Oracle AIM Methodology

An Overview
 Agenda
• What is Oracle AIM
• Oracle AIM – Structure
• Oracle AIM – Phases
• Oracle AIM – Processes
• Oracle AIM – Preview / Demo
• Recommendations
• Questions
Software Development Methodology

•Waterfall

•Prototyping

•Incremental

•Rapid Application
Development

•Rational Unified Process

•Agile Unified Process

Project Management Methods

•Project Management Institute –

PMBOK

•PRINCE 2

•Critical Chain Project Management

•Process based Project Mgmt

•Agile Project Management

Before moving ahead, Let’s capture the

Answers for some AIM Related Questions !!
 Oracle Methodologies
• Oracle AIM 3.1 ( Application Implementation Methodology)
• Oracle EMM ( Easy Migration Methodology)
• Oracle Unified Method ( OUM)

• Our discussion is focus on “Oracle AIM”, version

3.1 ( also known as AIM Advantage)
 What Oracle says about AIM

AIM brings a proven process to the table for implementing Oracle E-

Business Suite Business Solutions with

Highest degree of quality

Quick return on investment

Short time to benefit

 A Complete, Effective Toolkit
Deliverable Templates All delivered in an easy-to-use, web-based
interface
Pre-seeded Content and
Sample Data

Customizable Workplans

Project Management Support

Detailed Task Description

On-line, Context Sensitive

Documentation
 What is Oracle AIM

Oracle AIM provides

templates for all the
tasks that require
them.

Oracle AIM is a methodology The methodology is purpose built

showing what tasks are required, for Oracle Applications and the
what order they should be detailed deliverables produced are
completed in, and what resources designed with the Oracle
are required Application products in mind.
 Oracle AIM - Advantages
• Oracle's AIM is a proven approach for implementing packaged applications. It
comprises a set of well defined processes that can be managed in several ways
to guide you through an application implementation project.

• AIM provides the tools needed to effectively and efficiently plan, conduct, and
control project steps to successfully implement business solutions.

• AIM defines business needs at the beginning of the project and maintains their
visibility throughout the implementation.

• It defines internal, external, and time sensitive business events and maps each
event to the responding business and system processes.

• Client gains an accurate understanding of the business requirements that need

to be focused on during the course of the implementation.
 Oracle AIM - Structure
A phase is a chronological A process is a closely related A task is a unit of work,
grouping of tasks. It enables a group of dependent tasks which which results in a single
flexible way to organize tasks, meets a major objective. A deliverable. I. e reports,
schedule major deliverables, process is usually based on a schedules, code, or test
and deliver projects. common discipline. results for example.
 Oracle AIM – Project Phases
• An AIM project is conducted in phases that provide quality and control
checkpoints to co-ordinate project activities that have a common goal.

• During a project phase, your project team will be executing tasks from
several processes

• Oracle AIM Project Phases as follows ( 6 Phases )

– Definitions
– Operation Analysis
– Solution Design
– Build
– Transition
– Production
 Oracle AIM – Project Phases
• Definition
– Plan the project
– Review the organization's business objectives
– Evaluate the feasibility of meeting those objectives under time,
resource, and budget constraints
– Emphasis is on building an achievable work plan and introducing it
with guidelines. Establishing scope early in the
implementation gives the team
– Strategies, objectives, and approaches are determined for each AIM a common reference point and
process an effective way to
• Operations Analysis communicate.

– Project team develops Business Requirements

– Assess the level of fit between the business requirements
and standard application functionality.
– Gaps are identified and corresponding solutions developed.
– Solutions for gaps evolve into detailed designs during
Solution Design.
 Oracle AIM – Project Phases
• Solution Design
– Develop the detailed designs to meet the future business requirements.
– Project team members create detailed narratives of process solutions
developed during Operations Analysis
– Supporting business requirements may require building application
extensions to standard features
– The project team carefully scrutinizes these solutions and chooses the
most cost effective alternatives.

• Build
– coding and testing of all customizations and other custom software
– Coding & testing of enhancements, data conversions, and interfaces
– Policy and procedure changes relating to business process modifications are
developed.
– Business system testing is performed to validate that the developed solutions
meet business requirements.
 Oracle AIM – Project Phases
• Transition
– Deploys the finished solution into the organisation
– The project team trains the end users
– Technical team configures the production environment and converts data
– Transition ends with the cutover to production, when end users start
performing their job duties using the new system.

• Production
– It marks the last phase of the implementation, and the beginning of the system
support cycle.
– The Information Systems (IS) personnel work quickly to stabilise the system and
begin regular maintenance.
– Provide the ongoing support to the organisation for the remaining life of the
system.
– Compare actual results to project objectives.
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• A process in AIM represents a related set of
objectives, resource skill requirements, inputs, and
deliverable outputs.
• A task can belong to only one process.
• Project team members are usually assigned to a
process according to their specialization and
background.
• 12 Processes as referred in AIM –
– Project Management
– Business Process architecture
– Business Requirement Definition
– Business requirement definition
– Application & technical architecture
– Module Design & Build
– Data Conversion
– Documentation
– Business System Testing
– Performance Testing
– Adoption & Learning
– Production migration.
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Project Management ( PJM)
– Project & Phase Planning, Execution, Control, Reporting & Completion
– Work Management & Resource Management
– Quality Management & Configuration Management
– Project Management itself is a comprehensive process and has separate way to
handle it, i.e. PMBOK , Oracle PJM etc

Task CR: Control & Reporting , WM: Work Management, RM: Resource Management
ID QM: Quality Management, CM: Configuration Management
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Business Process Architecture
– Task Code/ID : BP

– Provide the framework for combining

change in business processes with
implementation of software applications

– It focuses on high-level business processes

and operations generally applicable to the
organization

– Make business focused decisions either to

change the current processes to suit the
application or to customize the application.

Commonly used templates

 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Business Requirements Definition
– Task Code/ ID: RD

– Defines the business needs that must be met by

the implementation project.

– Develop a complete set of business requirements

scenarios that can be used to map business
requirements to application functionality.

– Analyze and identify the reporting requirements

for the business

– Carefully document audit and control

requirements to satisfy financial and quality
policies.

Commonly used templates

 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Business Requirements Mapping
–Task Code/ ID: BR

–Ascertain the fitness for use of application features

in satisfying detailed business requirements
expressed at a business process step level.

–Business Requirements Mapping encompasses the

following areas:
• Mapping
• Business system testing
• Application setups

–Mapping is an iterative approach with the following

objectives:
• Prove business process designs through demonstration
• Identify gaps in the application
• Propose feasible bridges to gaps
Commonly used templates
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Application & Technical Architecture
– Task Code/ ID: TA

– Design an information systems architecture to realize

the business vision.

– This process divide into two areas:- 1. Application

Architecture, 2. Technical Architecture

– The process takes the business and information

systems requirements and develops a blueprint for
deploying and configuring:
• Oracle, third-party, and custom applications
• Supporting application server environments
• Critical interfaces and data distribution mechanisms
between applications, servers, and sites
• Computing hardware, including servers and client
desktop platforms
• Networks and communications infrastructure
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Module Design & Build
– Task Code/ ID: MD

– Focus on the design and development of

customizations to satisfy functionality gaps
identified during Business Requirements Mapping
(BR).

– Modification — changes to the base Oracle

Applications code

– Extension — new forms, reports, programs, tables,

interfaces and triggers that add functionality
without changing the base application code

– Configurable Extension — addition of functionality Continue to Next Slide

through flex fields, alerts, and other configuration
options provided by the Applications Commonly used templates
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Module Design & Build
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MD110 –Code- Developer create Module Code i.e.

procedure, form, alerts etc

TE070 – Testers perform a unit test

 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Data Conversion
– Task Code/ ID: CV

– Convert and test all necessary legacy data

for the operation of the new system

– Conversion Approaches
• Manual Conversions
• Programmatic Conversion with or w/o tools
• Automated Data Entry
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Documentation
–Task Code/ ID: DO

–Reference that shows the users how to use

application functionality

–Set of procedures for using the application

in response to day-to-day business events

–Documents that describe the technical

details of the application for the
maintenance staff

–Produce a set of procedures for managing

the system
 Oracle AIM – Processes
•Business System Testing
–Task Code/ ID: TE

–Three main aspects of Business Testing – Planning, Early Introduction of Testing & CRP

–Business System Testing does not address performance testing or the testing of data conversion programs
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Performance Testing
– Task Code/ ID: PT

– Enables you to define, build, and execute a

performance test.

– To make decisions on whether the

performance is acceptable for the business

– Propose tactical or strategic changes to

address the performance quality shortfall.

– Automated V/s Manual

– Types of Performance Testing

• System Performance
• Module/ Code Performance
• Hardware and Networks
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Adoption & Learning
– Task Code/ ID: AP

– Training prepares both users and administrators to assume

on the tasks of running the new application system

– Adoption and Learning impacts the following five major

audiences:
• Executives
• Implementation project teams
• Functional managers
• Users
• Information technology groups
 Oracle AIM – Processes
• Production Migration
– Task Code/ ID: PM
– To migrate the organization, systems, &
people to the new enterprise system
– Assessing readiness for transition to
production
– Executing cutover to the new system
– conducting post-production support
 Oracle AIM - DEMO
• Oracle AIM Advantage 3.1 Demo

• Templates

• Q&A

• Discussion
 My Experience & Thoughts
• CR010 – Project Management Plan / • MD050 – Functional Design
Project Plan (WM020) • MD070 –Technical Design
• Overview Training • System Integration Testing

• RD010 – Organization Structure • CV010 – Data conversion Strategy

• RD020 – Business Requirement • CV060 – Data Conversion Templates
Gathering • PM010 –Transition Strategy
• RD050 / BR030 – MAP Business • TE040 –Test Scripts
Requirements • BR110 – Security Profiles (Roles and
• TA040 –Application Architecture Strategy Responsibility Matrix)

• CRP Session I • User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

• BP080 – Future Business Model • Cutover and Production Migration
• BR010 – GAP Analysis Plan
• End User Training (End User Manual)
• CRP Session II • BR100 –Application Set up
A Sample Project Level Activities
 Some Recommendations
1. Follow the documentation principle like Preparer, reviewer with dates
and approvers with version controls details in all documents.
2. Try to avoid Word, Excel, PPT attachments to the templates.

3. Collect enough details from client to prepare the process flow.

4. Stick on to the Project schedule to submit the documents on time.

5. Ensure to fill the open and closed issues on all updates if any.
6. Follow the uniformity in using templates across all modules.

7. Avoid providing internal intranet URL etc for reference.

8. Follow the Oracle Custom standards while preparing Technical Docs.

9. Documents prepared by one person must be reviewed by another

before submitting to Client.
10.Get a sign off from client and as well as from PM on all docs.
Questions ?