Chris Warticki's Blog - Oracle Support

For your convenience, Oracle offers a number of resources to help you plan and drive a successful upgrade or new installation project. These resources are now presented in a convenient Infocast covering advantages, short descriptions, screen captures and directions to access relevant information. These resources include, but are not limited to the following:
The Upgrade Guide is a consolidated list of information that helps you evaluate and plan your upgrade project. This guide follows the Evaluate, Plan, Execute and Optimize structured phases you are familiar with to help you achieve an efficient upgrade with minimal risk.
The E-Business Suite R12 Information Center offers the latest published information, conveniently presented by category and in chronological order for easier use.
The Maintenance Wizard and E-Business Suite Diagnostics Support Pack, are valuable tools that, when used together, can often result in fewer mistakes and fewer Service Requests.

This one's for Support, for our clarification.  There should be no misunderstanding to what the term 'Escalation' means.   For clarification,  Escalation is defined as "Bringing Management attention to your Service Request/Case".  Oracle Support's management team is both accessible and accountable to our customers 24x7, regardless of severity.

Do customers confuse the term escalation with severity increases?  Yes, they do.  They will.  See my previous post on the topic Escalations vs. Severity Increases - 7/18/07. It's our obligation to clarify what customers are requesting.

Customers come to know the escalation process, first through the RFP process.  The Request For Proposal happens in the sales cycle.  A common question is asked, "Does the vendor have an escalation process for service delivery, and if so describe".  This is a standard question and believe me if one didn't exist, that RFP would be thrown in the trash.

The second way that customers learn about the Escalation process is through customer training efforts, like monthly scheduled webcasts.  By the way, the escalation process is clearly defined within all accessible support portals.  There's no confusion to what Escalation means to a customer.

The unfortunate way that customers learn about what an escalation is and how to initiate it, is reactively.  This is the most common way.  See my previous post on the topic Escalations vs. Severity Increases - 7/18/07.

One of the many reasons Oracle Support was a JD Powers award recipient for Service and Support was because of our execution to the Escalation process.  Our customers were asked, "Does Oracle have an Escalation process, and if you followed their instructions, did it work as prescribed?"  They replied, "YES".

Let's not allow any customer, anywhere, under any circumstances to change that answer.