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PBCS & EPBCS Updates (April): Smart View for Office Version, and More

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

(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 Monday, April 17 during your normal daily maintenance window.

The Complete Guide to Hyperion Planning in the Cloud


New EPM Automate Utility Version

A new version of the EPM Automate Utility is available with this update. This version includes the maskData command, which masks all application data to ensure data privacy. You use this command only on test instances to hide sensitive data from users, like application developers, who should not access your business data.

You must install this version of the utility to use the new command. See these sections in Working with EPM Automate for Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud:

Single Sign-on Access with NetSuite

You can configure single sign-on (SSO) access between Oracle EPM Cloud and NetSuite. Configuring SSO requires you to configure a SAML 2.0 link between Oracle Cloud and NetSuite.

See Configuring Single Sign-On in Using Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud for information on configuring the SSO process to work with NetSuite.

Activity Report Now Contains Information on Long Running Reports

The Activity Report now includes Financial Reporting report generation activities in the list of activities considered for inclusion in the section titled Top 30 Worst Performing User Interface Actions Over 10 Seconds. The report identifies the long running user action and the corresponding report object to help you fine tune your reports.

New Smart View for Office Version

Smart View for Office 11.1.2.5.700 will be available in early April 2017. This version will contain new features such as PowerPoint chart support for forms, and a new HsAlias function. It also extends HsDescription function support to PBCS. The Smart View 11.1.2.5.700 Readme, available from the Oracle Help Center, contains a complete list of new features in this version.

You must install this version to ensure compatibility with the April 2017 update features and to access the new functionalities.

Project Revenue Recognition What-If Planning

In EPBCS Projects, you can now perform revenue recognition what-if analysis. This allows you to analyze different revenue recognition what ifs for contract projects, helping you in the decision-making process for taking up a contract project.

With this, Oracle has also introduced two new types of revenue recognition methods — When Billed and Performance Obligation (based on percentage of completion). This simulates the new US GAAP ASC 606 and IFRS 15 requirements for contract projects.

Ability to Add Additional Expense Categories

In EPBCS Financials, administrators can now add custom categories for Expense drivers in Application Configure. This simplifies adding new categories because you don’t need to use the Dimension Editor. Members are automatically added under the appropriate hierarchy and to the expense driver forms.

Simplification of Project Earned Value Management and Forecast Preparations Rules

EPBCS Projects now supports simplified Project earned value management and Forecast Preparation Rules. It also provides additional options for data copy and bulk processing of Projects.

Export Exchange Rates Template for Simplified Multicurrency Applications

For a simplified multiple currency application, you can export an Exchange Rates Template, which you can update with the currency rates and the POV values based on the intersection where the rates are stored.

To export the Exchange Rates Template

  1. From the Home page, click or tap Application, and then Overview.
  2. From the Actions menu, select Export Exchange Rate Template, and then open the template file or save it locally.
Once you've updated the template file and saved it, you can use this file to import exchange rates into the application. In the Actions menu, select Import Exchange Rates.

Exclude Dynamic Calculation Members from a Data Map Push

The Exclude Dynamic Calc Members data map option lets you exclude the dynamically calculated members from the data map process in cases where you don’t want to push this member data. By default, the Exclude Dynamic Calc Members option is not selected and dynamically calculated members are included during a data map push. This option is not applicable to SmartPush.

To exclude dynamically calculated members from a data push:

  1. From the Home page, click or tap Application, and then Data Maps.
  2. To the right of the data map that you want to edit, click or tap the Action icon, select Edit, and then Options.
  3. Select Exclude Dynamic Calc Members.

New System Setting: Allow Drilling on Shared Members in Ad Hoc Grids

Whether to allow drilling on shared members in ad hoc grids is now an option you can configure in System Settings.

To configure drilling on shared members in ad hoc grids:

  1. From the Home page, click or tap the Navigator icon, and then under Setup, click or tap System Settings and Defaults.
  2. Click or tap the Advanced Settings tab, and then the System Settings tab.
  3. For Allow drill down on shared members in ad-hoc, select “Yes” to enable the setting or “No” to disable it.

Changing Financial Reporting Server Values in Financial Reporting Web Studio

Service Administrators can now change the following Financial Reporting Server settings values in Financial Reporting Web Studio:

  • MissingValuesAreZeroInFormulas
  • Filter By Security
  • MaximumCalculationIterations

To edit these values in Web Studio, select File, then Preferences, and then the MBeans tab.

Note: The feature is not available for Report Designers.

Displaying the POV Prompt for Reports

When users click or tap Reports on the Home page, a new Prompt for POV check box displays on the Reports list page that affects all reports in the list that have a POV.

If the Prompt for POV check box is selected, when a report with a POV is launched, a POV member selector window is displayed. If the Prompt for POV check box is cleared (the default), the report launches directly, without displaying the POV member selector window. In this case, the POV members in the report are the most recently used members on the form, or the dimension’s root if there are no most recently used members.

Data Management Integration with Oracle Fusion Cloud Budgetary Control and Encumbrance Accounting

In this update, Data Management has been integrated with Oracle Fusion Cloud Budgetary Control and Encumbrance Accounting.

This Data Management integration means that you can develop comprehensive budgets in PBCS and EPBCS, then seamlessly transfer them at the right levels of control to Oracle Fusion Cloud Budgetary Control and Encumbrance Accounting. In addition, you can import actual expenditure and obligations from the Oracle Fusion Budgetary Control and Encumbrance Accounting service to Data Management to use for future budget preparation and reporting purposes.

Application Design Best Practices

Updated application design best practices are available starting with this update. As you plan an application, you can now review design best practices that help ensure that the application will meet your business needs.

Changing Maintenance Time to Accommodate Daylight Savings Time

In time zones that change based on daylight saving time, the daily maintenance time now accommodates the time change so that the maintenance process starts correctly at the time you set. However, to activate this fix, you must set the service maintenance time again even if you want to use the current maintenance start time. See Setting Service Maintenance Time for detailed procedures.

Standard Interface (PBCS Cloud Workspace)

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

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 Enterprise Planning and Budgeting Cloud Workspace, will be discontinued starting the December 2017 update.

Starting with the December 2017 update, all service functionality will be available through the Simplified Interface only. To prepare for this change, have your users familiarize themselves with the Simplified Interface using the following information sources:

  • Accessing the Service for steps to access service.
  • Working with Planning for PBCS for information on completing Planning tasks.
  • Administering Planning for PBCS for information on performing Planning Administrative tasks.

Financial Reporting Studio Desktop Client

Financial Reporting Web Studio, a component available in the service since March 2016, will be established as the only tool for designing and building reports. As a result, Financial Reporting Studio desktop client support will be fully transitioned to Financial Reporting Web Studio, tentatively starting May 2017. With the May 2017 update, Financial Reporting Studio desktop client will no longer be distributed.

As of the December 2016 update, Financial Reporting Web Studio has achieved parity with most of the functional capabilities available in Financial Reporting Studio desktop client. You will be able to create new reports and modify existing reports using Financial Reporting Web Studio.

Oracle recommends that you transition to using Financial Reporting Web Studio at the earliest opportunity. Please send questions and concerns to Oracle using the Provide Feedback option in the service.

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 Oracle EPM Cloud on par with the current file-based integration. As a result, the file-based integration will be phased out starting the September update to the service.

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


Fixed Defects

Defect Number

Description

25734068

 

In Workforce Planning, when you add a TBH, the headcount and FTE are now populated from the Start Month of the hiring requisition.

25678169

 

In Workforce Planning, when a bonus is added to the Defaults table, the Synchronize Defaults rule works correctly.

25675997

 

When scheduling batches, the user authentication process now works correctly as designed.

25670778/ 25670772

 

Enhancements were made to improve performance while exporting data from an aggregate storage application.

25664968

 

In a dashboard form’s POV, when you select a member that has a comma in its name, then change the POV member, when you reselect the original member, the form and charts are now updated correctly.

25657948/ 25639787

 

Predictive Planning no longer gives an error message and can predict data on the form when the summary member for the Period hierarchy has a name other than YearTotal.

25646372

 

All cell values in the form are now retained if data validation fails for a form on which the Run before save rule is enabled.

25598620

 

A new validation now prevents the application from creating a cube with a space in the cube name.

25569002

 

The Close button now works when you try to open a Planning form from a task list and the form has an undefined user variable.

25556784

 

In a Standard multicurrency application, the application will now automatically clean up triangulation rates when adding, switching, or removing a triangulation currency from a currency.

25537192

 

Form grids now render correctly after editing data or scrolling.

25528463

 

The User identity domain role no longer provides implicit access to all Financial Reporting Repository content. Users with this role can now access only the Repository objects for which they have been granted access. They can now list the content of the Repository and import, save, and modify batches, books, reports, and documents. Users with this role can also create and modify shortcuts and folders.

25512348

 

Performance improvements were made to the process of importing applications from on-premises environments to Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud.

25495791

 

You can now expand the Member Selection column when you view a report in HTML.

25485892

 

The order of Smart List labels in Planning Budgeting Cloud and Smart View are sorted based on the label if Order by Label is selected.

25483692

 

When configuring benefits with the Benefits and Taxes wizard in Workforce, the review form correctly displays January as the beginning month.

25470362

 

Books without a POV are displayed in the Simplified User Interface regardless of their application. Potentially, books without a POV for other applications are displayed if they are in the system, but those books cannot be executed. For books with a POV, only those books that match the current application are displayed.

25469079

 

Substitution variable values are now updating correctly in business rules.

25455392

 

When pushing data to an aggregate storage reporting application, the data map Clear and Push operation now executes without any issues.

25444568

 

Long report titles now display without being truncated.

25386002/ 25249309

 

Financial Reporting now honors the paper size setting that you specify even if you combine the reports in a book and then run the book.

25348987

 

During a refresh operation, Dynamic Time Series members are no longer converted to month when the associated month also exists on the grid.

25307158

 

After pivoting a dimension to the POV, and typing a member name over it (in the POV), the member name is now accepted.

25261711

 

The form property Size-to-Fit now works with Internet Explorer 11.

25204839

 

In the Benefits and Taxes wizard in Workforce, the component’s POV is no longer available on the Rates and Review tabs.

25197114

 

In the Benefits and Taxes wizard in Workforce, when you select the rate table, the Maximum Value Type is now blank, as expected.

25196164

 

In the Benefits and Taxes wizard in Workforce, when reviewing the component definition rates, the Pay First Period rate no longer displays in Last Period.

25196135/ 24431852

 

On the Review tab in the Workforce Benefits and Taxes wizard, the scroll bar now displays.

25196086

 

In the Benefits and Taxes wizard in Workforce, the Rate Table Monthly Fiscal Review month correctly displays the start month as Jan.

25192455

 

Users are now able to enter Polish Alt +<key> characters into text fields on web forms when using Internet Explorer.

25165280

 

In a simple form, if you change the POV without clicking Go, when you click or tap into a cell to enter data, now you get a confirmation message to alert you that the changed POV isn't committed.

25101838

 

Using the mouse scroll wheel no longer closes the member selection menu on forms.                                                   

24517392

 

Using the Enter key while typing text data into form cells no longer breaks data imports.

24381813

 

Right-click menus in data cells now work consistently.

23750526

 

With Internet Explorer 11 and the Simplified Interface, when you render a report, the new Prompt for POV check box prevents a blank page from displaying when you close the report. The check box should be cleared (the default).

23114379

 

When using the Benefits and Taxes wizard in Workforce, if you change the component from Rate Table and Threshold to Rate Table or Simple where the maximum value type is not the threshold amount, the maximum value is no longer applied to calculations.

25057251

 

In time zones that change based on daylight saving time, the daily maintenance time now accommodates the time change so that the maintenance process starts correctly at the time you set.

21193952

 

Attributes are now displaying correctly for all members in the grid, even after enabling Suppress missing blocks.

19725416

 

A message indicates that another user is working on the form if you open that form in form designer.



The Complete Guide to Hyperion Planning in the Cloud

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