Purchase Order Management System Migration
Project Summary
The project revolves around the modernization of Supply Chain management, which aimed to transition from a legacy Purchase Order Management System (POM) to Oracle SCM. This change is part of a broader modernization effort to retire mainframe systems, enable real-time visibility, flexibility, and scaleability. This project was implemented in two phases:
Phase 1: Data fields were expanded to store 8-digit POs while temporarily continuing to use the old 7-digit fields.
Phase 2: Migrated from the legacy POM system to the Oracle Cloud SCM solution.
Phase 2: Migrated from the legacy POM system to the Oracle Cloud SCM solution.
Problem Statement
The existing POM system was nearing its limit for available 7-digit PO numbers. In addition, it was running on costly, outdated technology. The company risked running out of available PO numbers, potentially causing delays in order processing and financial reporting. Additionally, the mainframe-based POM system was expensive to maintain.
Key Objectives
• Complete the migration to 8-digit PO numbers and utilize the new fields in all systems.
• Switch all systems from 7-digit to 8-digit PO handling without causing disruptions.
• Retire outdated mainframe systems and migrate to Oracle SCM Cloud.
• Ensure seamless integration between Oracle SCM Cloud and other applications.
• Switch all systems from 7-digit to 8-digit PO handling without causing disruptions.
• Retire outdated mainframe systems and migrate to Oracle SCM Cloud.
• Ensure seamless integration between Oracle SCM Cloud and other applications.
Solutions Implemented
• Implementing a conversion program to move old 7-digit PO data into the new 8-digit fields, ensuring systems can handle the increased PO length
• Ensuring compatibility across various systems to avoid processing failures due to the longer PO numbers
• Decommissioning the Sales Accounting System (SAS) to reduce costs associated with running a legacy system and eliminating SAS as an intermediary for sending PO information
• Ensuring compatibility across various systems to avoid processing failures due to the longer PO numbers
• Decommissioning the Sales Accounting System (SAS) to reduce costs associated with running a legacy system and eliminating SAS as an intermediary for sending PO information
Outcomes Achieved
• Increased system capacity for PO numbers by 900%, from a maximum of 10 million POs to 100 million POs
• Reduced external intervention by 95%, and cut PO processing time from 48 hours to 12
• Reduced customer invoicing delays by 65%, leading to faster cash flow and more accurate financial forecasting
• Reduced operational costs by approximately $1.5M per year in terms of maintenance, support, and infrastructure costs
• Reduced external intervention by 95%, and cut PO processing time from 48 hours to 12
• Reduced customer invoicing delays by 65%, leading to faster cash flow and more accurate financial forecasting
• Reduced operational costs by approximately $1.5M per year in terms of maintenance, support, and infrastructure costs
Responsibilities
(See my Core Responsibilities across all projects)
• Risk Mitigation: I collaborated with technical teams to implement a risk mitigation strategy focused on minimizing potential business disruptions, ensuring data integrity, and preventing system integration failures during the 8-digit PO migration. By facilitating a parallel processing approach, we ensured the 7-digit system could run concurrently while the new system was tested, reducing the risk of downtime or data loss and allowing for a smooth transition across all connected systems.
Applications
Oracle SCM Cloud was the central platform for managing all supply chain processes, replacing the legacy Purchase Order Management (POM) system and handling PO-related tasks, including direct data transmission to invoicing systems. It provided real-time data integration and improved scalability, supporting the expanded 8-digit PO plan.
Whiteboard Session Process Flow
This process flow reflects the initial brainstorming session that I facilitated with the project team. During this whiteboarding session, we collaboratively explored the challenges and potential solutions for the 8-digit PO expansion, mapping out the initial system integrations and workflows that would guide the project's development.
Final Version Process Flow
This final process flow illustrates the streamlined solution. It reflects the optimizations made during the project, showcasing the completed migration from the legacy POM system to Oracle SCM Cloud for order processing and invoicing. This document has been simplified and modified to protect confidential information.
