PCM to unifier migration considerations - Oracle Primavera P6 Collaborate 14

PCM to Unifier Migration Considerations
Lim Tan, Senior Consultant
DRMcNatty & Associates
Abstract
Unifier is able to address some key functional areas limited within PCM and many PCM clients are keen to consider
Unifier but are unsure of the migration approach and what knowledge is required of Unifier.
This white paper will focus on what steps and knowledge are needed to ensure a successful migration whilst
outlining the key differences between PCM and Unifier. Understanding how Unifier is business process driven and
completely permissions based will be critical not only for the migration but also for efficiently maintaining and
evolving the Unifier environment. Correct design and configuration of the system ultimately paves the way for a
smoother transition to Unifier.
Topics covered will include an overview of the Unifier base product functionality; administration and permissions
set up; designing appropriate Unifier Business Processes; technical issues in migrating data into Unifier; and
company and reporting
Features and Comparison
Overview
The key distinction between Unifier and Contract Management is Unifier is a business process driven platform
whilst Contract Management is document-driven product. Both have common functionality, such as: User
Administration, Projects, Templates, System Reports, Alerts, Project Mailbox and User Tasks. Unifier is highly
configurable and can be either a SaaS or traditional cloud model. These business processes result in business
process records rather than a completed document, though a copy of the record can be saved to the Document
Manager. Its capabilities extend to a number of additional modules not found in Contract Management such as
Capital Planning, Fund Management and Resource Management as well more comprehensive Cost, Schedule and
Document Management.
With the right guidance Contract Management can be up and running in a relatively short space of time, however
since Unifier is a platform, everything needs to be designed and configured. Based on complexity an
implementation can be a lengthy process. Oracle has provided Unifier base products in Project Delivery, Cost
Controls, Capital Planning, Facility Management and Real Estate Management and these do come with pre-built
business processes and Managers. Even with this in place, it is very likely that further modifications will be
required.
In PCM, document creation can use workflows though they are fairly inflexible. Unifier however has fully
customizable workflows including business process forms that can be configured to capture the exact data
required. Another difference is in the Cost Management. Unifier has a more comprehensive cost controls module
eliminating the need for a 3
rd
party cost management tool. It can provide features such as advanced cash flow,
earned value and fund management. It supports multi-currency and has a rules engine to enforce cost and funding
control. Additionally Unifier does provide full audit control support unlike PCM.
Terminology

Some terminology and concepts do differ and it is important to be aware of these. Probably the most important
term in Unifier which will be unfamiliar with PCM clients is shells. These can represent anything such as a business
region, operating division, organization department, assets and projects. The shells are organized within a
hierarchy and can provide a more appropriate view of how specific data is grouped within an organization.
Another distinction is that shells can be either WBS or Generic. WBS shells are ones that PCM clients would use.
These incorporate the use of a Cost Breakdown Structure (Cost Codes) which transactions (from Contracts,
Purchase Orders, General Spends, Payment Applications) can be applied to and rolled up to the cost sheet.
Unifier Administration and Set Up
Planning
Like any IT project, Unifier requires comprehensive planning and design. From designing business processes and
shells to configuring the Managers and setting up permissions, time can quickly start adding up. Without the
proper planning, analysis and design, a successful implementation could become difficult to achieve.
It is recommended to have a phased approach unless you have a small implementation. Even just at the design
phase, a common hurdle to overcome can be deciding and agreeing on the correct workflows for business
processes. This in itself can turn into an unexpected lengthy process.
The use of the base product applications such as Project Delivery and Cost Controls do help a great deal, however
as stated earlier, it is unlikely that the pre-built functionality will be a perfect fit. Modifications will be inevitable
and the planning for this work must go through the same methodical and thorough steps as if starting without pre-
built functionality.
Usability
Unifier has a customizable workspace that can be tailored specifically to what a user needs to see and do. There
are two modes available for interaction, Administration and User Modes. Access to these is driven by permission
settings whether as an end user or administrator.
A typical end-user will most likely only have features available in User Mode with very limited or no Administration
Mode. Every user has a Home tab from which to work in and would have access to such features as Tasks,
Messages, Drafts, uMail (Unifier’s internal email) and a Master Log (business processes a user can work in).
Importantly, there will be access to their projects also via the tabs. Dependent on their permissions, a user can
perform the same functionality as in the Home Tab as well as other modules of functionality such as the Cost
Manager, Document Manager, Schedule Manager and Reporting. Each project also has an Admin Mode, though it
is unlikely a typical end user would be given permissions to this. An end user could also have access to company-
level functionality.
Administrators, based on their responsibilities, will predominately work in Administration Mode in the Company
Workspace tab. This provides functionality such as creating projects; setting up users and user access via groups;
designing and setting up business processes and setting up the required Manager modules.
Permissions
The permissions are very comprehensive from what the end-user or administrator can see and do within Unifier.
For easier maintenance of users and associated permissions it is recommended to include similar users within a
Group and the permissions set at the group level. That being said, one of the most common user issues found in
Unifier tend to stem from incorrect permissions.
Templates

Unlike PCM, Unifier has the ability to create templates for most modules. Templates can be created for user and
group permissions, shell template (which includes functional modules such as Cost Manager, Schedule Manager
and Document Manager), cost sheets, schedule sheets, funding sheets and rules. With Unifier being set up with
many working parts, the use of templates becomes extremely useful for administrators for set up and maintaining
consistency.
Customizing a Business Process
As mentioned before, Unifier comes with pre-built business processes included in the base product applications
and they can be a good starting point. The four main areas for customization are Data Elements, forms, workflows
and its behavior.
Data Elements (DE) are the fields on the form. These DEs are designed in the Data Structure Setup and are the
containers for the Data Definitions (data type). If new DEs are required for forms then these can be created here
and used in the forms.
The forms for each business process are designed in uDesigner. On opening a business process, the forms are
under the Upper Form and Detail Form sub-nodes. Upper form represents the main information of the business
process and if more detailed information is included (like in a master-detail relationship) then a detail form would
have also been designed. An example is a Contract which has a breakdown of costs associated with it. Any new DEs
required for the form can be added directly into it.
The workflow for the business process can also be accessed under uDesigner. This provides a visual design where
steps and routing can be modified. Each step (except Creation and End steps) includes a view and action form for
the user. The routing between steps can change the record status of the business process and more specific
statuses can be used if added in the available status values.
Customizing the way a business process behaves as it is routed through the workflow is found in the business
process set up. This can be found within the shell itself or in the Company Workspace if it is a company-level
business process. Each step (represented as a task) can be configured to have task duration, user-select or pre-
assigned task assignees, completion policy and email notification.
The modifying of a business process does involve multiple steps including deploying to the test environment.
Again, the process will be more straightforward if the design is fully thought through from Unifier’s perspective
and documented.
Data Migration
This is probably one of the most important concerns during a migration. Unifier has three options to getting data
into Unifier. Manual data entry, CSV and web services (XML). Manual data entry is a good way to get familiar with
end-user Unifier, though it is unfeasible to migrate all data with this method, if dealing with hundreds or even
thousands of records. The CSV option works well in this case and is available for all business processes and most
Unifier objects.
Unifier’s business processes can be customized to ensure the right critical data is being included. Matching the
exported PCM data to the Unifier CSV import template column headings simply becomes a data mapping exercise.
Another option is web services. This requires experience of XML but provides a way to automate the import
process of data rather than manually importing via a CSV file. There is flexibility in what business processes and
Unifier objects are exposed but it is important to remember that there are some limitations. It may seem obvious
but it is important for the developer to fully read the relevant section in the Integration documentation before
proceeding down a specific development route.

Reporting
Unifier allows reporting via User-Defined Reports (UDR) and custom reports. The bare product applications do
come with pre-defined UDR and custom reports (only version 9.14) that can also be further customized. Unifier
allows users (with permissions) to create their own UDRs using fairly straightforward design steps. There are four
UDR types available; tabular, cross tab, summary and alerts. User-Defined reports can be created at the company
or project-level and can include data from business processes, project information and cost data. These reports
can also be saved for other users to run.
Custom reports are created using BI Publisher. These will provide a more feature-rich report than the UDR. The
report layouts are created in BI Publisher Desktop and uploaded into a created custom report. This report layout
gets data using either an Internal or External Data Model. For easier maintenance, an Internal Data Model is a
preferred route. External Data Model requires a BIP xdm file to also be uploaded and any changes to the report
will require the appropriate change in the xdm file.
Implementation
As mentioned before an implementation can vary greatly in length and the time to set up the administration,
projects, permissions, business processes. managers and reports can all add up. A Unifier implementation can be
considered like an IT system development project and that means accepting that it will take time. However,
making a small number of minor customizations to the base product applications might see an implementation
completed relatively quickly. It is recommended to spend a great deal of time in the analysis and design phase to
document out exact specifications of what is to be built or modified and translate that to what Unifier steps and
settings are needed to achieve this.
Ideally you would have specific administrators for main administration areas such as shells and business processes
etc. Typically a client does not have the resources to do this and it is possible, based on implementation size, that
one person could maintain the entire Unifier environment. It would be a lot of knowledge to be familiar with but if
that person has been involved from the start, it is possible.
Conclusion
Migrating from PCM to Unifier is feasible and can provide a number of additional functional benefits. The question
is whether Unifier justifies the time taken to implement combined with the cost implications. Obviously the key
driver is the business need but the migration process duration, to a degree, is also dependent on the level of
customization required to make the most valued use of the features available. If PCM is doing its job and the
additional functionality is more a ‘want’ than a ‘need’ then it probably makes sense to keep with PCM. Unifier is a
very flexible platform and it will suit a number of clients who have outgrown the functionality of PCM; where their
programs have large budgets and long durations and have both the time and expense to migrate over. For many, it
is unlikely to be justified and PCM is a better fit for the shorter duration, limited budget programs.
It is recommended to engage with an Oracle Certified, Unifier specialist to help provide a solid foundation to the
decisions made as the implementation progresses. The guidance and knowledge transfer that can get be gained,
will pave the way for a successful, smoother and better understood implementation.

PCM to unifier migration considerations - Oracle Primavera P6 Collaborate 14

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