The need for automating metadata updates is becoming more important as systems to facilitate financial consolidations and financial budgeting and forecasting are being implemented. Most companies prior to implementing a product to facilitate these activities used Microsoft Excel which inherently cannot synchronize metadata between worksheets and/or workbooks.
During a phase 1 implementation of a particular Oracle EPM product like, Financial Management or Hyperion Planning, it is more difficult to automate metadata because it is usually of lower priority compared to automating calculations or reports. While it is lower priority is should not be taken for granted. Without proper metadata synchronization between the various systems the more likely the “single version of the truth” is a dream instead of reality. The first step is to move away from manual entry excel spreadsheets. The second step is to make sure that the metadata between the source and target systems is maintained properly.
Metadata Life Cycle Prior to DRM
- Department A request new account to be created in ERP system
- Account is created and an email is sent to a group to let them know a new account has been added
- Mark, the Hyperion Administrator, is out on vacation
- Mary, Senior Financial Analyst (AKA the backup Hyperion Administrator), is tasked with updating the data within Financial Management during the close cycle
- Since Mary was not on the new account distribution list she is unaware of the new account
- During the first day of close Mary receives 25 emails asking her why they are encountering errors when they are trying to load data to Financial Management.
- Mary begins reaching the issue. Meanwhile upper management is asking for point in time close reports to see how the business is doing.
- Mary has to inform her boss that the reports are not accurate because the data is not complete in Financial Management
- Mary call Mark, but he does not have his cell phone turned on.
- Kathy, Mary’s co-worker, asks if she can help Mary debug the issue with the data load.
- After a few hours they find that the error logs for Financial Management contain error concerning accounts that are not in Financial Management
- Mary researches the accounts and creates a new metadata file to load to Financial Management.
- Mary loads the new metadata file and asks the end users to upload their files again
- After the users upload their files they begin complaining that although the data loaded there numbers do not look accurate
- Mary checks and sure enough the account type is incorrect for the accounts that she added
- Mary modifies the metadata file and makes that changes to Financial Management
- She asks the end users to try again
- Finally the end users are able to tie out their data move forward with the close process
Metadata Life Cycle with DRM
- Department A request new account to be created in ERP system
- The new account is added by Sara, Senior Accountant, to DRM
- DRM validates the account and Sara’s boss signs off on the account and the properties associated with the account
- Sara submits a ticket to the Financial Management help desk to initiate the DRM process to update Financial Management metadata
- The known and well defined process runs and emails Sara letting her know that the account has been added to the ERP system as well has Financial Management. An email also goes to Mary, Senior Financial Analyst, letting her know a new account has been added to Financial Management
- The close cycle begins and end users can upload their data without metadata issues
One of Oracle EPM’s goals was to provide users with a single version of the truth. With that said the data is only as good as the metadata between the source and target systems. Using DRM and ODI to coordinate your metadata updates can help to improve overall metadata and data quality as well as reduce the time necessary to maintain the Oracle EPM environments.
