Oracle CloudWorld 2024 is now behind us, and once again it was an enriching and exciting experience. I was truly impressed by the wealth of Oracle Cloud insights and strategies shared by our clients who presented with our Oracle Consulting experts onsite.
Here are five key insights I gained from our clients’ learning sessions that I hope will guide and motivate you on your successful journey to the cloud and beyond.
1. Harness AI: Empower Your Workforce
At CloudWorld, Oracle leaders highlighted generative AI capabilities, translating the potential of AI into real-world business outcomes. Customers can easily leverage these AI-powered features within their Oracle Fusion Applications, which they already rely on to drive their daily operations.
- Johnson Controls, Inc. and Oracle Consulting leaders showcased their collaboration on an innovative use of generative AI in conjunction with Oracle Digital Assistant. The project started as a proof-of-concept to evaluate how these technologies can be used to improve productivity. The outcome? Empowering project managers with quicker access to their knowledge base and the ability to have micro conversations about their projects.
2. Start Small: Make Impactful Decisions
There’s no one-size-fits-all path to the cloud. Many of our customers choose to begin their journey by implementing a single cloud module, which often leads to impressive outcomes. This incremental strategy is perfect for those seeking quick wins while retaining the flexibility to expand and add more functionality as their needs evolve.
- Derrick Leggett, CIO at AMC Theaters, recounted their first step in the cloud with a project scope that was small and manageable but also high impact. They chose Oracle Source to Pay and Expense Cloud to help streamline operations and cut costs. Now, they have a single source of supplier data across their entire procurement process supported by touchless purchase orders, automated procurement workflows, and integrated procurement contracts in a secure cloud platform. Their high impact? Several million dollars in savings year over year!
- Brian Mastropiero, VP at GM Financial (GMF), spoke about how GMF started with EPM Cloud to help them manage their global data, which they previously had to manually verify for accuracy and store across many different global systems. Now GMF maintains everything in Oracle EPM, with International, North America, and Canada operations all in one system of record. Also, GMF stood up new cost analytics and product profitability analytics. Everything is visible to everyone across the organization in a “one stop shop” via EPM Cloud. Brian said, “It’s been a big win for GMF.”
3. Go Big: Get To The Cloud Quickly, Then Iterate
While beginning with a single module is a common strategy, many companies prefer a “big bang,” multi-pillar approach to cloud migration to swiftly achieve a unified system of truth. This method is ideal for organizations with outdated on-premises systems, for those looking to reduce legacy costs, and for those wanting immediate scalability and performance improvements. With our customer presenters, Oracle Consulting experts shared the tools and techniques that enabled rapid and reliable migration to the cloud.
- Texas Woman’s University spoke about their move from a 17-year-old E-Business Suite (EBS) solution that was nearing end of life to full suite Oracle ERP and HCM Cloud in just 16 months. They explained how they leaned on Oracle Consulting’s Oracle Soar for data migration to save time and effort, as well as leveraged a strong change management plan from day one that drove adoption across their organization. They are now live and looking to add more functionality.
- Tri-State Generation and Transmission described their migration from EBS to Oracle ERP, HCM, and SCM Cloud. They went from a complex footprint with several unsupported applications to a fully synchronized, modern Oracle Cloud solution. This solution enabled Tri-State to transform the way they do business by utilizing a standardized approach, limiting customizations, leveraging proven data migration tools like Oracle Soar, as well as counting on strong executive leadership to help drive adoption.
4. Don’t Just Replicate Your On-Premises Systems: Use Cloud to Innovate
Rather than viewing the cloud as just a new location for functions currently performed on-premises, organizations should leverage this transition to rethink and redesign their processes to set the stage for long-term success. This approach may involve getting rid of customizations, using an out-of-the-box approach, and standardizing and simplifying the way the business operates.
- AT&T executives stressed the importance of not just replicating existing on-premises processes in cloud. They urged teams to challenge the status quo by eliminating unnecessary steps and processes, and to leverage off-the-shelf functionality whenever possible. This approach streamlines operations and simplifies adoption of quarterly updates, making the evolution smoother and more efficient.
- Unisys described how they implemented extensive process automation that replaced thousands of customizations and numerous third-party add-ons. This transformation led to a substantial decrease in time and money spent on infrastructure maintenance and accounting processes as they migrated from a sprawling 25-year-old EBS and custom footprint to a nimble and cost-effective Oracle Cloud solution that is scalable across finance, supply chain, and customer experience.
5. Change Is Inevitable: Plan for and Embrace It
Betsie Reynolds, Oracle Consulting’s VP of Transformation and Change Services, explained how cloud is not just a technology transformation, it’s a new way of working that requires a shift in mindset. She said, “It’s essential to think about change from day one of the implementation to drive successful adoption of cloud and meaningful business transformation.” She focused on the people-related aspect of delivery, highlighting key cultural drivers to embrace, including:
- Acceleration: Decisions need to be made swiftly. “Decision making can be paralyzing and can stop an implementation in its tracks,” Betsie shared. “It’s critical for leadership provide clear principles for team members to make confident decisions.
- Transparency: It is essential to have open communication and clear expectations across all stakeholders and all lines of business. Betsie said, “If you wait too long to share decisions, people will make their own assumptions.”
- Versatility: Upgrading your technology is an opportunity to upskill your people for the future. “People embrace future ways of working when they know how they will bring value, and how they will use their strengths in the future state.”
Our customer Choctaw Nation brought the cloud culture change to life. At their session, they said, “For our first cloud implementation, our employees resisted the change, they could not see the big picture, and expected the old system to be moved into the cloud.” With Oracle Consulting by their side, they spent the time to train before, during, and after, as well as transparently communicate success along the way. The results? Their change program helped transform Choctaw Nation into a company of continuous innovation champions. They went on to say, “We can’t keep up with the changes our employee want to add to our solution. They are excited, confident, and continue to find ways to make our business better. It is an amazing transformation.”
Empowering Your Cloud Journey
If there’s one thing to take away from a week full of such amazing content, it’s that regardless of industry, business needs, or starting points, the choice of a delivery partner can profoundly influence the success of your cloud journey. We recognize that moving to the cloud is not just a technical shift, but a strategic transformation that can redefine your organization’s future.
As you embark on this journey, it is essential to partner with a trusted ally. Oracle Consulting is committed to providing the accountability you want, the innovative solutions you require, and the expertise you can depend on. Together, we can navigate the complexities of the cloud, ensuring that your organization doesn’t merely migrate, but truly thrives in this new environment. Our goal is to empower you to harness the inherent value of the cloud to continually innovate. By doing so, we set the foundation for lasting success.
Please reach out to me to learn more about how Oracle Consulting can help your organization succeed in the cloud.
Thank you to everyone for joining us at Oracle CloudWorld 2024. We’ll see you next year!