What are the benefits of upgrading to Oracle R12?
Oracle E-Business Suite R12 is the latest generation of Oracle’s ERP software. Upgrading from older releases like 11I offers organizations several benefits. As R12 nears its end-of-life, many customers are planning their upgrade to take advantage of new features and better support. Cloud testing strategies can help ensure a smooth transition to Oracle R12 upgrade.
- Improved user experience
Oracle R12 introduces a refreshed HTML-based user interface across modules like financials and procurement. The simplified screens and workflow make it easier for employees to complete tasks efficiently. Enhanced search, recent items, and favorites accelerate navigation between records. These UX upgrades improve productivity and adoption by end users. Testing teams should prioritize UI validation when migrating to benefit from the improved experience.
- Integrated business intelligence
R12 comes bundled with Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) for reporting and analytics. Pre-built dashboards connect directly to R12 data sources, like General Ledger. Users can visualize KPIs and trends across the product lifecycle. The integrated BI provides real-time data access without costly data warehouse builds. Testing BI connectivity along with core transactions helps deliver this benefit after go-live.
- Global single instance
Organizations can consolidate from regional instances to a single global R12 instance. This provides unified data, standard processes, and a consistent user experience worldwide. Testing a single-instance deployment requires end-to-end business cycle testing and extensive localization testing. The effort pays off through simplified support and enhanced visibility after consolidating instances.
- Coexistent upgrade approach
Upgrading using the coexistent method allows keeping existing 11i instances operational during the project. This reduces risk and downtime during the cutover. Testing involves data integration between old and new environments to ensure synchronization. While complex, coexistence provides a fallback if issues emerge in R12 after go-live.
- Extended support policy
Oracle provides long-term support for R12 compared to older releases. The lifetime support policy gives customers access to fixes and updates until 2030. Extended support reduces technical debt accumulated on aging platforms like 11i. Testing on supported releases lowers maintenance costs long-term.
- Cloud-ready platform
R12 utilizes a web-based architecture built for cloud deployment. The lightweight HTML UI and REST APIs simplify integrating SaaS applications. R12 supports modern infrastructure like Docker containers and Oracle Cloud. Testing R12 validated on cloud platforms smooths future migration efforts.
- Built-in mobile access
Users can view alerts, approve transactions, and view reports directly on mobile devices. R12’s responsive pages adapt to any screen size. Mobile enhancements improve productivity for employees outside the office. Testing mobile user stories verifies that key workflows function properly on mobile apps.
Conclusion
To benefit from the cloud testing benefits of an Oracle R12 upgrade, companies need a solution for API test automation. This must also be suited to large businesses, integrate with continuous integration and deployment processes (CI/CD), offer analytics features, and more. Opkey offers all the essential features and more to get the best from cloud testing after modernizing Oracle R12. Using Opkey, companies can make it easier to create API tests for automated testing all the time. They can add tests to CI/CD pipes to improve how fast quality checks happen with shift-left methods. Also, smart tools help them give agile data quickly and do load tests for checking performance problems too. Plus, they get useful information with dashboards that can help take action. With Opkey’s all-in-one Cloud testing tool made for Oracle ERP, companies can really change how they test after upgrading to Oracle R12.
