I am really excited to announce that my first training class is released. The first class is called Groovy for EPM Cloud Planning, and it will contain 10 modules.  Module 1 and 2 are complete and 3 will be available by the end of the week.  Each additional module will be available every 7 to 10 days.  I am looking for feedback and am offering a $100 discount to the first 20 people that would like to purchase the class.

Each module will have a presentation, live examples, tutorials, lab exercises to reinforce your learning, and a downloadable PDF that has all the examples discussed in the presentations.

At the end of the course, attendees will be able to:  

• Use Groovy coding required to interact with the EPBCS API 
• Create variables and use them to efficiently interact with the EPBCS API 
• Build the following functionality in EPBCS  
• Use RTPs 
• Iterate through grids 
• Add pre-save validation 
• Develop custom Essbase calculations 
• Execute custom data maps 
• Create smart pushes from data maps 
• Move data from ASO to BSO 
• Calculate data in ASO 

If you have completely ignored the last 12 months of posts, Groovy overlays JAVA and provides a vast amount of functionality.  Because there are more than a hundred functions and thousands of use cases, these courses are targeted toward 80-90% of the most relevant functions in the industry.  Attendees will not leave as Groovy experts. However, they will leave with a working knowledge of Groovy calculations.  Additionally, attendees cannot expect to have a working knowledge of all functions at the completion of this course.  

I am really excited to get to go to Seattle this year for KScope19.  I was on the selection committee and I think we have a record number of new speakers.  If you haven’t signed up and still have an opportunity to go, get out there and do it.  Please stop by our booth and introduce yourself or say hello.

Besides entertaining everybody at the booth, I have a few events I am participating in.  I would love to see you at all of these.

Monday, June 25 –  Lunch and Learn

Location: 6A, Level 6

Sponsored by Oracle Groundbreakers
Grab a quick bite from 12:45 to 1:00 p.m., then join one of the information-packed sessions led by a panel of Oracle ACE Directors and Oracle ACEs. Bring your questions; these are the people who have the answers!

Glenn Schwartzberg, Tim German, Jason Jones and I will there.

Getting Started with Groovy for the Non-Technical Superstars

Session Number: 8056
Track: Planning
Sub-Categorization: Planning Cloud
Session Type: Solutions
Primary Presenter: Kyle Goodfriend [Manager – Accelytics]

Technologies or Products Used: ePBCS, Groovy

Session Summary for Attendees:  Groovy calculations are not just accessible to those with lots of experience writing Java, Groovy, or other coding languages. With a little guidance, you can become extremely productive and add some world-class functionality to your applications. This session will be delivered with both the experienced and non-experienced in mind, by a person with a finance degree who learned on the fly.

This session will provide an administrator with the knowledge needed to get started writing Groovy calculations immediately. We will introduce how to get started with Groovy and use it to interact with PBCS via the API. Three to four key concepts will be covered, which will help you leave with an understanding of the possibilities. We will discuss where and how to get help and learn from examples, and how to avoid spending time going down some of the wrong paths like I did.

Attendees will leave this session with the knowledge to implement basic Groovy calculations, examples of more complicated solutions, and a foundation to grow from. They will take home working examples and references to all the concepts needed to go from zero to 60 in four seconds.

The presentation will be structured as follows:
• Introduction
• How to get started
• How to add user functionality
• How to add pre-save validation
• How to add real-time data model synchronization on data form save
• Where to go to get help

Hidden Gems in PBCS—The Benefits They Don’t Tell You About

Session Number: 8054
Track: Planning
Sub-Categorization: Administration
Session Type: Product Updates

Session Summary for Attendees:  There are a million reasons to move to the cloud, but these enhancements are not marketed. As someone who fought the drawbacks, I now cringe when I have a client still using the on-premises version of Planning.

This session will provide an administrator five to 10 hidden secrets that you won’t hear from your Oracle sales rep. Unless these secrets are pointed out or you attend training where they are discussed, they will likely never be found. We will discuss foundational improvements like how to evaluate where to focus your time on calculation performance issues, debugging calculations by stepping through the calculation, and stress testing your application. This presentation will include hands-on demonstrations of all the functionality and features discussed.

Attendees will leave this session with knowledge and examples that will allow them to go back to their workplaces and improve their applications. Users looking to move to the cloud will learn about some of the hidden gems that are often forgotten.

I don’t normally write up monthly updated, but this month there are a number of intriguing changes/updates/enhancements that are important to know.  Some may change existing processes.  This is not an exhaustive list, but these are things I think all of us should take note of.

The changes that you will see in the UI may not be visible unless you clear your cache.

EPMAutomate

• You MAC users are going to like this, it can now be installed and work on a MAC. By the way, I am one of them.  I can’t wait until the beta is finished for the Smart View to work with office360, meaning MAC, Ipad, etc.
• You can now run multiple instances of EPMAutomate. So, logging out of one will not log you out of the other.  This will help those that want to run test and prod on one VM.  It will also remove any issue of one process stepping on another.
• Admin mode can be enabled with EPMAutomate, which was a huge missing piece, in my opinion.
• A sortMember command to order members in dimensions is now available.

Forms

• No more composite forms, sorry guys!

Smart Push

• There is a new Smart Push option called Use Database Suppression that enables you to apply row suppression at the database level instead of at the application level, thus eliminating the impact on query thresholds and improving Smart Push wait times.

Settings

• There is a new setting to set the accounts that are linked between plan types to false. This will use the  a new attribute of HSP_LINK (not HSP_NOLINK).

Groovy

• We now have the ability to use the new suppression option on the data map / smart push. This will improve performance and reduce the need to break up pushes in groups of members.
• Groovy can now run jobs. This means a rule can execute other jobs within that rule.  They show as tasks in the job console.  This is limited to the execution of rules, rulesets, and templates.
• All RTPs are now supported in ASO.

Smart View (AMEN on some of these as us old timers will love) – You will want to download the updated version to take advantage of these.

• In-grid, cell-based POV—POV members are placed on the grid instead of in the POV toolbar.
• Submit without refresh—Using the default Submit Data button in the Smart View ribbon, all data cells in a single grid (modified cells and unchanged cells) are marked dirty and submitted. Once the submit operation is complete, the entire grid will be refreshed.
• Enhanced free-form—Users can insert empty columns and rows anywhere in a grid and change the alias table. Additionally, supports member auto-refresh where deleted members are returned to the grid upon refresh.
• Multiple-grid ad hoc—Multiple ad hoc grids can be placed on the same Excel worksheet. With multiple-grid ad hoc, users can submit data from any grid on the sheet. Grids based on aggregate storage cubes and block storage cubes are supported on the same sheet. Each grid is independent; for example, if required, you can change the alias table for only one grid on the sheet.
• Users will now get a warning when the version installed is out of date. Hopefully this can be turned off!

General

• Jobs can now have a new return, success with warnings. An example of this might be loading data.  The job finished successfully but there were rejected records.  Make sure your automation accounts for this!

DM

• There is now an option to not run the validation when data is loaded. For those of you that despise the performance challenges of using DM, this might be a game changer.  The longest part of the process is the actual validation, not the import or export to Planning.

Modules in ePBCS

• Rolling forecast can now be configured for length.
• There were some critical bugs that were fixed in WFP (I know first-hand).
• Some CapX forms were improved as well.

I know many people complain that the same speakers present every year.  I can tell you I get rejected more than I get accepted.  The last few years ODTUG added the option for members to vote on speaker abstracts.  I want to thank all of you that voted for me because the only reason I am honored with this opportunity is because of the great feedback you provided.  I was on the content selection committee and there was a concerted effort to have new speakers.  No, I couldn’t vote for myself!

I really hope the following will be beneficial.  You all pay to attend and I take that responsibility of participating very seriously.  If you plan on attending, please make your way to the Accelytics booth and introduce yourself.  I am really looking forward to meeting you.

Hidden Gems in PBCS – The Benefits They Don’t Tell You About

Tue, Jun 25, 2019 (02:15 PM – 03:15 PM)
602/603, Level 6

Session Summary for Attendees
There are a million reasons to move to the cloud, but these enhancements are not marketed. From somebody that fought the drawbacks, I now cringe when I have a client that is still using the on-premise version of Planning.
This session will provide an administrator 5 to 10 hidden secrets that you won’t hear from your Oracle sales rep. Unless these are pointed out, or you go to training and they are discussed, they will likely never be found. We will discuss foundational improvements like how to evaluate where to focus your time on calculation performance issues, debugging calculations by stepping through the calculation, and stress testing your application. This presentation will include hands on demonstrations of all the functionality and features discussed.
Attendees will leave this session with the knowledge and examples that will allow them to go back to their workplaces and use them to improve their applications. Users looking to move to the cloud will learn about some of the hidden gems that often go forgotten.

Detailed Abstract for Review
This presentation will walk attendees through multiple features that they may not be aware of if they are using PBCS and functions they don’t have access to if they are using the on-premise version. It will begin with an overview of these. It will demonstrate the functions with live demonstrations that will allow participants to make an immediate impact in performance and improve the user experience.

The presentation will be structured as follows:
• Introduction
• Basic Navigation in the cloud UI
• Demonstrate the options to debug calculations
• Demonstrate the option in calculation manager to find and improve time intensive calculations
• Discuss the option of stress testing PBCS
• Provide a checklist for administrators to take with them and implement improvements

Getting Started with Groovy for the Non-Technical Superstars

Mon, Jun 24, 2019 (11:45 AM – 12:45 PM)
602/603, Level 6

Session Summary for Attendees
Groovy calculations are not just accessible to those with lots of experience writing Java, Groovy, or other coding languages. With a little guidance, you can become extremely productive and add some world class functionality to your applications. This session will be delivered with both the experienced, and non-experienced, by a person with a finance degree that learned it on the fly.
This session will provide an administrator with the knowledge needed to get started writing Groovy calculations immediately. We will introduce how to get started with Groovy and use it to interact with PBCS via the API. Three to four key concepts will be covered for you to leave understanding the possibilities. We will discuss where and how to get help, learn from examples, and avoid spending time going down some of the wrong paths like I did.

Attendees will leave this session with the knowledge to implement basic Groovy calculations, examples of more complicated solutions, and the foundation to grow on. They will take home working examples, and references to all the concepts needed to go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds.

Detailed Abstract for Review
This presentation will walk attendees through multiple features that they may not be aware of if they are using PBCS and functions they don’t have access to if they are using the on-premise version. It will begin with an overview of these. It will demonstrate the functions with live demonstrations that will allow participants to make an immediate impact in performance and improve the user experience.

The presentation will be structured as follows:
• Introduction
• Understand how to get started
• Demonstrate and break down how to add user functionality
• Demonstrate and break down how to add pre-save validation
• Demonstrate and break down how to add real time data model synchronization on data form save
• Where to go to get help

If you haven’t signed up, please go out and do that today I hope to see you at one of my sessions.

Success Story - HFM Adjustments - web

As the branding of Planning changes, so to am I.  It became obvious to me when I was at KScope18 and I got asked about the Hyperion name.  It was then I realized that I have been doing this too long.  I am now the old guy.  So, what is Hyperion and what does it mean?

For those of you that don’t know, Hyperion was the company that owned Planning prior to the acquisition by Oracle.  So, you will still hear people talk about Hyperion Planning, or HFR (Hyperion Financial Reporting), or Hyperion Essbase.  That said, Oracle is slowly phasing out the name.  Unless you are using the on premise version, you may have never heard of Hyperion.  As such, Hyperion is being used less and less in searches.

To help people find me, I am syndicating everything to www.in2Oracle.com and www.in2EPBCS.com.  I am still going to keep similar branding, but since people that come to in2Oracle get a logo reading in2Hyperion, there is some confusion.

For those of you that don’t know what Hyperion is, welcome to In2Hyperion.com!  For all you old timers, welcome to In2Oracle.com and In2ePBCS.com.

is now

I am really excited about the breakout sessions this year.  I was asked to be involved in two additional sessions and one of my sessions has been moved.  I really hope to see you all in Orlando!

Ask the Experts – Planning Panel

Jun 12th, 2018 02:15 PM – 03:15 PM
Southern Hemisphere II

This is an open forum with a panel of experiences planning people that are there to answer questions and share knowledge.  It is a great way to get different opinions by people with a lot varying experiences.

Top-Down and Bottom-Up Planning at Breakthru Beverage Group

June 13th, 2018 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Northern Hemisphere E3

This presentation will walk attendees through technical and business solution and how to implement both a bottoms up and top down planning process.  It will also discuss the architecture and technical solution of how it was accomplished.  It will show people the benefits of Groovy calculations integrated with PBCS.  We will conclude with live examples and an documentation on both the technical architecture and business approach that attendees use as a basis to implement a similar solution.

The presentation will be structured as follows:

• Introduction
• Application overview
• Overview of the business processes
  • Process flow
  • User functionality
  • Benefits of PBCS
• Benefits and examples of allowing users to do top down or bottom up input
• Overview of the technical architecture and how it was implemented
• Live demo of working process, including
  • Top down entry
  • Bottom up entry
  • Input validation
  • Monthly phasing
• Overview of how Groovy was used to accomplish real time reporting

Why Groovy is Game Changing

June 13th, 2018, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Northern Hemisphere E3

This presentation will walk attendees through the basics of Groovy calculations.  It will begin with an introduction on how to create a Groovy calculation and end with live demonstrations of all the functionality covered in a live application.

The presentation will be structured as follows:

• Introduction
• What is a Groovy calculation
• Basic Groovy syntax
• How to get help / where to learn
• Groovy integration with PBCS
  • How to calculate only the cells that changed
  • How to dynamically build and run Essbase calculations based on form changes and POV
  • How to bypass BSO calculations enabling input directly to ASO
  • How to customize form Smart Pushes to only include data that has changed
  • How to copy data from BSO to ASO, ASO to BSO, and ASO to ASO
  • How to perform proactive data validation
  • How to execute tasks based on user feedback
  • How to color code cells based on rules
  • How to validation RTPs
• Live demo of all functionality

Last Minute ODTUG Kscope18 Planning Souvenirs You Will ACTUALLY Use!

June 14th, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Southern Hemisphere II

I will be presenting a deep dive on the Groovy Grid Builder Class and will include demo and shared code to do the following.

• Move Data from ASO to BSO to eliminate the need for consolidations
• Calculating outside of Essbase
• Mapping data when moving from cube to cube
• Clearing ASO effectively

No, But Can It Solve Yours?

I received a lot of positive feedback on the Groovy Series and have been asked a many great questions.  People are excited about the improvements but are still a little hesitant to buy in to the hype.  They question, and rightfully so, 

1. are the performance gains really as positive as I have stated, and
2. is the functionality that can be added to improve a user’s experience really available, and
3. can it improve the validity of the data input as much as I have said it does?

Challenge Accepted!

If you have a challenge, performance issues, or missing functionality that you desperately need in Data Forms, post a quick comment with a summary about what you are facing.  Please enter a valid email so I can contact you directly with any questions.  Don’t worry, your email will remain confidential!

I am going to try to pick one situation every week or two and provide some alternatives with Groovy that will solve, or improve the problem you are facing.

I encourage you to

Join the Party!

Good luck on your quest to make Hyperion Planning a better experience for all of your users!

The Mouse Or Bust

I am really excited to be speaking and attending Kscope this year. It is very difficult to get selected to participate, so hopefully I don’t disappoint.  The last few years I was on the outside looking in, but this year I have 2 presentations.

Why Groovy is Game Changing

Groovy is a game changer.  It improves performance, allows for proactive user validation, can interact with the user in ways we haven’t been able to since the introduction of SmartView.

This session will provide an overview of Groovy functionality, including mind blowing performance improvements, how to interact with the planners, pre form save validation, and changing the form visuals.  The session will take the attendees from start to finish on the basics of Groovy with interactive code reviews and live demos.

Attendees will leave this session with the knowledge and examples that will enable them to go back to their environments and implement Groovy calculations to take advantage of ground breaking advancements in the technology.  These scripts improved calculations, data pushes, and consolidations by 98% in a real client application.

Top Down and Bottom Up Planning at Breakthru Beverage Group

Planners are always looking for real time reporting and faster feedback.  They are looking to make the forecasting and planning process faster by using historical trends and the ability to enter data at any level, enter growth factors, and drive the results down to the lowest level of the business.  They want instant feedback on consolidated results.

This session will highlight a customer success story using PBCS.  This session will walk through the strategic benefits building a driver based budget and forecasting application with the ability to seed SKU level data and apply growth rates at any level of product or organization to effectively build a bottom up plan.  The session will also discuss the work force planning application that includes the ability to allocate people over multiple cost centers and companies.  It will also discuss the technical architecture and strategy to allow this to happen and integrate with the higher level P$L in real time.  The session will be supported with live demonstrations.

Attendees will leave this session with an understanding of the business solutions and the strategic benefits of building a plan from historic trends.  They will also leave with a complete understanding of the technical architecture, including the benefits of Groovy calculations, and how to implement a similar solution.

Other Activities

Huron has a host of activities to compliment the events Kscope will be hosting.  If you would like to meet me there to discuss an opportunity, or just have a conversation about the cloud landscape, please drop me a email and we can schedule some time.

I will share more information about my sessions, and some other speakers I would recommend, as the event gets closer.

If you haven’t attended this event, it really is a great experience. You will come away from the event with new knowledge and relationships.  If you are interested in attending there is great information at kscope18.odtug.com.  There is still a $300 discount for early signup, but it doesn’t last more than another few weeks.

The GroovyDynamicLocalizedException Groovy method should return the message in the user selected local (language) from a messageBundle.  This can be used to share the bundles in other situations.  Currently, when used, it returns a validation error.

A validation error was received from the Planning server.

‘Error:The Groovy script failed to compile with internal error: Compile Error: [Static type checking] – Cannot find matching method Script29#GroovyDynamicLocalizedException(oracle.epm.api.GroovyResourceBundleLoader, java.lang.String). Please check if the declared type is right and if the method exists.

Oracle has created in internal bug to this issue.

Bug 27656951 – EPBCS – GROOVY FUNCTION ERRORING

An example of the use of this function that produces this error is below.

def mbUs = messageBundle(["validation.InvalidVendorDesc":"The Product name cannot exceed 20 characters in length. The description that you entered is characters too long.", "validation.InvalidCharacter":"You cannot use commas [ , ] or pipes [ | ] in Product names"])
def mbl = messageBundleLoader(["en" : mbUs])
println GroovyDynamicLocalizedException(mbl,"validation.InvalidVendorDesc").getMessage()

There is currently no time table on a resolution.