Keeping your applications up to date and current with new updates protects and extends the value of your Oracle PeopleSoft applications. Routine application maintenance paired with an understanding of PUM Application best practices also ensures that your organization drives innovation in today’s technologically evolving world. If your organization is currently leveraging PeopleSoft, you’re likely aware of some of the opportunities to optimize and upgrade PeopleSoft, but have you taken the steps to do so?
Below, we’ll discuss the importance of staying current with PUM Image and PeopleTools updates and highlight the value that these updates provide to ensure your PeopleSoft practices are up to date and consistently driving value for your business processes.
WHAT IS PEOPLESOFT UPDATE MANAGER (PUM) FOR PEOPLESOFT?
PeopleSoft Update Manager (PUM) is a Lifecycle Management tool that provides consistent updates and optimizations to your PeopleSoft environment. PUM Image, used to select updates and define change packages, provides application patching and ongoing maintenance, delivering new features with each PUM update.
A PeopleSoft Update Image and the aid of the change assistant tool can provide users with improvements to existing features and break-fix initiatives that can assist in making their PeopleSoft environments more efficient.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PUM?
Before PUM upgrades, any break-fix initiatives or regulatory changes had to be configured as a traditional application upgrade. This was a timely and costly process, swaying organizations away from improving the functionality of their PeopleSoft environments. This typically resulted in outdated PeopleSoft interfaces and hindered system performance.
Fortunately, with a PeopleSoft PUM upgrade, organizations can leverage the reduced time, effort, and costs associated with traditional upgrades to ensure that their unique business needs are being met. A main benefit of PUM involves the selective adoption capabilities that allow PeopleSoft users to personalize which features they would like to implement with the change assistant tool.
Suppose you choose to download a PUM Image Update that has recently been released. In that case, you have the opportunity to select the specific skills you want to incorporate into your PeopleSoft environment. Organizations no longer must commit to a timely and costly traditional upgrade process to see improvements and more value-driving features to their PeopleSoft applications.
PUM also provides continuous image updates and scheduled releases so you can consistently optimize your PeopleSoft environment. Oracle now releases these image updates three times per year.
WHAT ARE PEOPLETOOLS UPDATES FOR PEOPLESOFT?
PeopleTools are a toolset that supports the development and optimization of applications (PeopleSoft 9.2 and more). The product suite includes over 40 technology tools grouped into five functional areas: development, analytics, integration, administration, and lifecycle management tools. A PeopleTools update differs from PUM in that it is more specific to technical functions and impacts functional capabilities.
Oracle releases PeopleTools updates that build on PeopleTools functionality to drive and extend the value of applications. Not only do PeopleTools upgrades bring new PeopleTools capabilities and functionality, but they also decrease operational costs, and organizations who take advantage of PeopleTools upgrades see an increase in user productivity.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PEOPLETOOLS UPDATES?
The results of a PeopleTools update provide various enhancements to your PeopleSoft environment. Organizations who take on a PeopleTools update can expect to see an optimized user interface, a more advanced analytic platform that includes Kibana integration, pivot grid features, and external data integration, and a reduction in overall operational costs.
PeopleTools updates are typically released between 12-18 months.
FAILURE TO UPDATE PEOPLESOFT WITH PUM AND PEOPLETOOLS UPDATES
If your organization consistently fails to leverage PUM and PeopleTools updates, you may face lagging behind your competitors who have optimized their PeopleSoft environments and in turn, have seen enhanced business processes. If you’ve failed to consistently update your PeopleSoft environment and have recently decided to make efforts to update, the process will be timelier and more complex.
Depending on what release you’re on, you may not be able to leverage new updates, prompting the need to go back and apply prerequisite PUMs. Further, if you want to take on and leverage the new capabilities of a new PUM update, you may need to be updated with PeopleTools as well.
Many PeopleSoft customers own features and licenses for capabilities that they aren’t leveraging. A failure to leverage opportunities for updates to your PeopleSoft environment could deplete the value of the application and means that your organization is wasting valuable resources that you have at your disposal.
For example, many organizations using PeopleSoft fail to leverage the PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF), a free tool that automates functional testing for more test accuracy. Even though PTF is free, many PeopleSoft users ignore its capabilities and fail to drive value to enhance business processes and user experiences.
THE ELIRE DIFFERENTIATOR FOR YOUR OPTIMIZATION EFFORTS
There’s no doubt that optimizing your PeopleSoft investments with PUM and PeopleTools updates is vital if you want to continue driving value and innovating. Here at Elire, we understand the value of an up-to-date PeopleSoft environment and work to implement upgrades and other optimization initiatives to help PeopleSoft users maximize efficiency.
If you’re tired of spending extensive time, resources, and funds on expensive application updates and bug fixes, Elire can help you leverage the benefits of PeopleSoft PUM Image and PeopleTools updates. First, we conduct an Optimization Assessment that will provide a series of recommendations to help you maximize your investment in PeopleSoft.
Based on the state of your application, we’ll:
- Uncover opportunities for improvement
- Highlight new or underutilized functionalities and apply updates
- Maximize existing customizations and improve the ability to succeed under continuous delivery
- Deliver a cost-benefit analysis & business priority of new features and new functionalities
- Conduct PUM image and PeopleTools Updates
- Assist with PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF) Script Utilization.
For more information on PUM Image updates and PeopleTools updates, explore our PeopleSoft Services or success stories that highlight our application optimization work with specific clients, dealing directly with PeopleSoft to Cloud, Kyriba Advisory, and other managed services.
If you have questions on PUM and PeopleTools updates or application maintenance for your PeopleSoft applications, contact us or directly email [email protected] to speak with our experts.
Learn more about Elire’s experience supporting lifecycle management, PeopleSoft to Cloud PeopleSoft FSCM or HCM capabilities for more support and enhancements today.