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Oracle Applications
Users Group

OAUG eNews

 Global Users.
Global Solutions.
www.oaug.org April 21, 2006 Volume VI / Issue 8

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In This Issue

Best Practices in Data Archiving: How to Proactively Manage Data Growth in your Oracle Applications

OuterBay Technologies, an HP company
June 28, 2006
1:30 p.m. EDT / 10:30 a.m. PDT

Learn how the implementation of an application information lifecycle management (ILM) solution, that includes data archiving, allows you to monitor and manage data across applications, databases and server/storage infrastructure. In doing so, you can improve overall system performance and ensure maximum server/storage utilization for lower TCO and data retention compliance.

Register now and earn $100 Am-Ex gift eligibility!

Phone: +1 408.340.1200
Fax: +1 408.340.1299
info@outerbay.com

OAUG News

President’s Corner

2006 OAUG President Patricia Dues

2006 OAUG President Patricia Dues

The OAUG, along with the IOUG and Quest, is hosting COLLABORATE 06: Technology and Applications Forum for the Oracle Community, April 23-27, in Nashville, Tennessee. As many of you know, this area was recently devastated by severe weather. In light of this, the OAUG, IOUG and Quest are joining with the American Red Cross to help families rebuild from the deadly tornadoes that struck in middle Tennessee, including the communities of Gallatin, Hendersonville and Ashland City. The Red Cross is estimating that their emergency relief efforts will cost over $350,000. While I hope to see all of you at the upcoming conference, you don’t have to be an attendee to make a tax-deductible donation to the Tennessee Tornadoes fund. If you are interested in making a donation, please visit the COLLABORATE 06 donation page. Thank you!

 — Patricia Dues, OAUG President

New Online MBA Program for OAUG Members

The Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) is proud to announce our newest educational offering to all OAUG members — the Online Professional MBA program from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The Online Professional MBA program attracts students from all 50 states and 15 foreign countries and is ideal for professionals who want to gain the functional business skills and knowledge necessary to excel and compete in today’s complex business environments.

Whether you are a programmer analyst, database administrator, project manager or CFO, the Online Professional MBA will give you the foundation necessary to succeed in understanding the challenges you face as you integrate the technological sophistication of Oracle Applications to the business strategies of today’s competitive environments.

For more information on the Isenberg Online Professional MBA program, please visit the dedicated OAUG member Web page.

OAUG Releases Online Tool for Submission of Enhancements and Oracle Fusion Feature Requests

The Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) is excited to announce that the Enhancements Request System (ERS) has been expanded to include feature requests for Oracle Fusion and is now available for you to use.

Since the OAUG’s successful pilot of the OAUG ERS early last year, Oracle’s acquisition of PeopleSoft, Retek, iFlex, Siebel and other companies temporarily changed the landscape and strategy behind the ERS. Since the feature sets for Oracle E-Business Suite R12 and Enterprise R9.0 have already been set, product managers have not prioritized enhancements feedback and voting cycles for these releases. However, Oracle management has informed the OAUG that they are very eager to receive feedback from the user community regarding key features that users would like to see in the Oracle Fusion applications. Therefore, the OAUG ERS has been adjusted to be able to accept feature set requests for Oracle Fusion, as well as broadened to support some of the other products that Oracle has recently acquired.

Several SIGs have already developed and submitted their lists to Oracle, and Oracle management is eager to see more. The OAUG ERS can serve as a tool to assist our affiliated groups in collecting and prioritizing these feature requests. While only OAUG Members may vote, anyone may submit an enhancement or Fusion feature request. Oracle is interested in receiving Fusion feature request voting results by the end of June, so don’t delay.

Submit your enhancements and feature requests today!

Oracle News

Oracle Delivers Unparalleled Innovation and Functionality in Oracle CRM On Demand Release 10

Oracle recently announced the latest release of Oracle CRM On Demand, extending its industry leadership in CRM and On Demand. Oracle CRM On Demand Release 10, based on Siebel’s award-winning hosted CRM application, delivers a comprehensive CRM solution for companies seeking powerful sales, marketing and service functionality. (more…)

Product Usage Surveys from Oracle’s Application Development Group

Oracle needs your input as they develop Oracle Fusion, the next-generation of Oracle enterprise applications. Oracle is committed to working with customers to enable your participation in the process. With this in mind, Oracle has created an initial set of product usage surveys to better understand how you are using various features and functions of PeopleSoft Enterprise applications.

Since Fusion is starting with the E-Business Suite as the foundation, Oracle needs specific input from PeopleSoft Enterprise customers on the use of certain features/functions as they move forward in the planning for Fusion. As Oracle progresses through the planning/design process, there will be additional opportunities for the JD Edwards and E-Business Suite customers to provide input.

The product usage surveys are available on the IOUC Web site.

Each PeopleSoft Enterprise customer is invited to fill out as many product surveys as they have products. Each survey will contain approximately 20 product-related questions and will take approximately seven to 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback is invaluable to Oracle as they develop the Oracle Fusion applications. Please complete the appropriate surveys by April 30, 2006.

Improving the Oracle Ownership Experience

The Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) supports Oracle in its pursuit to deliver a superior ownership experience to all users. You are invited to participate in a new Web-based assessment process designed to help Oracle better understand factors impacting customer satisfaction. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to provide your assessment of your overall experiences with Oracle. Your feedback will help Oracle make informed decisions related to delivering a superior ownership experience.

If you are interested in sharing your assessment of your experiences with Oracle, please complete the Web-based assessment by Friday, May 19, 2006 (it should take about 10 minutes to complete). Please feel free to forward this information to others in your organization that would be interested in completing a Web-based assessment of their experiences with Oracle.

Oracle University Offers OAUG Members Applications Education Solutions

The success of an implementation is measured by how quickly new applications are adopted throughout the organization. Whether it is a new implementation or an upgrade to the latest release, Oracle University offers comprehensive applications education solutions to meet your learning needs. Visit the Oracle University OAUG training portal for more information and a listing of featured training sessions.

Additional Oracle University training opportunities include:

Oracle Advisor Webcast Program — Support Opportunities for PeopleSoft Enterprise, JD Edwards World and EnterpriseOne Customers

Oracle Advisor is a former legacy PeopleSoft Webcast program that was re-introduced under Oracle Support Services. Advisor Webcasts deliver expert knowledge and information about services, products and technologies to your desktop using Oracle Web conferencing.

Webcast sessions are available to all PeopleSoft Enterprise, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World maintenance customers at no additional cost. They are delivered by experienced Oracle professionals and include a question and answer session, presentation materials and an archived recording to view once the Webcast is complete. Learn more about Advisor Webcasts today! Please note: You will need a Customer Connection login to view the summary information for each Webcast.

Vendor Product Awareness Sessions

A learning opportunity for OAUG members! Participate in these free educational sessions that are normally held three times per month. The interactive teleconference or Webcast sessions provide information about a variety of products and services that complement Oracle Applications. Upcoming sessions are listed below. Session abstracts are available on the OAUG Web site.

OAUG eLearning

New! Submit Your Presentation on the OAUG Web Site

Interested in presenting an eLearning session with the OAUG? Login to the OAUG Web site and submit a presentation under your OAUG membership profile! Please contact OAUG eLearning at elearning@oaug.com with any questions regarding eLearning session submission.

OAUG eLearning: Free Online Education and Training for OAUG Members

The Oracle Applications Users Group is offering free, easy-to-access educational, training and networking opportunities for OAUG members — OAUG eLearning.

OAUG Training Tuesdays cover a broad range of topics and are presented by top-rated OAUG trainers. Choose between four different delivery times for OAUG Training Tuesdays, which feature two course offerings twice daily. Refer to the Training Tuesdays schedule for more information and to register for sessions.

OAUG Community Thursdays highlight the best-of-the-best educational and training sessions, and offer discussion forums as hosted by OAUG geographic (Geos) and special interest groups (SIGs). Refer to the Community Thursdays schedule for more information and to register for sessions.

Regardless of your geographic location, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Berlin or London, we have training available with live presenters.

These sessions are for everyone! Whether you are interested in the look and feel of Oracle’s E-Business Suite or you are a seasoned user looking to expand your skill set, a diverse range of topics and sessions are available. Everyone in the Oracle family of applications (E-Business Suite, Enterprise, EnterpriseOne and Retek) will want to take advantage of these free training sessions.

Dial into a training session from the convenience of your desk and take advantage of free sessions that you would typically pay hundreds of dollars to experience.

Please note that OAUG eLearning sessions are limited to OAUG members only and space is limited. As of January 2006, registration is required for all OAUG eLearning sessions. Refer to the session schedules to register:

If you are not an OAUG member, but you would like more information on how your organization can join to take advantage of this and other member-only opportunities and initiatives, please refer to OAUG Membership Information.

OAUG Conference and Event Updates

Oracle Applications Days/Oracle Days

Multiple Dates
Multiple Locations
Hosted by Oracle Corporation

Oracle is pleased to bring together the “best of the best” — not just quality products, but also highly experienced people and innovative, best-of-breed processes. With Oracle Applications, greater business insight for better decision-making and adaptive business processes for optimal responsiveness to dynamic market conditions is possible. Discover how at an Oracle Applications Day or an Oracle Day, coming soon to a city near you.

Register now for Oracle Applications Days/Oracle Days:

COLLABORATE 06: Technology and Applications Forum for the Oracle Community

COLLABORATE 06: Technology and Applications Forum for the Oracle Community

April 23-27, 2006
Gaylord Opryland Resort
Nashville, Tennessee

COLLABORATE 06 is but a few days away! Register now for the must-attend Oracle education event of the year.

COLLABORATE 06 will be an event like you’ve never seen before — the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG) (formerly International Oracle Users Group), the Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) and Quest International Users Group (Quest) have combined resources and ideas to bring you a global event in one location.

This event will feature a keynote address from Charles Phillips, president, Oracle Corporation. Visit the COLLABORATE 06 Web site for information on this keynote address and other Oracle Super Session speakers.

Session abstracts for the OAUG Forum at COLLABORATE 06, including white paper presentations, training sessions, panel sessions and sessions presented by Oracle Corporation, are now available on the OAUG conference Web site, as well as information regarding pre- and post-conference workshops.

Oracle Retail User Group PeopleSoft Distributors’ & Manufacturers’ Users Group

In addition, the Oracle Retail Users Group (ORUG, formerly the Retek User Group) and the PeopleSoft Distributors’ & Manufacturers’ Users Group (DMUG) will each be hosting a conference within a conference during COLLABORATE 06. The ORUG event will take place April 23-26, 2006, and the DMUG event will take place April 24, 2006. Event information for both groups is now available.

To register or view the preliminary conference agenda grid (PDF file), white paper presentations, panel sessions, training sessions, OAUG Star Partners, exhibitors and keynote speakers, visit the OAUG COLLABORATE 06 conference Web site.

Please note: The Gaylord Opryland is fully committed for hotel room peak nights during the conference dates. The OAUG has secured additional hotels at a special group rate with complimentary transportation provided.

We look forward to seeing you in Nashville!

Geographic (Geo) and Special Interest Group (SIG) News

OAUG Welcomes Our Newest Affiliated SIG!

The Engineering and Construction SIG affiliated with the OAUG in March. They will host their first meeting at COLLABORATE 06 during SIG day on Monday, April 24, from 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The SIG is currently under construction with a new Web site and online membership application. In the interim, please contact Ken Lockhart at ken.lockhart@aurieconsulting.net for additional information about joining or participating in this group.

The OAUG PeopleSoft Technology SIG’s mission is to provide a forum for exchanging information about using Oracle technology to support PeopleSoft applications. They will host a meeting at COLLABORATE 06 during SIG day on Monday, April 24, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. The SIG is currently under construction with a new Web site and online membership application. In the interim, please contact Steve Meller at steve.meller@cox.com for additional information about joining or participating in this group.

SIG Call for Volunteers

The Accounts Payable SIG is recruiting volunteers to assist in the leadership and further growth of this group. Please contact the Lynne Weil at lweil@oaug.com for additional information about volunteering or participating in the SIG.

The Migration and Integration SIG is recruiting volunteers to assist in the leadership and further growth of this group. Please contact the Lynne Weil at lweil@oaug.com for additional information about volunteering or participating in the SIG.

One-Day SIG Conferences

The OAUG Multi-National/Multi-Org SIG, Financial Services Industry SIG and CRM SIG will be hosting one-day SIG conferences in conjunction with COLLABORATE 06. These conferences are open to all registered conference attendees at no additional cost. Agendas and abstracts will be posted to the OAUG COLLABORATE 06 Web site soon.

Multi-National/Multi Org SIG
Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Presentations will cover the functionality and business challenges of implementing and supporting Oracle Applications in an international environment, and will include panel and open forum discussions.

Financial Services Industry SIG
Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Sessions will include presentations and panel discussions of interest to users in the Financial Services Industry, including banking, insurance and capital markets.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) SIG
Thursday, April 27, 2006

Topics will include discussions regarding common CRM business and technical issues, as well as presentations on customer implementations and Oracle’s CRM strategy.

Upcoming Geo/SIG Meetings

Click on the links for details regarding registration, agendas, presenter and sponsorship opportunities.

For additional information about OAUG Geos and SIGs, please visit the OAUG Web site.

Oracle Retail Users Group (ORUG) News

Oracle Retail User Group

ORUG Conference Within a Conference During COLLABORATE 06

The Oracle Retail Users Group (ORUG, formerly the Retek User Group) will be hosting a conference within a conference during COLLABORATE 06 held in Nashville, Tennessee, April 23-26, at the Radisson Opryland Hotel, located directly across from the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

Please call Gaylord Opryland Reservations at +1 888.777.6779 (toll-free US) to make your reservation for ORUG at the Radisson. Please let the call center representative know that you are making a reservation for ORUG at the Radisson Opryland. The room rate is $135 (single or double occupancy), $150 (triple) and $165 (quad).

The ORUG special interest group meetings begin Sunday, April 23, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. ORUG activities go through Wednesday (with COLLABORATE 06 opportunities on Thursday). There will be a general session, followed by breakouts in: Merchandising; RPAS Applications; Integrated Store Operations; Supply Chain; Price Optimization; and Technology.

Enhancements Request System (ERS)

How can ORUG influence Oracle Retail to make improvements to its current products? How can you have a say that will increase the value of your software investment by suggesting functionality improvements?

The OAUG and ORUG have developed an online submission method of gathering software enhancements and voting upon their priority before handing them over to the developers at Oracle Retail. It’s just one more way to work together to accomplish a greater return on your software investment.

ORUG will review these enhancements during COLLABORATE 06. Come review and discuss these enhancements before you vote on them.

Anyone with an OAUG/ORUG contact profile can submit enhancement requests, but you must be a current member of OAUG/ORUG in order to vote. For step-by-step instructions please refer to “Enhancement Request System” on the ORUG home page.

ORUG SIG Meetings

Retail Merchandising Systems (RMS)

Meets the second Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. CT / 7:00 a.m. PT and at 4:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. PT. Visit the Retail Merchandising Systems SIG Web page for dial-in details.

Retail Store Operations (RSO)

Meets the second Monday (Tuesday in Australia) of each month at 4:00 pm EDT / 3:00 p.m. CDT / 1:00 p.m. PDT / 6:00 a.m. AEST Tuesday (Melbourne). Visit the Retail Store Operations SIG Web page for dial-in details.

Retail Supply Chain (RSC)

Meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. CT / 8:00 a.m. PT. Visit the Retail Supply Chain SIG Web page for dial-in details.

Retail Technology (RTech)

Meets the third Wednesday of every other month at 6:00 p.m. Sydney / 9:00 a.m. UK and 4:00 p.m. UK / 11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. CT / 8:00 a.m. PT. Dates include June 21, August 16, October 18 and December 20. Visit the Retail Technology SIG Web page for dial-in details.

Retail Planning or Optimization (Rplan/RPAS)

Meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. PT. Visit the Retail Planning or Optimization SIG Web page for dial-in details.

Retail Price Optimization (RPO)

Meets the third Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. CT / 8:00 a.m. PST. Visit the Retail Price Optimization SIG Web page for dial-in details.