within them. The Export URLs feature should be used in place of any direct URL pointers that customers might be using to link to EPM forms, dashboards, or infolets. The direct URL feature to forms, dashboards, or infolets are no longer supported starting with this update (November 2021). See Using Direct URLs to Integrate Connected Environments in Administering Planning.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

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 Planning, Financial Consolidation and Close, and Tax Reporting to be exposed only to administrators. Starting with the December 2021 update (21.12), ‘Copy Version’ functionality will not be available to Power Users and Users.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

"Data Maps" chapter Moves to the Administering Data Integration Guide

Starting with this update (November 21.11), the "Data Maps" chapter in the Administering Planning guide is also included in the Administering Data Integration guide. This chapter describes how to use data maps to move data, comments, attachments, and supporting detail from source cubes and smart lists to reporting cubes to consolidate data. In a future update, the "Data Maps" chapter will only be available in the Administering Data Integration guide.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Upcoming Security Changes for Predefined Reports

In a future update, Power User security will be enforced on:

  • All predefined Reconciliation Manager and Transaction Matching reports in Account Reconciliation
  • All predefined Task Manager reports in Financial Consolidation and Close and Tax Reporting

Loaner Program for Cloud Infrastructure Generation 2 Testing and OCI Migration Assistance Early Adopter Program

Oracle EPM Cloud is now live on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Gen 2 environments. If you are interested in testing your application performance on an OCI environment, open a service request following the process at https://docs.oracle.com/en/cloud/saas/enterprise-performance-management-common/tsepm/op_procs_loaner_envs.html and request for a loaner environment in an OCI data center for a duration of 30 days with the business justification as “Want to test application performance in an OCI Gen 2 data center”.

After you have performed the testing, submit Provide Feedback from the loaner environment. Create a service request using the normal support process, if you have any issues or feedback for the OCI environment. For more information, see What is a Gen 2 Cloud?

Additionally, Oracle has instituted a program to assist a limited number of early adopters on Oracle Cloud Classic to migrate to OCI. For more information, see Oracle Cloud Classic to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Migration Assistance Program for Early Adopters.

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, Tax Reporting

Change to Reports REST API and EPM Automate to Allow for Null Date

In an upcoming release, not passing a value for a Date parameter will be considered as NULL value while passing a value such as “Current_Date” will be substituted as the current date.

In the current release, not passing the value by default turns into the current date.

The change will be in the following topics for REST API topics:

The change will affect the following report APIs for EPM Automate:

Applies to: Account Reconciliation, Financial Consolidation and Close, Tax Reporting

Removing Dimensions Before Rebasing a Financial Consolidation and Close or Tax Reporting EPM Digital Assistant Skill

If you want to rebase your Financial Consolidation and Close or Tax Reporting skill to use the November release of EPM Digital Assistant, note that you must first remove some dimensions before rebasing.

  • Financial Consolidation and Close dimensions to be removed before rebasing: Scenario, Years, Period, Entity, Account, Currency, View, Consolidation, Data Source, Multi-GAAP, Intercompany and Movement
  • Tax Reporting skill dimensions to be removed before rebasing: Cube, Scenario, Years, Period, Entity, Account, Currency, View, Consolidation, Data Source, Multi-GAAP, Intercompany, Movement and Jurisdiction

Applies to: Financial Consolidation and Close, Tax Reporting

See Removing a Consolidation and Close or Tax Reporting Custom Dimension from an Extended Skill in Getting Started with the Digital Assistant for Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management.

SMART VIEW

Strategic Modeling with Smart View Requires Smart View Version 21.100

Starting with this update (November 2021), Strategic Modeling requires Smart View Client version 21.100 or higher in order to support necessary improvements when using Strategic Modeling with Smart View. To download and install Smart View, see Downloading and Installing Clients in Getting Started with Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud.

Crystal Ball for EPM Extension in Smart View

The Crystal Ball for EPM extension in Smart View that allows users to define a Crystal Ball model using EPM Cloud grids to perform simulations using Crystal Ball in Smart View will not be supported or available for installation starting from the January 2022 update (22.01).

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

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.

Strategic Modeling Terminology Change

In a future update, the Consolidation feature in Strategic Modeling will be renamed Scenario Rollup.

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.

Strategic Workforce Planning functionality is provided in the Strategic Workforce Planning Cloud Service (SWPCS) product, which contains robust SWP functionality that is not available in the existing EPM Cloud Planning Workforce module feature. SWPCS is an Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) product built on EPM technology. For more information about SWPCS, please refer to the Strategic Workforce Planning information on www.oracle.com.

If you have any concerns about this change, please contact Oracle Support.

NARRATIVE REPORTING

Removal of EPMCTRL Transfer Utility

In a future update, the EPMCTRL Transfer Utility will be removed. Customers should use EPM Automate, which includes all the commands currently available in the EPMCTRL Transfer Utility, going forward. For more information, see Backing Up and Restoring an Environment in Getting Started with Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud for Administrators.

ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION

Impact of Balance Rounding Based on Associated Currency Code

In a future update, the source and sub-system balance load process will automatically round the balance according to the precision of the currency code associated with it. Currently, the balances are required to be rounded prior to the balance load. Please open a Support ticket and/or reach out to your Oracle team if you have an issue with this behavior update.

Power User Access to Data Loads Change

In a future update, Power User access to Data Loads will be updated so that the Administrator will have to assign this ability to the Power User rather than the Power User receiving it by default.

PROFITABILITY AND COST MANAGEMENT

Automatic Purging of Old Jobs and Statistics

Starting with the 21.10 update, old job records are purged automatically during each service restart (daily maintenance window). The most recent 10,000 jobs are preserved. Jobs older than the most recent 10,000 are purged, along with their related job log messages and statistics.

If you have a requirement to keep a record of all jobs, you can archive them from the Job Library by downloading them to an Excel spreadsheet. You may also run and save Execution Statistics reports to preserve them if you need permanent access to them. You will not be able to run them for jobs that have been purged.

ENTERPRISE DATA MANAGEMENT

REST API for Extracting a Dimension from a Viewpoint Parameter Clarification

Starting in 21.11, the fileName parameter that you specify in the Extract a Dimension Viewpoint API is determined by whether or not you have enabled the Zip Extract option in the extract definition profile (see Editing Extracts):

  • For extracts with Zip Extract enabled, specify the Zip Filename in the API zip file name for the fileName parameter. The Default Filename in the extract profile will be used for the text file name.
  • For extracts with Zip Extract disabled, specify the Default Filename in the API text file name for the fileName parameter.