data processing does not get in the way of efficient production.
Lean is about taking away everything that does not act directly
to achieve the objective. Another breakthrough is the sharing of
knowledge or information across functional borders within corporations. Allowing the shop floor more visibility into demand,
what orders are coming, and how they are prioritized is a good
example of this.
We have seen more processes become real-time; there is a
constant real-time flow of inputs and outputs connecting customers, manufacturers, and suppliers. The same is true in the
services area, where real-time visibility into the availability of
resources to projects is often the difference between winning a
contract and losing it.
Marketplaces are also in continual flux, due to geopolitical
changes and other extraordinary events. In the United States,
the repercussions of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating effects in
the South have led to a change in the number of government-funded contracts for construction, to
replace infrastructure lost in the storm.
This has raised the
importance of support
for accounting practices
mandated by the government for engineering
and construction firms.
To keep up with
Lenley Hensarling these changes in business processes, vendors
are constantly enhancing their applications,
playing a game of catch-up with their customers. Businesses must be able to add support
for new practices with minimal disruption.
This is at the heart of the rationale for the Oracle Applications
Unlimited strategy. We are investing in a next generation of
applications while continuing to add new functionality to
support the evolution of best-practice processes within our
current product lines.
Applications ACE
Floyd Teter on what it takes to be
an Oracle ACE
PROFIT: What’s your experience with Oracle Applications?
TETER: Although I’ve worked with Oracle databases
since version 5.0, my first hands-on experience in Oracle
Applications was relatively recent: Oracle E-Business Suite 10. 6
in 1997. In terms of the applications, my expertise is mostly
functional in nature and focuses on Oracle Projects, Oracle
Financials, and Oracle Discrete Manufacturing. I’m also pretty
knowledgeable about the applications technology stack. I’ve
found that you can’t succeed as a functional applications expert
if you don’t understand the database and the middleware.
Over the years, I’ve also experienced success as a project
manager. My specialty here is with small project teams working
under tight deadlines. Six people working long days in a single
conference room, living on soda and pizza: that’s my twisted
idea of professional Nirvana.
PROFIT: What motivates you at work?
TETER: The feeling of appreciation from my customers when
I deliver what they need or solve a crucial problem for them.
Plus the job pays for all my fancy BBQ gear!
PROFIT: What has been the most exciting development you’ve
witnessed at Oracle, and what’s on the horizon?
TETER: The most exciting things I’ve witnessed are the
development of Oracle Fusion Middleware; the embracing of
industry standards; and the emphasis
Oracle places on integration across
applications, particularly best-of-breed
applications. On the horizon, the
most exciting thing is Oracle Business
Process Analysis Suite, because it will
enable functional business systems
analysts to literally map business processes to Business Process Execution
Oracle ACE Floyd Teter
Language (BPEL) code.
PROFIT: What do
you like most about working with Oracle
Applications?
TETER: For me, the most exciting thing about
working with Oracle Applications is to look at
our work and know that business applications
actually contributed to the exploration of the
universe. When we look at the Mars Rover or
pictures from Cassini, our teams know that our
work with the applications was part of making
those wonders happen.
PROFIT: How can you identify an Oracle ACE?
TETER: The easiest way is through Oracle
Technology Network’s “Find an Oracle ACE” search engine
[at oracle.com/technology/community/oracle_ace]. “Find an
Oracle ACE” supports searching for an Oracle ACE by name,
company, location, or area of expertise. <>
>> FOR MORE INFORMATION
Oracle On Demand
oracle.com/ondemand
Oracle Application Integration Architecture
oracle.com/applications/oracle-application-integration-architecture.html
Oracle Financing
oracle.com/financing
Oracle Imaging and Process Management for
Financial Operations
oracle.com/goto/ipm/finance
Oracle SOA ROI Calculator
oracle.com/goto/applications-with-fusion-middleware
Lenley Hensarling’s blog
blogs.oracle.com/lenleyhensarling
Find an Oracle ACE
oracle.com/technology/community/
oracle_ace
Know Your Oracle ACE
oracle.com/technology/community/
oracle_ace
Name: Floyd Teter
Employment: Systems engineer for
Institutional Business Systems, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena,
California. JPL is a federally funded
research and development center,
managed for NASA by the California
Institute of Technology, that special-
izes in robotic exploration of the
universe around us.
