When EF Education First, a global education company, transitioned from a 20-year-old on-premises ERP system to Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, their initial focus was to ensure their global team adapted to new systems and processes during the two-year migration. After a successful migration, however, the company found that efficient data-loading tools were critical to ensuring data integrity and their long-term success.
The barriers
The company faced three significant challenges in its migration to Oracle Fusion Cloud:
- Change management: With 50,000 team members in 100 countries, extensive communication and support were key to making sure that everyone adapted to the new system.
- Learning new systems and processes: Employees had to learn a new ERP system, implement new processes and procedures, and identify new contact points for questions, training, and support.
- Technical adjustments: Configuring Oracle to accommodate VAT laws in various countries was time consuming and complex.
Communicating change
From the beginning, the company paid close attention to change management, understanding that employees needed to learn a new system, implement new processes, and know who to contact for questions, training, and support.
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During migration, Pehr Karlsson, Head of Finance Transformation, focused on internal communication and ensured that employees were well informed and supported throughout the transition.
Post-migration challenges with in-built Oracle tools
Soon after migrating to Fusion Cloud, EF found that Oracle’s in-built data loading tools like ADFdi (Application Development Framework Desktop Integration) and FBDI (File-Based Data Import) had several shortcomings:
- Multiple sheets and inflexible formatting: The tools lacked critical functionality and were not user friendly. With ADFdi, users were unable to upload critical supplier and customer data, including invoices. Further, FBDI was challenging to navigate, with users needing to switch between separate spreadsheets for each level of data.
- Limited data validation and error messaging: Neither tool provided real-time data validation or intuitive, in-sheet error reporting, making it difficult to upload data accurately and efficiently.
Realizing that their end users, accountants, were struggling, EF needed to find a more effective data-loading solution that overcame these shortcomings.
The need for an efficient, user-friendly data loading tool
More4apps was the solution they needed. The ERP Cloud Toolbox’s Finance Module streamlined EF’s data-loading processes and allowed end users to upload data accurately and efficiently, significantly improving their workflow.
- Single Excel spreadsheet: The More4apps Excel-based tool allowed the accounting team to load data in a single spreadsheet, instead of having to navigate multiple sheets like with FBDI.
- Flexible formatting: EF could also leverage Excel format’s flexibility and features to upload customer and invoice data as per their requirements.
- Advanced data validation: More4apps’ advanced in-sheet error validation and intuitive error messaging also allowed them to instantaneously identify what went wrong and where, making it easy to edit and upload data, ensuring data integrity.
- Oracle secured end-user connection: The More4apps toolbox seamlessly integrates with Oracle Fusion Cloud, ensuring that EF maintained a single source of truth.
After implementing the More4apps ERP Cloud Toolbox Finance Module, remote training helped EF accounting teams learn to use the new toolbox. This was vital as it enabled them to have ownership of the data upload process, reduce their dependence on the IT department and overcome the challenges with Oracle’s built-in tools. The training helped EF users learn the new system, implement new processes and procedures, and understand who to contact for questions and support.
Rather than doing manual data entry or struggling with FBDI or ADFdi, which would have slowed down the team and increased inaccuracies, EF Education First’s accounting teams continue to leverage More4apps’ fast, user-friendly ERP Cloud Toolbox’s Finance Module to upload invoice data.
“More4apps was a bit of a lifesaver for me in a very stressful moment of the implementation,” Karlsson said. “The fact that we have this solution that’s working and easy to use is really great for us.”
