R12.2 RUP9 New and Changed features

(For the previous release RUP8, see my blog here)

For 12.2, patch 22559919 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.9 (12.2 HRMS RUP9) / EBS 12.2.6 (Patch 21900901) - was released on 15-Sep-2016. New and updated features are tracked in document - Oracle E-Business Suite Product Specific Release Notes, Release 12.2.6 (Doc ID 2114173.1). Refer to Doc ID 2113949.1 for notes on applying the R12.HR_PF.C.Delta.9 Release Update Pack.

Also see Doc ID 2162959.1 for known issues on top of patch 22559919 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.9 / EBS 12.2.6 (Patch 21900901)

Key interesting enhancements are:

User Experience: 

• New HTML based AOL setup UIs for Users, Responsibilities, Flexfields.
• Release 12.2.5 introduced an updated Look and Feel for Oracle Application Framework-based pages, the Oracle Alta UI. This means the profile option - Oracle Applications Look and Feel - needs to be set to "Alta Look and Feel", or a look and feel that extends it. Taking a look back in time, historically, we have had these changes in look & feel across the years: 

                12.0 to 12.2.2 - Swan Desktop Look and Feel

                12.2.3 - Skyros Look and Feel or Swan Desktop Look and Feel

                12.2.4 - Skyros Look and Feel

                12.2.5 onwards - Alta Look and Feel

The table below shows some examples of look and feel changes, and also examples of changes to generic functionality:

Description	Comment
Change in login page: The look and feel has changed to make the login page friendlier to use across various screen sizes. This change does not impact customers using SSO, as the login page is not used when logging in via SSO.	Tip: If the buttons on this page do not render correctly when using Internet Explorer, try removing the website from Compatibility View Settings.
Icons at the top right have changed to also be more intuitive & mobile friendly. Depending on the version you currently are on, these icons may already be visible for you in some cases.
The appearance of buttons, fonts, layout of tabs and colours have changed for Oracle pages. These are cosmetic in nature and do not impact functionality.	Previously: Now:
The navigator has changed for Professional Users (cosmetic changes only).	Previously: Now:
The screen to submit concurrent programs and requests has added functionality.	1)     There are new buttons at the bottom of the “Find Requests” screen, which allow one less click when submitting a new request from this screen. 2)     There are new fields/ buttons on “View Requests” screen:       These new buttons or options are designed to make it simpler to use the screens by reducing number of clicks needed to get to the end result. Note: The new "Auto Refresh" functionality requires the following system profile to be set: Concurrent: Auto-refresh View Request Timer (secs). I would recommend a setting of 60 seconds or more.
WebADI look and feel changes	The company logo may now show at the top after launching a WebADI.

Payroll: 

• (Delivered in RUP8): A new WebADI has been delivered to add assignments to an assignment set. The function name is Manage Assignment Set (PAY_WS_ASGSET).
• (Delivered in RUP8 for US and CA legislation only): Self Service Bank Account validation can now be enabled based on the profile option - PAY: Enable Personal Bank Account Validation. When this validation is enable, the employee is required to enter their account number twice. 
• (Delivered in RUP8): A new interface delivered via a new function (PAY_WS_RETRO_RESULTS) allows to review the results of RetroPay Enhanced process (Navigation --> View --> RetroPay Enhanced Results) - see screen capture below. We have had the "Retropay Status" window since ages to allow a review of the results of Retro Notifications Report. So this new interface is a good pair-up which allows to see assignment actions created by RetroPay Enhanced process, with a drill down to the retro element entries created. I am hoping to see a further feature where a report or screen is provided to show or export all retro element entries created by the RetroPay Enhanced process. 

Learning Management:

• (Delivered in RUP8): The Class Details page now includes an additional section to view the session details of the class (if any). The Class Details page is what learners already use to view class enrollment status. 

There are no new features in Succession Planning, Oracle Labor Distribution, Oracle Self Service, Oracle Performance Management, iRecruitment, HRMS Configuration Workbench, AME, Core HR, Compensation Workbench.

The following modules have new features, which are not summarized in this blog - Advanced Benefits (US specific features to generate 1095-Cs & record employee COBRA Healthcare Offer Details),  Oracle Time and Labor (several new profile options, calendar view of Timecards, shift premium deduction charges & credit overtime as absence).

(For the next release (RUP10), see my blog here)

R12.2 RUP8 New and Changed features

(For the previous release RUP7, see my blog here)

For 12.2, patch 21507777 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.8 (12.2 HRMS RUP8) was released on 27-May-2016. New and updated features are tracked in document - Applying R12.HR_PF.C.Delta.8 Release Update Pack (Doc ID 2113297.1)

Also see Doc ID 2113772.1 for known issues on top of patch 21507777 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.8 (12.2 HRMS RUP8)

Key enhancements are:

Payroll: 

• A new WebADI has been delivered to add assignments to an assignment set. The new function is called "Manage Assignment Set", using which you can now create/ delete assignment sets and add new assignments to the assignment set.
• Useful feature Alert! A new interface delivered via a new function (PAY_WS_RETRO_RESULTS) allows to review the results of RetroPay Enhanced process. We have had the "Retropay Status" window since ages to allow a review of the results of Retro Notifications Report. So this new interface is a good pair-up which allows to see assignment actions created by RetroPay Enhanced process, with a drill down to the retro element entries created. I am hoping to see a further feature where a report or screen is provided to show or export all retro element entries created by the RetroPay Enhanced process. I will post screen captures once I have had a chance to look at this feature further,
• For US and Canada only: Using the profile option "PAY: Enable Personal Bank Account Validation", a validation can be enabled which will force employees to enter bank account twice (to ensure correct account is entered). When an employee enters the account number the first time, the value is masked and the option to copy is disabled. Hoping to see this feature rolled out to other legislations soon.
• International Payroll users get some new features, including support for generating .pdf payslips, cash management reconciliation for EFT payments and Payroll Dashboard (which is available via Payroll Professional responsibility). 

Learning Management:

• The Class Details page now includes an additional section to view the session details of the class (if any). The Class Details page is what learners already use to view class enrollment status. 

There are no new features in AME, Compensation Workbench, HRMS Configuration Workbench, Core HR, iRecruitment, Oracle Labor Distribution, Oracle Performance Management, Oracle Self Service,

The following modules have new features, which are not summarized in this blog - Advanced Benefits (one US specific feature to generate 1095-Cs), Oracle Succession Planning (Talent Matrix), Oracle Time and Labor (several new profile options).

(For the next release (RUP9), see my blog here)

R12.2 RUP7 New and Changed features

(For the previous release RUP6, see my blog here) 

*** This is a Work in Progress Document ***
For 12.2, patch 20000400 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.7 (12.2 HRMS RUP7) / EBS 12.2.5 (Patch 19676458) was released in Oct-2015. This is also known as Release 12.2.5, which is a major release. New and updated features are tracked in document ID 2049015.1.

Known Issues on Top of Patch 20000400 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.7) / EBS 12.2.5 (Patch 19676458) are tracked in Doc ID 2056506.1

Key enhancements are:

Self Service: 

• Oracle Fusion's simplified menus are available in 12.2 for better transactional user experience. New delivered menus include: Manager Self Service - Simplified & Employee Self Service - Simplified (or specifically for AU: Simplified AU Manager Self-Service Container & Simplified AU Employee Self-Service Container).
• Using personalization, you can display a person pop-up card for the employee name field (containing details such as Organization, Work and Mobile phone number)
• Organization Chart and Talent Profile pages now include support for multiple assignments of an employee (where previously, these pages supported only one assignment of subordinates)
• Organization Chart also supports launching personal actions as a workers (previously, only manager could launch manager actions) 

Oracle Time and Labor

• New Concurrent Program - Time Entry Detail Report - allows to view the timecard explosion data before a timecard is approved and transferred to OTLR module
• The Hour Deduction Policy form has an additional "Unit of Measure" field available that allows deduction rule to be defined in minutes. 
• Timecard integration with HR Absences is extended to timecards which have OTLR feature enabled, with a new Days to Hours Conversion Factor field enabled for day based absence type elements.
• The Earning Policy form has a new value "Day of the Week" in the LOV for "Type" field. This allows time entered on specific day of the week to be treated differently from rest of the days for determining regular and overtime.
• The existing concurrent program "Transfer time from OTL to BEE" has been enhanced to enable parallel run in multiple business groups. 

There are no new features in Oracle Labor Distribution

AME, Compensation Workbench, HRMS Configuration Workbench, Core HR, iRecruitment, , Oracle Performance Management, Oracle Self Service,

The following modules have new features, which are not summarized in this blog - Advanced Benefits (one US specific feature to generate 1095-Cs), Oracle Succession Planning (Talent Matrix), Oracle Time and Labor (new report ).

(For the next release RUP8, see my blog here)

R12.1 RUP9 New and Changed features

(For the previous release RUP8, see my blog here)

For 12.1, patch 21980909 - R12.HR_PF.B.DELTA.9 (HRMS 12.1 RUP9) was released in May-2016. New and updated features are tracked in document - Oracle Human Resources Management Systems Readme, HRMS Release Update Pack 9 for Release 12.1 (Doc ID 2113189.1)

Known Issues on Top of Patch 21980909 - R12.HR_PF.B.DELTA.9 (HRMS 12.1 RUP9) (Doc ID 2113768.1)

Key interesting enhancements are (it's a short list this time):

Payroll:

• We have a new WebADI to add assignments to an assignment set. The new function is called "Manage Assignment Set", using which you can now create/ delete assignment sets and add new assignments to the assignment set. It would have been lovely to had there been a feature to "delete" existing assignments from the assignments sets (so that the same assignment set can be re-used easily across multiple payroll runs), but from what I have read so far, I do not believe this feature is available. I am yet to try out the WebADI though - so if any of you has tried this out, please can you include your experience in the comments below. 
• Good news also for folks on International Payroll is that the Payroll Dashboard has now been released for you. Payroll Dashboard is available under Payroll Professional responsibility, and this function should work out-of-the-box. The Payroll Dashboard does have some useful features, so if you haven't had a look at, I would encourage you to. (A note for myself: At some point in the future, I need to blog about my experience with Payroll Dashboard). 

There are no new features in AME, Compensation Workbench, HRMS Configuration Workbench, Core HR, iRecruitment, Oracle Labor Distribution, Oracle Learning Management, Oracle Performance Management, Oracle Self Service,

The following modules have new features, which are not summarized in this blog - Advanced Benefits (one US specific feature to generate 1095-Cs), Oracle Succession Planning (Talent Matrix), Oracle Time and Labor (several new profile options).