Oracle introduces new updates to its Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing offering

Earlier this week, Oracle introduced new updates to its Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM) offering, which connects shippers’ supply networks with an integrated suite of cloud business applications.

In a blog posting, Rick Jewell, Oracle Senior Vice President, Applications Development, explained that the last 12 months have caused more disruption to global supply chains than any other period in generations, further highlighting the critical importance of re-platforming, transforming, and evolving supply chain systems.

“Building on our already strong, proven, and comprehensive cloud platform, we continue to deliver continuous innovation with more new updates to Oracle [SCM],” he observed. “These new capabilities in Oracle Cloud SCM will further help our customers proactively respond to change, capitalize on shifting market opportunities, orchestrate frictionless operations, and drive sustainable business growth.”

The new updates to Oracle Cloud SCM include:

• New Production Scheduling: Maximizes factory throughput and asset utilization for discrete industries. This feature helps customers manage production schedules with drag and drop capabilities, real-time analytics to monitor schedule performance, and real-time work order synchronization with Oracle Manufacturing;
• New Order Management Capabilities: Improve the productivity and user experience for Oracle Order Management users by enabling them to move on to other tasks while large orders are processed in the background, in addition to supporting the execution of secure and fast credit card payments;
• New Procurement Capabilities: Streamline and simplify the procurement process with: new auction pre-bidding capabilities that help suppliers better prepare for negotiations; master contract variables to improve the accuracy of contract information; and expanded purchase order distribution capabilities that help customers collaborate more effectively;
• Maintenance Work Requests Through Oracle Help Desk: Improve responsiveness and enhance asset maintenance by enabling any employee to quickly and easily report facility and asset related maintenance discrepancies;
• Lot Split, Merge, and Translate Services: Enable customers to split lots into smaller units, merge smaller lots into one large lot, and move units to a new lot (translate) using REST and file-based data import (FBDI), in order to meet partner support requirements; and
• New Oracle IoT Asset Monitoring & IoT Production Monitoring Capabilities: Enable customers to monitor key characteristics of their assets and gain a full view of their production line output

Oracle also introduced new logistics capabilities to Oracle Cloud SCM focused on helping shippers plan and adapt to disruptions and execution, in order to exceed customer expectations, including:

• New Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) Machine Learning Capabilities: Help customers accurately predict transit times, reduce costs associated with unplanned delays, and increase logistics efficiency; 
• New Oracle IoT Fleet Monitoring Machine Learning Capabilities: Improve accuracy and cost savings by applying feature-based machine learning on OTM data to determine insights and predict transit times for planned shipments. In addition, drivers can now use the Oracle IoT Fleet Monitoring mobile app to complete a shipment;
• Digitally Connected Logistics with IoT: Out-of-the box integration between OTM and Oracle IoT Intelligent Apps enables customers to reduce costs and streamline deliveries by using IoT sensor-based monitoring to track equipment, trailers, and pallets, as well as to monitor the condition of the cargo or inventory being transported; and
• Qualify Goods for Trade Agreements: Delivers improved margins and increased competitiveness. With this feature, users can qualify products against global trade agreements to support customer sales orders and internal transfer order processes

In late January, Oracle introduced new updates focused on helping shippers augment global supply chain efficiencies for Oracle SCM.

Oracle officials said that the updates are for subsets in Oracle Fusion Cloud Global SCM—Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) and Oracle Global Trade Management (GTM)—and are geared towards helping shippers reduce costs, make better planning decisions, and improve customer experiences.

“Oracle Cloud SCM delivers enhancements and updates to customers on a quarterly basis,” said Oracle Vice president of Supply Chain Management Product strategy Derek Gittoes told LM. “But beyond that, we realize that the last year has been a massive stress test for supply chains across the globe. Organizations across all industries are reimagining their supply chains to focus on resilience and to help withstand future disruptions—and we want to help support our customers in that effort. With the enhancements to Oracle Transportation Management and Oracle Global Trade Management, customers can now embrace robust and resilient logistics processes to keep the business moving efficiently.”

The Oracle executive said that the biggest benefits of these upgrades for shippers are increased flexibility, efficiency, and automated decision support.

“For example, the Oracle Logistics Machine Learning-based transit time prediction feature drives better shipment planning which in turn leads to higher on-time delivery at a lower cost,” he said. “Additionally, with the Ocean Enhancements feature, shipping customers can automate transactions with ocean carriers from booking through financial settlement, and with the new 3D Load Configuration Editor, customers gain full flexibility in managing container-based shipments and how they are loaded (leading to lower freight costs). Finally, the new Rules of Origin Qualification feature enables customers to take advantage of preferential trade agreements in order to lower the cost of their goods.”