Oracle Takes Measured Approach to Collaboration

At Oracle’s Value Chain Summit in San Jose, Calif. last week, executives shared their views on the future of “cloud” technology and its growing role in social networking.

“We see a greater tendency for collaboration within an enterprise when cloud applications are used,” said Rick Jewell, Oracle’s senior vice president of application development

Jon Chorley, Oracle’s chief sustainability officer and group vice president of supply-chain management, echoed that sentiment when he noted that internal communication is key.
“Supply chain managers worldwide are seeking to build resiliant networks, with end-to-end visiabiity,” he said. “Our new offerings are designed to address those needs.”

In the three years since first embracing the Cloud, Oracle continues to encounter significant resistance, however. Both men allowed that institutional protocols represent part of the problem.

“It’s interesting, though, to observe that so-called ‘emerging markets’ might be driving the need for more agile solutions,” he said.

Indeed, trade compliance and the complexity of determining total landed costs may provided added incentives for multinationals to purchase more Oracle products and services.

In a few months, the company will release cloud capability to support order promising “from quote to cash.” Later in 2015, Oracle will extend the cloud services offering to cover manufacturing activities from planning to production. Finally, sometime in 2016, it will introduce an offering promising to address S&OP and a comprehensive planning cycle.

“The architectural underpinnings are in place,” said Jewell. “And that means rule-based flexibility will follow. “The upside for companies in new markets is significant from an environmental point of view, too.

SC
MR