With Premier Support for EBS 12.2 running through at least 2036, more companies are choosing to run EBS well rather than replace it. Here is what a managed services contract should cover, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Oracle has extended Premier Support for E-Business Suite 12.2 through at least 2036. For many finance and supply chain teams, that turns the question from "when do we leave EBS?" into "who keeps it running well for the next ten years?".
That is what Oracle EBS managed services are for: an outside team that takes ongoing responsibility for your EBS environment, from the database and patching to user tickets and small enhancements. Oracle Support fixes product bugs; a managed services partner runs your system, with your customizations, integrations and month-end deadlines.
The five areas a contract should cover
| Area | What's included |
|---|---|
| Apps DBA | Monitoring, backups and restore tests, cloning, concurrent manager health, performance tuning, user and responsibility admin, and security patching. |
| Patching & upgrades | Planned online patching cycles, Release Update Packs, database and technology stack updates, and regression testing of your customizations after each patch. |
| Functional support | Tickets from finance, procurement, inventory, order management and HR users: "how do I", setup changes, data fixes and period-close help. |
| Technical support (CEMLI) | Fixes and small changes to custom Configurations, Extensions, Modifications, Localizations and Integrations: reports, forms, workflows, interfaces and APIs. |
| Enhancements | A monthly pool of hours for new reports, BI Publisher templates, integrations and process improvements, prioritised with you. |
Patching on 12.2 needs a rhythm, not a project
Release 12.2 applies patches online. The AD Online Patching utility (adop) runs a cycle of phases, prepare, apply, finalize, cutover and cleanup, while users keep working on the running system. Oracle notes there is still a short period of downtime when the application tier services are shut down and restarted, while the database stays open.
Two things follow for a support contract:
- Agree a regular patch calendar (for example quarterly security patches and a yearly code-level update) with cutover windows outside month-end and payroll.
- Custom code must follow the 12.2 online patching standards, or it breaks during patching. Your partner should check new and changed custom objects against those standards before they reach production.
Cover for the moments that matter
EBS problems are not spread evenly. Most urgent tickets cluster around period close, payroll runs, audits and peak shipping days. A good contract names these windows and guarantees extra cover during them, rather than offering the same response time every day of the month.
- Severity levels with response and resolution targets (for example, a production outage versus a report request).
- Named consultants who know your system, not a random queue.
- Working hours that overlap with your business day, including a Sunday-to-Thursday week for Gulf companies.
- An escalation path to a senior architect.
Pricing models
- Fixed monthly retainer for a set scope (DBA plus a pool of functional and technical hours). Predictable, and usually the best fit for steady ticket volume.
- Dedicated team: one or more full-time EBS consultants who work as part of your IT team. Best when you also have a backlog of enhancements.
- Time and materials for one-off work such as an upgrade, a module rollout or a clean-up of customizations.
Many companies combine them: a retainer for run-the-business support, plus a dedicated developer for the enhancement backlog.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Which EBS modules and versions has the team supported, and who exactly will work on our system?
- How do you hand over knowledge, and what documentation will we own at the end?
- How do you test our customizations after each patch?
- What are the response times by severity, and what happens during our month-end?
- Who has access to production, how is that access logged, and how is our data protected?
- Can we scale hours up for a project and back down afterwards?
Where an offshore EBS team fits
EBS managed services are a steady flow of tickets, patches and small enhancements, which suits an offshore team on a monthly retainer. Level 8 provides Oracle EBS managed support and development: Apps DBA, functional and technical consultants on shifts that match your business hours, with month-end cover. If you are still deciding whether to stay on EBS, read what the 2036 extension means.