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Don’t Stick a Fork in PeopleSoft Yet!

Have you been given a mandate to ‘Go Cloud’? Do you feel like PeopleSoft is just a legacy application that is destined to go the way of green screens or client-server? It’s not that you dislike PeopleSoft, but it’s just not the ‘cool’ or ‘In’ application anymore. It’s said by some (vendor sales associates) that PeopleSoft is a legacy application and its technology is outdated. That it’s table based User Interface isn’t modern and isn’t user friendly. That it’s too expensive to upgrade every 3-5 years. They say PeopleSoft is dead!

Insider: PeopleSoft Dead?Well, they declared Superman dead once, but the reality is the franchise is doing well. With an updated wardrobe (minus the red underpants) and a new soundtrack, Superman is back and better than ever. And so is PeopleSoft.

PeopleSoft is still the Cadillac of HCM/Financial application functionality, especially for global customers. Oracle has made huge investments recently with the introduction of new features and technologies such as the PeopleSoft Cloud Architecture (PCA), Fluid interface, Selective Adoption, the Test Framework (PTF), PeopleSoft Update Manager (PUM) and the Related Content Server (I feel like I’m in the army with all the acronyms). These updates have given PeopleSoft the much needed wardrobe makeover it needed. PeopleSoft has always been one of the most functionally robust systems available, but now it has all the technology benefits of a modern software system to go along with that best practice functionality.

Starting with PeopleTools 8.53 and continuing with PeopleTools 8.55+, the PeopleSoft architecture allows customers to have many of the cost saving options as full cloud vendors, and more! It’s not the one size fits all that you get with other cloud only vendors. Each PeopleSoft customer has the choice to define what level fits their organization best. Now you can put PeopleSoft into the Cloud in various formats; from Hybrid cloud with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a private cloud, to keeping the traditional on premise (but still able to utilize cloud tools); all without the costly reimplementation and conversion.

Other than it’s all the rage these days, why would you want to put your PeopleSoft system in the cloud? Well, the biggest reason would be:  Cost Savings. Keeping your current on premise network infrastructure is expensive. By moving to the cloud you’ll be able to take advantage of the latest hardware and platform innovations as well as utilize best practices for security and data management. PeopleSoft instances can be easily spun up and taken down in hours, not days with the new PCA rapid provisioning tools. Add to that the ability to dynamically scale the hardware as needed to reduce or eliminate common performance issues.

A customer recently asked me how they can maximize their investment in PeopleSoft. How could PeopleSoft be setup to make an apples to apples comparison with Workday or Success Factors? While it will vary from customer to customer, maximizing both the functional features, as well as the newest technology of PeopleSoft, will significantly increase your ROI while increasing compliance and operational efficiency. So, for those who want to jump into the deep end of the pool and experience PeopleSoft as a full Cloud solution…

  1. Move your PeopleSoft system(s) into the Cloud, via the Oracle Cloud or another 3rd party vendor.
  2. Implement the Selective Adoption methodology and Update Manager to apply image updates shortly after being released (every 10-12 weeks).
  3. Utilize the PeopleSoft Test Framework to automate testing of updates.
  4. Move or remove as many PeopleSoft customizations as possible via the Content Server functionality to lesson customization impact on delivered PeopleSoft updates.
  5. Utilize PeopleSoft Deployment Packages (PDK) to maximize demo, development and test environments as well as the Automated Configuration Manager (ACM) to migrate configuration settings.
  6. Deploy both delivered and PS WebSolution SmartForms utilizing the Fluid user interface for a consistent and simplified user interface on any device.

What does all this mean?PeopleSoft Lives

That PeopleSoft is now a viable cloud solution!

We will start a deep dive into each of these new features in follow-up posts but the notion that PeopleSoft’s days are over isn’t accurate. When evaluating potential application changes, it’s important to have all the facts in order to make informed decisions. And keeping your existing PeopleSoft application and utilizing its new wardrobe update make it more than a compelling option.

 

tyger_head_circle_yellow_smallBy Tyger Vollrath

Tyger Vollrath is the Founder and COO of PS WebSolution. He has over nineteen years of experience in the PeopleSoft and is a frequent speaker and contributor of HCM content.

*Images courtesy of Jus Daze & DC Comics

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