2017OOW - Delivering People Excellence for DHL

DHL Logistics are a Certus Customer rolling out Core HCM globally. The first phase of two customers goes live in just a few weeks so this was a very current story.

DHL Supply Chain is part of the world’s leading postal and logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, and it has embarked on an ambitious HCM cloud project. Currently, DHL has several different solutions around the world, many of which are based on Oracle E-Business Suite or Oracle’s PeopleSoft products. An in-house team of experts support these systems, and a primary objective for DHL was to ensure that the team is self-sufficient in Oracle Cloud applications. DHL awarded the implementation contract to Certus Solutions. In this session hear from the implementation team about the project start in Spain and Singapore in 2017, and how over the course of the wider project, Certus will step back enabling the DHL team to complete and support their global operations.

Nigel Watson from DHL presented about the
It used to be that the Thursday first thing session was the worst slot at OOW, but this year there were no Apps sessions on the Thursday so I guess, 5:30pm - 6:15pm is a pretty poor slot. In fact we were in a corridor of 6 rooms, right at the end, and each of the other rooms had a sign saying 'there are no more sessions in this room today. Rather a Mary Celeste feeling. Anyway, with much tweeting, promises of fun, chocolate and of course english accents, we didn't do too bad. 

In the audience we had analysts, Oracle, DHL Express (another part of the wider family) and other end users. Also there was the DOAG, the German user group who were there because DHL is part of Deutsche Post, and Nigel & Certus will be presenting there in November, as well as at UKOUG in December. 

One good thing about being last is there is no worry about over running, except perhaps when the conference centre is being dismantled behind the wall you are in front off. But there were good questions and Nigel enjoyed telling their story.

Slides will be available on OOW website immiently.

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2017OOW - Volunteering

Wow what an amazing day this was!

When I wrote my pre-open world blog I didn't have anything planned for Saturday but I knew that would change and then Michelle Kolbe tweeted me and suggested that I should volunteer for JavaOne for Kids,  so I did.

I'm certainly not technical so I really wasn't sure what I would be able to do but they said they needed room monitors, people who could just help the kids.

Basically the day was divided into three parts, there was a keynote where a well-known gamer Oliver Kelly and his daughter showed what they had built and Oracle had a 'Mom in IT' panel session and was really funny I knew one of the local ladies we had worked together 10 years ago when Fusion was just strategy. It was really great to see Shaloo Garg again.

Before the keynote started every child had the laptop open and was playing a game and when Stephen Chin from the Oracle Developer Community kicked off he said 'put the lids down, we are going to start now'. Every lid went down, and then every child took their phones from their bags and were under the table playing the games, a bit like my generation reading under the sheets with a torch when our parents told us to go to sleep. We are not really that much different are we?

Then the children had two sessions before and after lunch where they could learn what they had signed up for previously.  In the morning I was designated with the Python class and in the afternoon I was in the code.org class using AppsLab, but more about that later.

There were a few technical issues with virtual boxes needing to be restarted but actually I was maybe able to follow along and help the children when they got stuck. In most cases it was something tied incorrectly or more commonly it was syntax; it's amazing that the frustration syntax gives you is the same whatever code you use, takes me back to my Cobol days.

One interesting point was when the guy teaching spelt something wrong and about 10 hands went up and they all made exactly the same error. It was quite funny but at least I was able to help them. 

I normally volunteer with silver surfers, elderly people who you feel digitally excluded, they may be housebound and it makes them part of the bigger world. To them the technology is worrying as it is so foreign, whereas these children know nothing else, they simply soak it all up.

Lunch was also interesting for me, there was the wide range of children at my table. Some who obviously eat a good diet, including one even asked what the cookie covered in sugar was, and then there were others who complained that didn't like fruit, or anything 'healthy'.

What I loved most was a young girl who said my accent was 'dreamy'.

As I said earlier I was in a code.org class in the afternoon. The teacher was G Venkat who coincidentally had a daughter in the earlier python group. 

He talked through the different components of this more low code approach. Time had been compromised by a late start, but luckily he had a basic mobile app he could 'share' and then the students, got the chance to finish it off with what they had learnt and then share the app to their mobile phones (including me).

Since we were in October he had a halloween app for them to learn with, and I'm getting quite good at it.

I had such a blast, but more importantly the kids had a magical day and they learnt.

The organisation was amazing. Every child arrived with a parent or approved guardian and then both were given a matching wristband. The children were accompanied at all times, and then when the day finished, they were taken downstairs by security and police and matched. Only being let go when a wristband was matched.

However it was a bit odd we were simply able to sign up as volunteers, I think in the UK there would need to be a police check before volunteering with children. 

In both classes the split between girls and boys was pretty much equal, so that gives me hope that gender will not be an issue in this generation.

I'd defiantly do this again and encourage all my friends to do the same.

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2017OOW - ACE Director Briefing

This year the ACE Director briefings were a little bit different.

There was a single day of content, and as we walked to HQ, I guess we were all worried that we were walking towards our own execution. There had been a number of changes to the program which sometimes looked as if funding was being cut or more difficult to get, and with the creation of the new Developer Champions Program; were we on our way out?

Even being at the ACE Director briefings this year was harder, as funding was subject to you having a session in the main conference hence the numbers attending were down.

It didn't help that the first item on the agenda was the Future of the ACE program with Stephen Chin who looks after the advocate programs. 

Anyway when the session started I braced myself for bad news and a picture of three babies appeared on the screen. The analogy was that the Ace Program was the eldest baby, the Java Champions the middle child and the Developer Champions are the new baby. Like in any family the new baby gets more of the attention at the start. However it was made very clear that the Ace Program is important and is here to stay. I guess it is also true that an older child can in some way stand better on it's own feet. A very good analogy. I know I felt a lot better.

I guess that also helps picture the funding angle. If you chose to have 3 children, the available funds have to stretch, and you may develop new priorities. This is not wrong.

A slight diversion from this post but I just wanted to say something about this funding. I had hoped to go to Latin America this year on the OTN tour. I have been privileged to go several times but this year the funding didn't stretch. Yes I was disappointed but actually is it a success?  One role of the ACE Directors on tour is to identify and support local speakers, giving them confidence and encouraging them to be part of the program. This year the local user groups has their own content and this year the funding was on the local ACEs travelling around Latin America. I call that real success.

Anyway back to the ACE Director briefing at #OOW17 - we all had a collective sigh of relief as we realised we won't be thrown out and we got down to the real content of the day, the briefings from Oracle.

Some advice was given on conferences that would be seen more favourably for funding, where Oracle want to concentrate on content that appeals to people who use Oracle as part of a much wider tool box rather than die hard Oracle conferences.

Although it was sad not everyone was at the briefing, it did have some benefits. We only about 40 as apposed to last year when we had 100.  It was good because it was smaller group and easier to control in discussion, it's quite hard to be heard when you've got a room of 100 people, however for those who weren't there I felt that it was sad that Oracle couldn't have done it remotely for them, however it is under NDA and that's incredibly difficult to police. I wondered whether the sessions could be recorded and not shared until the announcements are made at Open World but again that's quite a lot of work and I don't think it would be successful either.

Because were under NDA I can't talk about many of the sessions but there were a few following on from Larry's announcement a week or so before about the autonomous database and then there was several sessions around what's happening in the middleware which is closest to my area including some really exciting things about VBCS.  

What was really good this year was that there was an increased desire from Oracle to get feedback. I think it would've been even better if we stuck to the two day format and had session over a longer period of time, perhaps 45 minute sessions in 90 minute slots, so that we had an equal amount of feedback. These conversations with Oracle were occasionally cut short because it was only one day, and they put sessions in back to back, with very few breaks and it made for an incredibly long day. However it was well worth it and I would like to say to Gerald Venzl the facilitator,  Jennifer and Lori who did the organisation and all of those speakers that came.  Thank you very much for yet another very successful briefing.

Then 12 hours after we first started at the HQ conference centre it was on a bus to San Francisco to start the Open World part of our annual pilgrimage. 

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2017OOW - Travel and Hotels

It may just be me, but my travel could be a soap opera; there are always challenges and frustrations. During my trip I have been told I am very British and underplay challenges, so what I actually mean is you need to be a relaxed person or have your own techniques for surviving.


Twitter may be my technique, nothing like a public rant to let off steam!

Complaining is also a very British pastime. 






Problem One - My ESTA

Waiver - the messages are from memory and may be slightly incorrect

I did remember to check my ESTA in advance. I was a bit lazy, instead of finding it and checking the date, I went online, entered my passport number and got the message 'an application for this traveller has expired' so assumed that I needed a new one.

I completed the online application, and was surprised by the optional question of my social personas, got all the way to the end of 5-6 screens and got a new message 'a current ESTA exists for this traveller, if you continue with this application it will be cancelled'

Both statements are actually correct. I am on my 2nd ESTA for this passport. I understand it would not be a good idea to tell you the ESTA number as anyone with my passport number could find my ESTA.

Anyway problem was solved when I stopped being lazy and searched for ESTA on my MAC and found a pdf. Then it had a link on it for printing, which I pressed and got another message 'There is an issue with your application, which does not mean you will be denied but it will be determined within 72 hours' - luckily a page refresh solved that problem.

Great Customer Experience - Returning ESTA Queue

A balance to this is that on arrival at SFO there is a returning ESTA queue that was new last year. This so speeds up the process. I did have a query around bringing chocolates into the US, the agent helping by the kiosks said I had to declare it, so I did and that mean I had to go see a TSA agent. He told me that 'next time don't worry, chocolate, candy and crackers don't count' and 'we always need more chocolate'

Problem Two - My Hotel Booking

When I registered for OOW I booked the Hilton, hoping that the ACED program would later cover it, but just in case. The system generates a confirmation, but with an Oracle reference not a hotel one. Then 10 days ago a series of events happen:

• Oracle Housing generate a final confirmation email with the hotel reference
• An email from ACED arrives with a hotel booking code, which I cannot use until first one is cancelled
• Oracle Housing no longer make changes if you need to cancel you must do so directly with hotel
• Hilton routes you to central help desk for cancellations who have no idea about block bookings
• Hilton London ring Hilton SF direct, who are able to cancel booking
• Go into Oracle Housing App, enter ACE code, get new confirmation email (with just the Oracle ref no

As I start to get ready for the travel, I tried to link my Hilton booking to my Hilton account:

• Realise the confirmation email does not have a Hilton Reference
• Check Oracle system, which has a Hilton reference but only the cancelled one!
• Check it with Hilton incase it does work - this booking has been cancelled
• Panic
• Email Oracle Housing
• Get response 'we are not able to deal with hotel issues, please contact hotel direct'
• Contact Hilton Honours on twitter messenger (big tip they are always really helpful) - who can confirm it is cancelled and there is no other booking in my name in SF
• Contact Hotel direct and find someone who says she will help me 
• Get email from Oracle Housing who accept their system has caused the problem (because it doesn't update the hotel reference) but there is nothing they can do
• Hotel tell me they can't resolve issue till after weekend, but 'don't sweat we will resolve it'

After a very worrying weekend

• First thing Monday US time, just hours before I get on my flight, hotel email me they have re-instated original booking, against the ACE block and I'm all OK to go
• Check app, yes I have a booking

Great Customer Experience - Hilton SF upgrade

Even here I had great help. Upgrade (thanks to ACE Program) was for a King Junior Suite but I wanted 2 beds and I emailed and said I would need to reluctantly decline, and they found me a 2 bed upgrade in a much bigger suite. Having status is well worth it, especially when things go wrong. Thank you.



Problem Three - Out of Office

I have a MAC 99% of the time I love it, but one issue is MS Office for MAC. I use outlook because it is a company requirement and to consolidate all my accounts. One of those accounts is my BT email ( a bit like a UK google account).

I had an out of office for my corporate account, no problem and then for my multiple POP3 and IMAP accounts I set up rules to send an OOO. 

I tend to use long flights to clear down email and that tends to generate a lot in my outbox (no inflight wifi on BA). So when I hooked up to wifi on my arrival in San Francisco I had a full outbox plus many to receive which generate a response.

Also a rule replies to an email, many then respond 'this mail box is not monitored' and my rule would reply and they would reply this mail box is not monitored' and so on..........

Anyway I soon hit
a BT email limit for outbox side and they disabled my ability to send emails from outlook, however I didn't know that at the time.

My outlook was basically frozen, constantly trying to send, and failing, continuously. Removed the emails in the outbox or changed the account sending them. Deleted the rule. But still couldn't send.

Back to google and found quite quickly on their community forum, this is limited to outlook. Quick test on my iPhone and yes it is just outlook, and you need to get them to clear it. Not that easy. Had to delete the account and rebuild after 48 hours.

What a waste of my time!

Problem Four - First Hotel Restrooms

My time at Oracle HQ, I stayed in the closest hotel, The Pullan. 

This has changed it's branding (from Sofitel) since last year and our visit coincided with a total revamp of the ground floor. Very disappointing especially as they did not let us know in advance. 


Reception and Bar was in a meeting room, as was the restaurant. The coffee shop was in a corridor and the toilets were in the carpark!

And as this also coincided with a mini heatwave the pool being empty was again, disappointing.

Great Customer Experience - The mattresses 

The mattresses on the beds are still the most comfortable I have found; and I have stayed in a lot of hotels.


Problem Four - Flying 

No Problems - rare I can say that, but for this trip, British Airways delivered

Outbound flight - all on time, flying issue free, food good. 
Return flight, Airbus A380, comfortable, slept a little, and only issue was the almost 5 hour layover in Heathrow because the earlier flight was just outside their allowable transit time.

Finally home - 9pm Saturday

Return to main #OOW17 Summary  

2017OOW - EOUC Short Talks

I wrote a lot about these before the event, and gave statistics based on pulling it together.

On the day, I always worry, will the technology be up to it? But most of all will people turn up for it?

This year, Oracle 'hijacked' User Group Sunday with 'complimentary content', and then the session before us was moved with just 10 minutes notice because one of these sessions had a larger number of pre registered delegates. 

Anyway the room was much smaller than the last few years, and I do recognise that the Moscone refit has an impact on most sessions. It held about 100 so hopefully would be OK.

The DBA session was pretty full, these were traditional sessions with the odd 'web logic' thrown in good measure. 

@oraclebase has written a good blog about the whole day and produced this excellent video which covers both sections. The slides are on the #oow17 portal if you are interested.

spot the clock

We like to have a countdown clock and in the past have borrowed one from Graham Wood, but then I end up carrying it around the conference looking for him. Now I am using a tiny, portable one go my own and used my mobile phone as a timer and projected it on the ceiling. However one of the speakers kicked the socket and the connection went loose so for a few short talks we were timeless.

The second session from the New Developer Champions had less of an audience which really disappointed me. This is a new advocate community and people should be more interested.

I asked Tim Hall to kick off the session by explaining what the program was about, and I loved his summary. These are existing, traditional advocates from either the ACE or JAVA communities, who are now embracing some other tools in their worlds. 

I found these sessions particularly interesting and several of the speakers in both sessions were highlighting their main conference sessions later in the week. I like that, and may use that as the theme for next year. Come along and see 5 minutes on all of the EOUC main sessions and choose the ones you want to follow up on. It may surprise you.

Ralf Koelling for the idea and timekeeping.

See you next year.

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2017OOW - It's all over

Another Oracle Open World is over, and for a taster of what I got up to, here is my Storify of #oow17 

My summary of #OOW17


Before #OOW17 I shared my planning thoughts

• What to expect from the EOUC Short Talks
• The statistics behind the EOUC short talk speakers

Now it is over here are my individual posts:

• ACE Director Briefings
• Oracle Developer Community
• OOW Messages
• Certus Solutions and Oracle Partner
• User Experience
• Barriers to adoption
• Speaker - Delivering People Excellence for DHL
• Volunteering #JavaOne4Kids
• EOUC Short Talks
• UKOUG and User Groups in General
• Women Welcome in Technology

And the 'just for fun' posts:

• Travel and Hotels
• Off Piste (having fun)
• Oh dear, the Oracle Family has grown again 

So that's a wrap till next year, according to the Moscone website OOW18 is the last week of October 29-31. (Plus possibly the Sunday and Thursday?)

Update on the Family Tree

The Oracle Family has grown, we have adopted a new son, Gerald Venzl.
If you don't understand, the fun Oracle Family here is the original story.

This was Tim's idea, although I am 100% behind the decision, I was shocked as we had decided that Heli (from Finland) was more than enough.

So here is a new family tree because even we are confused. In fact Maria is very confused and thinks that makes Gerald her brother-in-law rather than nephew!