PBCS and EPBCS Updates (May): Simplified Dimension Editor, and More

Next week, Oracle will roll out its May updates for Planning & Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS) and Enterprise Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (EPBCS). This blog post outlines the new functionality that will become available, as well as improvements and fixed defects.

(If you want to stay informed of monthly updates for Oracle EPM cloud products, be sure to subscribe to our blog.)

The monthly update for PBCS and EPBCS will occur on Friday, May 19 during your normal daily maintenance window.

New Simplified Dimension Editor

The new Simplified dimension editor displays dimensions and members in a grid format. With the grid format, dimensions and members are editable on a single page. You can edit member properties directly on the grid and perform ad hoc operations such as zooming in, zooming out, keep selected, remove selected, and freeze.

To access the Simplified dimension editor:

1. From the Home page, click Application and then click Overview.
2. Click Dimensions.
3. Click the name of the dimension that you want to view.
4. Click the Edit Member Properties tab to view the dimension editor grid.

Launch a Financial Report with One Click

Administrators can streamline a workflow so that users can launch a financial report with one click. For example, if cash flow is relevant to a certain group, an administrator can make the Cash Flows report an icon on their home page. With one click on their Home page, those users can directly view the Cash Flows report.

To create access to a financial report directly from the Home page (or from a horizontal or vertical tab), an administrator can create a navigation flow and attach a card to the flow. The service administrator can also select an icon for the report and assign a financial report to the flow, and then activate the navigation flow.

The new card is displayed on the Home page of users who have access to the navigation flow. Users click the icon to view the report, which launches directly; the POV displays the most recently used members (or the root dimension if there are no most recently used members). Depending on the formats that the original report supports, users can view the report in PDF, HTML, or Excel format.

Setting Runtime Prompt Values for a Ruleset Job in the Job Scheduler

When scheduling a job for a ruleset, you can now set runtime prompt values to run the ruleset in the job scheduler.

To set runtime prompt values for a ruleset job in the job scheduler:

1. Click Application, and then click Jobs.
2. Click Schedule Jobs.
3. Select the Rules job type, specify when to run the job, and then click Next.
4. From the list of business rules, click the check mark next to the ruleset you want to run.

Note: You can filter the list so it displays rulesets only. Click Filter, and then for Rule Type, select Rulesets.

5. Enter values for the runtime parameters, and then click

More Account Member Categories and Components Available in Configuration

In the Financials business process of EPBCS, more account member categories and components are available for importing and editing in the Configure Financials user interface. This allows you to import and edit members using the Configure interface rather than the Dimension Editor.

Copy Project Business Rule

In the Projects business process of EPBCS, you can now launch the Copy Projects business rule from the Actions menu of the Project Details tab in Project Summary.

Standard Interface (PBCS Workspace)

This change only affects PBCS customers who activated their subscriptions on or before July 31, 2016.

The Simplified Interface, an option available in the service since November 2014, will be established as the standard across the service. As a result, the current Standard Interface, which is also known as the EPBCS Workspace, will be discontinued starting with the December 2017 update.

Starting with the December 2017 update, all service functionality will only be available through the Simplified Interface.

Financial Reporting Studio Desktop Client

Financial Reporting Web Studio, available since March 2016, will become the only environment for designing and building reports.

Oracle is providing additional time for users to transition from Financial Reporting Desktop Studio to Financial Reporting Web Studio. Tentative plans call for functional parity between Financial Reporting Web Studio and Financial Reporting Desktop Studio in late 2017, at which time, support for the desktop Studio will transition to the Web Studio and distribution of the Desktop Studio will cease.

Oracle recommends transitioning to Financial Reporting Web Studio as soon as possible. If you have any questions, you can send them to Oracle using the Provide Feedback option in PBCS or EPBCS.

Filed-based Integration of Data Management with Oracle Fusion Financial Cloud

Oracle Fusion Financial Cloud Budgetary Control and Encumbrance Accounting is now fully integrated with Data Management.

This enhancement brings the integration of Oracle Fusion Financials Cloud with EPBCS on par with the current, out-of-the-box, file-based integration. As a result, the file-based integration will be phased out starting with the September update.

If you are using file-based integration between Oracle Fusion Financials Cloud and EPBCS, Oracle recommends that you adopt this new integration as soon as possible.

Fixed Defects