Saturday, February 20, 2016

ASCP 12.2.5.X Release Key Features


ASCP 12.2.5 Release Features


Oracle has provided handful of enhancements in ASCP module with the latest release. Here is a summary of some key features which are now available.

  • Collection filtered by Category Sets
    • Ability to setup category sets and then use as filter to collect/refresh only subset of product data into ASCP
    • Improves performance of collection process
  • Demand Schedule Specific Forecast processing:
    • Forecast processing options/consumption criteria definition can be done at demand schedule level with this enhancement. This allows one to submit for different region/Product LOBs separate schedules. 
    • Following options can be enabled at demand schedule level now
      • Backward days
      • Forwards days
      • Spread forecast
      • Consume by Forecast bucket
      • Explode Forecast
    • Plan level options are used if no demand schedule level values are set
    • Improved plan accuracy and allows more flexibility 
    • Plan Options> organization tab has these additional options.
  • Maximize Resource Utilization
    • Works with Constrained plan without detailed scheduling plan type only 
    • Allows better use by front loading production and minimize resource downtime
    • ASCP will also use alternate sources of supplies (e.g. alternate resources, substitute components etc.) too if needed for maximizing resource utilization 
    • There though are some fine prints on what all ASCP can do with this feature enabled, e.g. plan can violate the sourcing split % if needed for maximizing resources. 
    • Use only if key need is to front load and maximize resource utilization 
  • Extended Support for Reservation (for plan type : Constrained without detailed scheduling)
    • Support so far:
      • Reservation b/w on hand supplies & sales order demands
      • Reservation b/w on hand, internal requisitions and maintenance work order supply types to maintenance work order demands 
    • Extended support for:
      • Reservation b/w discrete jobs, process batches, purchase orders & requisitions with sales orders/process batch demands
    • Allows companies with Make To Order environment to reserve certain work order supplies to sales order demand
    • Supply - Demand reservation could be 1-1, 1-Many, Many-1 or Many-Many 
  • Enhanced Project Netting for Project Mfg environment 
  • Enhanced User experience with Alta GUI

    • Improved user interface provides ADF based Alta GUI, which is where future GUI is going towards for Oracle.
    • New supply planning work area:
      • Allows personalizing content and page layouts 
      • User can define how he wishes to review and analyze the plan output
      • Plan definition can be done with new GUI
    • Enhanced Supply/Demand workbench using new GUI
    • Favorites option
      • Taxonomy of  most used/critical elements (E.g. items, resources, suppliers, orders etc.) 
      • Planners can define their own set and use for filtering in Supply Demand work area
    • Exception Management using new GUI

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Demantra on Cloud



Demantra is now available on Cloud with Oracles' Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) allowing customers to setup a Demantra instance on Cloud or to clone an existing instance into Cloud. There are currently though some limitations on usability, and this platform is supported for setting up instance for development, demo & QA purposes mainly. This surely allows customers to setup a cost optimal way of doing development, POCs and testing using Demantra instances setup on Cloud rather than setting up servers and supporting in house.

Current support is limited to release 12.2 and 12.1.3-based environments on Oracle Linux, and currently excludes configurations with Oracle RAC, DMZ, and external integrations.

VCP on Cloud benefits:
  • Infrastructure cost savings
  • Allocate temporary infra for Project POCs, testing, training and development
  • Monitoring and automated patching abilities using Oracle Application Management Suite(AMS) for on-premises & cloud environments simultaneously

You need subscription of Oracle Compute Cloud services (like any other SaaS).With IaaS though you are supposed to purchase license for VCP suite and will be responsible for maintaining your VCP instance hosted on Cloud. Oracle does offer through Oracle managed Cloud Services option of Oracle managed VCP instance. 

Read on for more details @ https://blogs.oracle.com/demantra/entry/demantra_in_the_cloud_you


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