Oracle EBS Configurator Migration Strategy

Have plans to migrate to Cloud ERP/CPQ but are worried about migrating Oracle EBS Configurator and its challenges? Here are some practical considerations to make for a successful migration.

Oracle EBS Configurator has been around with EBS from the early times of 11.x and has gone through various updates/upgrades until now in R12.2.x. All Configure to Order (CTO) manufacturers using Oracle EBS agree that Oracle EBS configurator provides some unique advantages. EBS has an integrated functionality for product configuration, eliminating the need to create many integrations to achieve full functionality. However, it mainly focuses on internal users and falls short of enabling configurator functionality for end users/distributors due to limited UI capabilities. It also lacks the performance to handle products with large BOMs.

With increasing pressures from marketing/sales teams to enable better-performing and intuitive configurator solutions, organizations are considering a switch to cloud native CPQ tools.

Is there a single CPQ tool in the market that can address all challenges of EBS Configurator and serve the latest requirements? The simple answer is NO.

Based on the complexity of the product structures, configuration rules, pricing requirements, quotation business process, etc., the right CPQ tool selection can be done. However, the key question to ask is how can we ensure that years of implementations in Oracle configurator can be extracted while ensuring that this change does not impact the business?

Below are a few considerations we need to make for a successful migration:

1. Ensure the functional documentation of the current implementation of the configurator is available.
2. This is an opportunity to fix some of the shortcomings in the current design – look at what was not going well and identify changes.
3. Are you migrating completely out of EBS to Fusion Cloud ERP or some other ERP? If yes, carefully plan the configurator/CPQ tool implementation schedule to align with your ERP go-live dates. Most often, you may have to start configurator migration ahead of ERP migration, as the new design for the new configurator might take some time.
4. If only the configurator is getting migrated out, consider the complexities of integrating the new CPQ tool and EBS for order-level configuration requirements.
5. Ensure a mapping is created for each functionality implemented in OCD to the new configurator tool ^a,b
6. Develop a testing strategy ^c to ensure the new tool delivers the same results as the previous, considering the changes in product structure or configuration rules being made in the new implementation.
7. Decide between big bang go-live with all product models at once or an incremental migration – Both have merits and demerits:
   1. No need to maintain two configurator solutions.
   2. Longer lead time to start seeing the benefits of the new tool.
8. Define the process of how the new CPQ tool and master data will be kept in sync (PLM, ERP,).
9. Decide ahead of time in terms of where the BOM mapping will be done. Will it be at the time of end-user configuration or during the order creation time? If the configuration process is independent of BOM mapping, complete the bill mapping at the time of order import into the OM system to gain some performance.
10. Revisit how the lead times and ATP dates are arrived at – This will be important for end customers to know the lead times. Static lead times may not comfort end customers, while the runtime calculation may impact performance.
11. Consider the requirements to price the configuration. While the Advanced Pricing module in Oracle EBS is very flexible to realize any pricing requirements, integrating it from an external configurator solution may pose some challenges w.r.t. performance.
12. Consider other integrations that the configurator might have, like external drawing generators or any other, to ensure the new tool can handle the same

These are a few considerations that would enable a successful migration out of Oracle EBS Configurator.

Our extensive experience with Oracle EBS Configurator and other CPQ tools makes us the right partner for your migration task. Get in touch with us for a quick assessment and formulate the right strategy for your migration need.

1. SLK’s Automated Configurator Model Extractor tool can be used to get complete model details that can be transformed into the target CPQ tool format.
2. SLK’s extensive experience with Oracle Configurator and with multiple other Configurator tools can help you map the OCD functionality with other tools quickly.
3. SLK’s all-in-1 intelligent test automation solution can be leveraged to enable a seamless transition to the new tool.