At a Glance
Client American specialty fashion retailer operating 3,000+ company-owned stores across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Greater China
Workforce Scale 80,000+ global associates supported by a newly implemented Oracle HCM system
Challenge Custom BI Publisher SQL reports with 100+ columns created major performance bottlenecks in Oracle HCM reporting
Solution DataTerrain's proprietary methodology to migrate BI Publisher SQL reports to Oracle HCM Extracts
Outcome Resolved reporting bottlenecks, faster report generation, and full utilization of the retailer's Oracle HCM reporting investment

US-BASED FASHION RETAILER

BI Publisher to HCM Extract Migration: How a US Fashion Retailer Modernized Oracle HCM Reporting

Customer Background

About the Fashion Retailer

This American specialty fashion retailer is known for its world-famous family of brands selling lingerie, personal care, beauty products, apparel, and accessories. With operations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Greater China, the retailer has grown to 3,000 company-owned stores, with more in the pipeline.

To enable its 80,000+ global associates to manage this scale effectively, the fashion retailer rolled out the latest Oracle HCM system as part of its digital transformation program.

Customer Storeis
The Challenge

BI Publisher SQL Reports Created Performance Bottlenecks

Given the complexities and unique business model of the retailer, an extensive reporting solution was implemented using BI Publisher with custom SQL queries for data extraction. This approach quickly created scale-related obstacles:

High-Column Report Complexity

Many reports required more than 100 columns, resulting in significant bottlenecks during generation.

Reporting Performance Issues

Custom SQL queries for data extraction caused significant performance issues when generating reports.

Global Scale Demands

Supporting 80,000+ associates across five countries required a reporting solution built for enterprise scale.

Migration Recommendation

Based on the recommendation to migrate from BI Publisher to HCM Extracts, the retailer chose DataTerrain to lead the migration.

Our Approach

DataTerrain's Proprietary Optimization Methodology

DataTerrain deployed its proprietary approach for the BI Publisher SQL-to-HCM Extract migration, drawing on extensive data-handling capabilities, technical expertise in BI Publisher, built-in formatting options, and a pool of subject matter experts across HR, payroll, and benefits.

1
Analysis and Design

Mapping documents: DataTerrain SMEs created mapping documents for each report, aligning BI Publisher SQL tables and columns with Oracle HCM Extract user entities and attributes to minimize run times.

Template design: designed RTF, Excel, and XSL templates to match existing report formats, leveraging DataTerrain's repository of pre-built HCM Extracts as an accelerator.

Layout optimization: revisited report layouts to identify redundancies, reducing complexity and improving readability after stakeholder approval.

2
Development and Validation.

Refine Extracts configuration: utilized the Refine Extracts feature to manage HCM parameters, including filter types, parameter visibility, lookup options, and default values by user group.

Performance tuning: reduced report-level calculations and optimized user entities and filters to enhance efficiency.

Test validation:conducted manual test execution and documented runtimes, securing user approval for production.

3
Knowledge Transfer, Deployment, and Roll-Out.

Deployment of reports was managed using provided documentation, with key users performing final validation before sign-off. DataTerrain conducted knowledge transfer sessions for the retailer's technical team, ensuring a smooth transition.

Business Impact

Outcomes That Mattered to the Business

Reporting Bottlenecks Resolved

DataTerrain's SMEs resolved bottlenecks that hindered production reports, bridging major skill gaps within the retailer's organization.

Faster Issue Resolution

An established working relationship with Oracle support enabled quick resolution of major platform issues.

Round-the-Clock Project Velocity

24/7 execution across DataTerrain's global delivery centers kept the migration moving at high velocity.

DataTerrain enabled the retailer to improve decision-making and manage its business more effectively. After resolving performance issues and bottlenecks, the retailer can now fully leverage its investment in Oracle HCM reporting.

Bottom Line

What Sets DataTerrain Apart

The retailer's migration succeeded on time and within budget through DataTerrain's skilled SME pool, established Oracle partnership, and 24/7 global delivery model, capabilities that resolved reporting bottlenecks and unlocked the full value of the retailer's HCM investment.

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"The migration to HCM Extracts finally gave our reporting the performance and reliability it needed to keep pace with a global retail operation." IT Director
US-Based Fashion Retailer