Possible methodologies for implementing New Modules on Existing EBS suite The following three methodologies could be considered

for new implementation: 1) Oracle Application Implementation Method (AIM) 2) Oracle Unified Method(OUM) 3) Oracle Business Accelerators (OBA) All the above three methods are proven and has been successfully adopted by enterprises, according to specific needs and demands. Each of the above methods has its advantages and challenges. Implementers take into account the following factors before recommending a suitable methodology: Size of the enterprise and its business Existing application setup and application spread Is it an upgrade, add on module, re-engineering effort Time to implement and availability of ERP project teams with the client Documentation effort Cost and scalability Interface requirements

Given below or features of all the three methodologies, and recommendation:

1) Oracle Application Implementation Method (AIM)

What Oracle says: 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

ORACLE AIM is an effective toolkit which provides, Deliverable Templates Pre-seeded Content and Sample Data Customizable Workplans Project Management Support Detailed Description Online Context Sensitive Documentation

All delivered in an easy to use, web-bases interface. ORACLE AIM provides, templates for all the tasks that require themORACLE AIM is a methodology showing what tasks required, what order they should be completed in, and what resources are required The methodology is purpose built for Oracle Applications and the detailed deliverables produced are designed with the Oracle 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 Oracle AIM Structure the course of the implementation. ORACLE AIM Project Phases An AIM project is conducted in phases that provide quality and control checkpoints to coordinate 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 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.

2) Oracle Unified Method(OUM)

Oracle Unified Method (OUM) can help you develop and implement technology-based business solutions with precise development and rapid deployment. You can tailor OUM to support your specific project situation. With its ready-made templates, guidelines, and scalable work breakdown structure, OUM provides the programmatic tools you need to manage the risks associated with your information technology-based projects. OUM supports the complete range of technology projects including deep support for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Enterprise Integration, Custom Software, Identity Management (IdM), and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC). The difference between OUM and AIM, according to my colleague Jan Kettenis, is that OUM supersedes AIM. AIM is a legacy method which is being replaced by OUM in a couple of iterations. Currently OUM is better in addressing situations where - next to application implementation - there also is a custom development effort that goes beyond creating extension on standard applications, like integration leveraging a SOA, IdM, etc. As iterative and incremental approach to developing and implementing software systems are widely adapted over other methodologies such as waterfall, OUM powers one of the de-facto industry standards, Unified Software Development Process (UP). OUM extends the Unified Process to support the full scope of Oracle-related projects by integrating field experience and intellectual capital contributed by Oracle practitioners. Apart from UP, Oracle also incorporated Carnegie Mellons SEI CMMI and ISO standards within OUM. Unlike AIM, OUM emphasizes on architecture and thus transforming it into an Architecture-Centric methodology. Interestingly, OUM approach for a given project is built up from a core set of activities rather than taking tailored down approach. Below you will find the pictorial representation of OUMs phases and processes. Please refer to the reference section to get the details of each phase and process. Also, if you are accustomed to AIM, you will notice OUM 14 processes as oppose to AIMs 12. Same way, OUM has just 5 phases over AIMs 6.

The Oracle Unified Method (OUM) is Oracles standards-based method that enables the entire Enterprise Information Technology (IT) lifecycle. OUM provides an implementation approach that is rapid, broadly adaptive, and business-focused. OUM includes a comprehensive project and program management framework and materials to support Oracle's growing focus on enterprise-level IT strategy,

architecture, and governance. Oracle Unified Method (OUM) Oracle Brief Are you looking to achieve strategic business goals? Oracle's Global Methods team has packaged OUM to accelerate your IT projects. OUM presents an organized, yet flexible, approach. Its defined, operational framework helps anticipate critical project needs and dependencies. With OUM, you can move efficiently through the IT lifecycle to quickly achieve measurable business results.

Key Benefits o More Focused Effort OUM enables projects to clearly define business scope and needs to create architectural models of the enterprise. This planning results in tighter scope control, more accurate business understanding, and a firm foundation for client acceptance. o Built-in Flexibility By combining activities and tasks in different ways, OUM can be applied to many types of information technology software development and implementation projects. o Saves Time Seasoned information technology practitioners representing years of experience have contributed their knowledge to OUM. Project teams can take advantage of this experience by leveraging these leading practices along with industry standards. o Higher Quality OUM subscribes to an iterative approach that incorporates testing and validation throughout the lifecycle, rather than testing for quality only at the end of the project. o More Cost Effective OUM facilitates improved control of project expenses by using a flexible work breakdown structure that allows you to perform only necessary tasks. o Reduced Project Risk Implementing an iterative, broadly applicable method mitigates requirements mismatch. A key focus of each iteration in OUM is to identify and reduce the most significant project risks. This ensures that the most critical risks are addressed as early as possible in the project lifecycle, which results in a measurable reduction of schedule and budget risks. What's in Oracle Unified Method The Oracle Unified Method offering provides you with a comprehensive toolkit:
o o o o

Overview Material Provides an overview of OUM's approach to IT projects, including the industry standards upon which OUM is based. Guidelines Phase, process, task, role, and work product guidelines cover every aspect of an Oracle-based business solution. Templates Templates enable fast and easy creation of high quality work products. Tailored Work Breakdown Structure These standards enable an easy start in managing your project.

OUM also supports several business solutions including Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) , Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Integration, Custom Software, Enterprise Performance Management - Business Intelligence - WebCenter - Enterprise Application Implementation, Software Upgrade. KEY FEATURES OF OUM Flexible Scalable Views

Flexible OUM is flexible because it allows your organization to select the strategy, techniques, and tasks appropriate for your project. OUM provides specific guidelines for tailoring your project plan to fit your situation from the most basic development to changes in the underlying technical architecture. By combining activities and tasks in different ways, OUM can be applied to many types of information technology software development and implementation projects. Scalable OUM was designed with scalability in mind. From the largest, multi-national, multi-site, multi-entity projects, through to the smallest, limited size, constrained scope projectsOUM provides the scalability required by each unique project. Guidelines aid in determining which tasks to include in the project plan. This greatly reduces the complexity for the project management team in planning the work effort required. Views Views provide an initial tailoring of the workplan.. The method material is organized into views. Views provide an initial tailoring of the workplan. Each view page provides access to guidance and a tailored work breakdown structure. OUM 5.5 provides the following views: Manage Views Manage Focus Area Implement Views Application Implementation (Solution-Driven and Requirements-Driven) Business Intelligence and Analytics Custom Development Business Intelligence and Enterprise Performance Management Software Upgrade Technology Full Lifecycle WebCenter Implement Focus Area Implement Core Workflow Implement Models Envision Views Enterprise Optimization Roadmap Insight Oracle Architecture Development Process (OADP) Strategy The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) Envision Focus Area Envision Models Other Views Full Method Full Method Activities and Tasks Business Process Management (BPM) including: Project Engineering, Roadmap. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Project Management Business Process architecture Business Requirement Definition Business requirement definition Application & technical architecture Module Design & Build Data Conversion 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Business Requirements Requirements Analysis Analysis Design Implementation Testing Performance Management

8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Documentation Business System Testing Performance Testing Adoption & Learning Production migration

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Technical Architecture Data Acquisition and Conversion Documentation Organizational Change Management Training Transition Operations and Support

3) Oracle Business Accelerators (OBA)

Oracle Business Accelerators are powerful, easy-to-use rapid implementation tools developed by Oracle for Oracle Business Intelligence (BI), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Financial Management (ERP), Human Capital Management (HCM), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) applications, to get you up and running quickly. These accelerators are available to customers through Oracle's approved partner channel or Oracle Consulting. Oracle Business Accelerators are next-generation rapid implementation tools, templates, and wizards delivering significantly improved time-to-benefit at low risk. Based on leading industry- and geography-specific business best practices, they enable our customers to rapidly adopt and standardize on world-class business processes. Built by Oracle and available only through our expert delivery ecosystem, Oracle Business Accelerators dramatically reduce implementation discovery, configuration, and testing time. The result is predictable and expedited access to proven solutions that minimize the risk of new technology adoption.

Oracle Business Accelerators: Speeding Deployment and ROI for Oracle Solutions
Oracle Business Accelerators combine technology and industry expertise for companies that seek to achieve rapid implementations without sacrificing functionality or scalability. Oracle Business Accelerators allow Oracle customers to remain innovative, agile, and competitive while maintaining margins as they grow.

The Evolution of Project Implementations

Early implementations of business applications were very complex projects withcosts that typically ran three to five times more than the software licensing fees. These early implementations were typically custom-designed based on lengthy business requirements and discovery phases. Unfortunately, scope creep and cost overrun were rampant before any benefit could be measured, and project duration was often measured in years. As applications evolved, implementation costs began to fall and project schedules were reduced. This was due to software vendors focusing on implementation tools while innovation in delivery approaches reduced the learning curve. To meet the unique needs of fast-growing businesses, some vendors reduce product scope with hard-coded implementation.

Key Benefits
Faster time to benefit from Oracle applications Reduced project risk and cost More effective scope consensus Rapid return on investment Lower total cost of ownership

Oracle Business Accelerators provide a well-defined scope of functionality as well as a reliable hosted automated configuration Applications with significantly fewer errors than traditional manual configuration approaches. The configuration tool has built-in leading-practice responses that generally satisfy the bulk of business requirements. The responses may be modified, removed, or supplemented with additional data to match specific requirementsunlike with other tools in the market, which create a rigid preconfigured deployment flexible with none of the rigidity of a preconfigured or clone and personalize approach. Oracle Business accelerators provide fast-growing companies with the head start they need to implement, adopt, and manage Oracles enterprise class applications.

Reduced Risk and Cost with Rapid Implementations and Automated Delivery
Oracle Business Accelerators are next generation implementation tools that deliver rapid return on investment and reduced implementation risk by dramatically reducing implementation discovery, configuration, and testing time. Oracle Business Accelerators include: A hosted configuration tool, not preconfigured rigid templates A true setup wizard for fast, automated delivery of a working application More than 1,200 business models based on industry-leading practices from thousands of Implementations. Oracle Business Accelerators are built and tested by Oracle to support a variety of enterprise-class applications. They are provided to Oracle customers free of charge but must be delivered through Oracles approved partner channel or by Oracle Consulting. The result is predictable and expedited access to proven Oracle enterprise-class applications.

Recommendations
Although all the above three methods are proven and best in their own way, the actual implementation methodology depends solely on a specific customer situation and requirements. A successful implementer would need to take a rational decision , and sometime have an hybrid solution method as well. Since Oracle AIM, is now discontinued and retired by ORACLE and no longer supported, ORACLE OUM methodology is highly sought after and being promoted and supported in a large way. I would strongly recommend the ORACLE OUM method for EBS implementation, as it provides a better ROI for the customer and results is re-usable components for future upgrades and future implementations.

ORACLE OBA, on the other hand is excellent and more speedy, but suited for a medium to small sized enterprise where speed of implementation is a critical factor. For the given scenario of adding new modules to an existing EBS set-up, I would go for a OUM method of implementation, though OBA is also a close competitor. Either of that could be used.