What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Oracle E-Business Suite is that as the finance guy, I try to advise ERP on the financial side. My expertise is on the financial side. As a financial consultant, I consult on the financial position in each and every ERP. So, my learning knowledge is totally on the financial side.
What is most valuable?
I have found the capabilities of Oracle E-Business Suite to be very valuable. For the last seven years, I have tried Oracle, and I am happy with it. I am currently using it in my organization with IFS ERP, which is also very good for controlling everything in our system. Additionally, I am learning Microsoft Dynamics 365, which is also very good.
I have found Oracle E-Business Suite's capabilities, such as linking every module like the purchase module and production management module, to be the most valuable. That's why I am happy with Oracle, although some features of other ERPs are not connected.
The benefits and positive impacts I have seen from Oracle E-Business Suite include that it is the most customizable, most secure, and has a large user base with very good security. Oracle helps us significantly. As a core user of both Oracle and IFS ERP, I can visit all the modules at the same time. This helps me synchronize all the data across all modules, enabling me to show management how the organization works, how each module functions, and how people can get the information they need from the right sources. That's why Oracle and IFS are too good for our organization.
What needs improvement?
I would like to improve the integration with other solutions, as I need everything integrated, like the HR module, purchase module, SCM, production, and engineering. Each and every module should be connected to the finance module, and I think Oracle provides the right solution. Also, SAP, IFS, or Microsoft Dynamics 365 offer some solutions, but I am not as happy with them as I am with Oracle.
I believe that Oracle E-Business Suite could improve by transitioning from Java-based scripts in our system to a web-based environment. While Oracle already has JD Edwards available in web-based format, I think it needs to be smoother for optimization and presentation in the future. In comparison, IFS is fully web-based, and all applications are sufficiently good and user-friendly.
We are developing and trying to improve to a web-based setup, but it is currently too costly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working in my current field for more than eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I assess that Oracle E-Business Suite is stable and reliable, as our full server is in our control, making it totally secure for our organization because it is not cloud-based. I am unsure about cloud security, but our data is guaranteed to be completely secure by our IT team, application team, and security team. Therefore, Oracle is totally secure in our organization.
I have experienced outages or latency, but we have a backup plan, which means we conduct daily backups on another server for security. This data is secured in the cloud but is not connected with Oracle; it simply sends the data to another server for security purposes. If a crash occurs, it takes about seven to eight hours to restore the data.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I evaluate that Oracle E-Business Suite is scalable because the ERP system is developed for its skillful people; however, most people in our country are unskilled and do not use computers properly. Some final technical staff helps train our people to adapt to this ERP, and our local vendor also provides training. I find Oracle to be much better than other ERPs like SAP or IFS, being easier and more comfortable for everyone. If our people are learning about local ERPs, then Oracle remains close to them.
How are customer service and support?
I can share that our technical team has customized Oracle in Bangladesh, and they have done a good job because Bangladesh has an Oracle official office that provides us with good solutions.
I have communicated with the technical support of Oracle E-Business Suite through our local vendor who connects with us weekly to diagnose our ERP system and provide us with quick solutions for stability management. I find our local vendor to be excellent support for our Oracle system, and our local Oracle office also assists us with stability.
I predominantly use local support rather than Oracle's direct support because our system remains stable.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I evaluated other technologies and solutions before choosing Oracle E-Business Suite, such as Tally, an Indian software, and customized software in Bangladesh, but they did not connect all the modules simultaneously. This led us to change our ERP system in 2017, and currently, we are fine with the Oracle system. Last year, in 2023, we introduced a new ERP, IFS ERP, and our management is happy with it. We are also trying to consider changing to SAP for our alternative organization, but all ERPs have similar modules and concepts. I have also been learning Microsoft Dynamics 365 over the last two weeks, and it appears to be similar to Oracle and IFS.
How was the initial setup?
I bought Oracle E-Business Suite directly from Oracle through an American vendor in 2017, and our management team even visited Oracle headquarters.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I find the pricing is not ideal for a smaller organization right now.
What other advice do I have?
I have experience with those solutions. I have found the capabilities of Oracle E-Business Suite to be very valuable. For the last seven years, I have tried Oracle, and I am happy with it. I am currently using it in my organization with IFS ERP, which is also very good for controlling everything in our system. Additionally, I am learning Microsoft Dynamics 365, which is also very good.
I think the analytics capabilities of Oracle E-Business Suite are strong since we have connected it with Microsoft Power BI for analytical work and visualization. This helps the Oracle team.
The analytics data helps me in my decision-making process primarily on the financial side, as we focus on financial management within Oracle E-Business Suite. My organization and our management are happy about it. Production, supply chain management, and engineering are also connected with the Power BI module for analytical work, and they are also satisfied with the current solution. We also use IFS ERP in our other organization, which is similar to Oracle and works just as well, so both are equal.
I do use Oracle E-Business Suite for financial management, employing various scripts for managing financial positions, cash flow management, income statements, and everything is scripted. In our Bangladesh IFRS-based system, we are using Oracle and IFS.
The impact on financial management includes that our Oracle system is based on a future portfolio with projected cash flow and budgetary control; everything is attached to both IFS and Oracle. This setup helps us capture future financial crises and other issues fully integrated with other applications, beneficial for future financial data and impact. That's why Oracle E-Business Suite is good for our organization.
Oracle E-Business Suite is currently deployed on our local server, but while cloud solutions are good, cloud management costs are quite high right now in our country. Therefore, our local server provides the full solution.
The cloud is expensive for my region.
I predominantly use local support rather than Oracle's direct support because our system remains stable.
I am still in charge of the corporate accounts and the ERP system at General Pharmaceuticals Limited, being the finance guy. Additionally, I am a student of the Chartered Accountant in Bangladesh, ICAB. I am currently an employee at General Pharmaceuticals.
My email address is mazhar.acc@generalpharma.com, and you can connect with me anytime through this official address.
I would rate Oracle E-Business Suite a nine out of ten because it is the best on my side and easy to use.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other