Oracle E-Business Suite implementation partner scorecard

• Functional consultantMulti-orgWe run several operating units. How would you set up responsibilities so users can process transactions across them, and what do you check when a user cannot see an operating unit?
• Functional consultantChart of accountsHow would you design our Accounting Flexfield, and what is hard to change once we go live?
• Functional consultantSubledger AccountingHow do subledger transactions reach General Ledger in EBS, and how would you change how an account is derived?
• Functional consultantCostingShould our inventory organizations use standard or average costing, and when must that be decided?
• Functional consultantPersonalizationWhich requirements would you meet without custom code, and which EBS tool would you use for each?
• Functional consultantPeriod closeHow would you organize our month-end programs so they run in the right order and do not collide?
• Functional consultantData migrationWhat data would you convert into EBS, how would you load it, and how many rehearsals would you plan?
• Functional consultantFit-gapHow do you classify gaps in an EBS fit-gap, and who signs off a customization?
• Technical consultantOnline patchingWalk me through an adop patching cycle on 12.2. Which phase takes downtime, and what can still be undone?
• Technical consultantFile systemExplain fs1, fs2 and fs_ne. Where do you make configuration changes during a patching cycle, and what happens to custom files at cutover?
• Technical consultantCustom database objectsWe are adding a custom table in our own schema on 12.2. What must you do so it works with online patching?
• Technical consultant12.2 upgradeWe are on 12.1 with a lot of custom code. How do you assess it before a 12.2 upgrade?
• Technical consultantCustom applicationWhere do our custom forms, reports and programs live, and how do you set that up on 12.2?
• Technical consultantConcurrent programsRegister a new PL/SQL concurrent program for us. What objects do you define, and how do users get access?
• Technical consultantForms extensionWhen would you use Forms Personalization versus the CUSTOM library, and how does the CUSTOM library survive patches?
• Technical consultantOA FrameworkHow do you change an OA Framework page, and how do you move that change from test to production?
• Technical consultantChange controlHow do you move concurrent programs, value sets, responsibilities and menus between instances?
• Technical consultantIntegrationHow would you expose EBS to our e-commerce and MES systems?
• Technical consultantPerformanceA concurrent program that ran in 10 minutes now takes 2 hours. How do you find the cause?
• Project leadPlanShow me an EBS project plan you ran. Where are the conference room pilots, test cycles and cutover rehearsals?
• Project leadTeamWho exactly will be on our project, including the Apps DBA, what percentage of their time, and what happens if one of them leaves?
• Project leadPatching cadenceHow will you plan patching cycles and the cutover window around our business calendar after go-live?
• Project leadRoadmapShould we stay on EBS 12.2 or move to Oracle Fusion Cloud, and how does that change this project?
• Project leadCutoverDescribe your EBS go-live weekend. What is converted when, and what is the rollback decision point?
• Project leadCommercialsWalk me through your estimate. What assumptions would cause a change order?
• Project leadReferencesCan we speak to an EBS customer whose project had problems, and what did you change afterwards?

Red flags in EBS partner evaluations

• Senior people in the sales meeting, unnamed juniors on the proposal

  The team you interview should be the team you get. Ask for a key-person clause.

• No 12.2-specific answers on adop, editioning or the custom synchronization driver

  12.1 habits break online patching. Generalists learn 12.2 on your budget.

• Plans direct SQL inserts or updates on base tables to load or fix data

  Bypasses validation in open interfaces and APIs, and Oracle does not support altering Application Object Library data outside its forms, programs and APIs.

• Proposes changing seeded Oracle forms, packages or reports in place

  Oracle states customizations by modification are not supported and are often not preserved by upgrades and patches.

• Makes changes on the run file system or run edition during a patching cycle

  Changes made there are lost at cutover unless they are synchronized.

• References only from Fusion Cloud projects or more than a few years old

  EBS 12.2 delivery and patching skills differ from Fusion Cloud. Recent, same-product references matter.

• Low fixed fee with broad exclusions

  Exclusions such as conversions, reports, interfaces and custom code remediation usually return as change orders.

• No cutover rehearsal in the plan

  The first full data load should never be the go-live.

• Certifications claimed for the firm but not the named people

  Ask for each consultant's credential name and date. Several older EBS exams are retired, so check what is current.

• Custom code and patching excluded from post go-live support

  Someone must own the extensions they built and run each adop cycle.

• Pushes a move to Fusion Cloud or a stay on EBS before understanding your situation

  The roadmap decision depends on your custom code, modules and timeline, not on what the partner sells.

• Unverifiable claims of exclusive status or guaranteed timelines

  Ask for written evidence. Real partners describe risks, not guarantees.