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1. Designing and Implementing a Global Financial System for EuropePresenter: Lourdes Godfrey
2. About Equifax Premier provider of information that enables businesses to assess risk. We offer our clients solutions to identify, solicit, and acquire new customers; process transactions; & manage customer relationships.
Year 2000 Revenues: US$ 1.8 billion
1999 awarded BBB Online Privacy Seal
3. About the presenters: Lourdes Godfrey, AVP International Financial Systems
Global Program Manger for Oracle Financials implementation
Mike Gruen, Senior Business Analyst International Financial Systems
Global coordinator for Oracle Financials Implementation.
4. Oracle Project Overview Mid-1998 recognized need to replace international legacy systems
Selected Oracle after brief selection process
Developed roll-out strategy & defined KPI
Implemented Europe first & designed the global template
Scope: GL, AR, AP, PO, CM, FA, SSP, WE
5. The Selection Process Significant support in local countries
Allow single instance implementation
Multiple languages in a single instance
Single instance supporting country-specific “localizations”
100% WEB based
References who implemented using similar approach in similar countries.
6. The Roll-out Strategy Two data centers: Europe & Americas
Proposed Technical infrastructure
Modules: GL, AR, AP, PO, CM, FA, SSP, WE
Implementation Approach
Site qualification criteria
Where / how global template developed
7. The Roll-out Strategy (Cont.) Complexity of each implementation
Sequence / timing of roll-out
Which release to implement (11.03 / 11i )
High-level overall global costs to implement.
8. High-level plan
9. It’s Aug. 1998 - Spain’s on First…. Address Y2K issues with existing system
Integrate with new custom billing system targeted to go live 1/99.
Phase 1: Implement AR & GL 10.7 fast!
Phase 2: AP & enhanced reporting
KPI and Global Design were not done yet - agreed would bear risk of retrofitting.
10. Key Lessons Learned in Spain Super Users must be involved 100%
Use backfill resources effectively
100% of regulatory requirements and common Spanish business practices NOT covered by Oracle’s localizations
AX module for S. European countries tax reporting requirements encourages using multiple SOBs vs. Multi-org.
11. UK’s on Second, but really First... UK target site for Global template
Rich consolidation complexity
representative of all lines of business
Implement UK & Ireland first using the global template, then migrate Spanish databases to form consolidted European datacenter.
12. Then Things Changed ! Corporate decision to outsource back-office finance and accounting processes.
Impact on overall planning:
Outsource first, then implement Oracle
Implement Oracle first, then outsource
Outsource and Implement at same time!
Lower overall cost & quicker realization of benefits drove us to do both.
13. Practical Project Implications: Move to outsourcing location coincided with go-live date.
Ownership / Management of super users transferred to BPO
BPO transition & communications Mgt.
Stakeholder Management
Organizational Change Management
Corporate Involvement & Ownership
14. Geographical Scope
15. Global Steering Committee
16. European Steering Committee
20. Prototype & Planning
21. High-level Overall Project Plan
22. Advantages of this approach: Reduced timescales & cost
Hands-on approach = early visibility and familiarization with software
Reduced need for formal Oracle training
Early buy-in and focus on vanilla impl.
Timeboxing forces discipline
Cost-justifying enhancements to vanilla
23. Challenges of this approach: Workload is intense from day 1.
Novelty - requires repetitive explaining
Requires committed & empowered project team
Very high dependence on full-time users
Requires committed sponsorship to vanilla implementation.
24. Key Lessons Learned UK Phase 1: Get all parties involved in Global design
Constantly communicate Global design
Identify common Global reports & finalize reporting requirements early - prototype.
Empowered Super Users are key.
Plan post-Implementation support early.
Identify organizational changes early.
25. Phase 2: Phase 1 included core modules only: (GL, AR, AP, PO, CM, & FA)
Phase 2:
Self-Service Purchasing
Web Expenses
Spain instance consolidation
Spain design migration to global template
26. Phase 2 Approach:
27. Phase 2 - Spanish Integration:
28. Sun E10,000
7 instances: Prototype, development, conversion, system test, UAT, production baseline, & training
380 Gb usable disk space fully mirrored
Each DB approx. 8 Gb. Production = 70Gb.
Network to Spain: 512 Kbps line with 256 Kbps PVC with backup 256 Kpbs line
PCs: 800 Mhz with 128Mb RAM.
29. Establish Americas data center in Atlanta
Roll-out to South America using the Spanish migration templates, workplan, etc. & global template as baseline in 2001
Roll-out to US in 2002.
Add-on Global Billing (under analysis)
Add-on OFA or BIS reporting (future analysis)
30. What we did: Implemented Oracle Financials 11i
single instance for Europe
two languages
global design template
Centralized certain processes in the UK
Outsourced finance in UK & Spain
Outsourced Application support in UK
Began roll-out in South America
31. Lessons Learned: Explicitly define scope and objectives up front & stick to it!
Time-box major project phases.
Get full-time user resources dedicated
Implement rigorous change-control methods
Stick to Vanilla - it’s a great flavor!
Force cost-justification to modifications
32. Lessons Learned (cont.): Consider Organizational change implications early - roles & responsibilities
Think globally; Act locally- change mindset
Communicate frequently with stakeholders
If outsourcing attach BPO super users to hip with your super users.
Get sign-off and buy-in on all major decisions from BPO team.
33. Q & A and Discussion