MINDSPIRE TRANSPORT Tool
for Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameterization
With MINDSPIRE’s efficient and proven solution, you can radically mitigate the risks involved in FLEXCUBE parameterization processes and reduce overall costs of your implementation project or business-as-usual parameter changes.
Parameterization using MINDSPIRE Consulting’s Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameter TRANSPORT Tool
MINDSPIRE’s banking transformation experts have participated in several large scale FLEXCUBE parameterization projects in the past.
During these projects they observed the limitations, challenges and risks of the existing standard tools and processes.
Based on our firsthand experience with FLEXCUBE we decided to develop a professional solution, called TRANSPORT.
The tool enables efficient and assisted parameterization of Oracle’s Universal Banking Solution while reducing risks involved in the process.
By using the TRANSPORT Tool during our recent projects we were able to significantly accelerate the parameterization process and reduce the laborious, monotone and error-prone manual data entry tasks.
It also eliminated nearly all unplanned waiting times, while making sure parameter documentation is comprehensive and up-to-date.
Known issues and risks associated with manual FLEXCUBE parameterization
Lengthy and costly investigation of parameterization errors: When a parameterization error is suspected in a FLEXCUBE environment it usually takes one or two calendar days to verify the correctness of the parameters on the standard web interface. During this manual process, the remaining parameterization tasks can’t be performed and another one or two calendar days have to be spent to change and document the correct parameter set.
Retesting after a reparameterization: After modifying the parameters of a Oracle FLEXCUBE environment a complete retesting with all test cases or an analysis of all test cases possibly impacted by the parameter changes has to be performed. Because of the procedure, testing is often stalled while the checking and reparameterization is performed.
Availability of the test environment: When the FLEXCUBE test environment is not fully available the allocated staff (e.g. during parameterization investigations) has to wait for several days. The staff usually involves 5-20 people per environment allocated to the testing.
Parameterization: Manually entering data to FLEXCUBE via the system’s web interface from the parameter table is a lengthy, monotonous and unreliable process. The availability of human readable documentation of settings and changes in a bank’s applications is mandated by regulators. Checking the correctness of the parameters (whether system settings adhere to the documentation) is a manual (and thus error-prone) process that uses the authorization capability built into Flexcube.
Documentation: There are two standard methods for exporting parameters from FLEXCUBE. The commonly used procedure is to manually enter data to a parameter table (Excel file in readable format) from the FLEXCUBE web interface. The other possibility is to use Oracle’s built-in function and create FLEXCUBE “export files”. This has several major limitations: the Excel sheet generated by the system is not comprehensible for users, maximum 50 parameters can be exported at a time (some functions may contain thousands of parameters), only one function can be exported at a time and the export files’ structure differs from the human readable parameter sheets’ format. So, using this method a parameter set can be created, but the useability of these files is limited at best. Due to the cumbersome and error-prone manual processes comprehensive and up-to-date parameter documentation is often not available.
Comparison: Comparing parameters are usually required after some successful manual experimentation with parameters, preparing the synchronization of different FLEXCUBE environments, and during investigation of parameterization issues. The standard method of comparing parameter settings in different environments is visually matching FLEXCUBE web screens and parameter sheets. In practice this is usually done by switching between different screens and looking for any differences. This is obviously also a slow, tedious and error-prone process.
Synchronization: After the manual comparison of the affected environments and the identification of differences in the parameter sets the synchronization is performed by manually overwriting the individual non-matching parameters in the target system.
Limitations of the manual Oracle FLEXCUBE parameterization process
During our earlier parametrization assignments, it became evident that the tools provided in FLEXCUBE and the associated manual tasks can be made more efficient, less error prone by using a support tool that results in less costly, tedious and shorter projects.
Introducing MINDSPIRE’s ‘Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameter TRANSPORT Tool’
Conventional manual parameterization of Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking environments
Oracle FLEXCUBE environments are normally set up and modified using a web-based interface of the universal banking system – the standard FLEXCUBE parameterization processes are based on manual tasks. This includes data entry, data exporting and comparison of different settings for the universal banking solution.
The main parameterization tasks in the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking solution include:
- Parameterization: entering parameters
- Documentation: exporting parameters
- Comparison: identifying differences between parameter sets
- Synchronization: eliminating differences between parameter sets
Efficient and assisted FLEXCUBE parameterization with MINDSPIRE Consulting’s TRANSPORT Tool
Our custom-made, powerful and ready-to-use solution significantly accelerates and simplifies the parameterization, documentation, comparison and synchronization of FLEXCUBE Universal Banking environments during implementation, migration, upgrade and testing.
With our efficient and proven software, you can radically mitigate the risks involved in FLEXCUBE parameterization processes and reduce overall costs of your implementation project or business-as-usual parameter changes.
Discover the capabilities and benefits of MINDSPIRE’s Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameter Transport Tool!
Main benefits of using MINDSPIRE’s TRANSPORT Tool
Easy installation and use
Our tool is instantly applicable, the implementation process is simple.
It is based on standard technologies (Java, open source software), and doesn’t require special hardware.
Business users can use the software after a short training.
Minimizing possibility of error
Replacing manual tasks with automated and streamlined processes minimizes the probability of errors.
This approach eliminates the lengthy and costly testing and validation throughout the parameterization operations.
Minimizing downtime
With the use of the application the unscheduled and unproductive wait times can be reduced.
This is done by automating and speeding up the parameterization, documentation, comparison and synchronization processes of FLEXCUBE environments.
Cost reduction
MINDSPIRE’s ‘Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameter TRANSPORT Tool’ reduces the expenses required to manage numerous environments.
It is possible to radically cut back on testing and error checking expenses with our automated functions and processes.
Parameterization process with and without the TRANSPORT Tool
Setting up and modifying Oracle FLEXCUBE environments with our ready-to-use and intuitive solution requires only a simple setup and a short introduction to the operators.
The application doesn’t require coding skills or special hardware elements, it can be easily used in all IT environments.
With the help of our ‘Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameter TRANSPORT Tool’ the universal banking solution’s parameterization main tasks are supported in several aspects.
We compare the manual and the supported parameterization processes below:
Manual parameterization
Manually entering data to FLEXCUBE via the system’s web interface from the parameter table is a lengthy, monotonous and unreliable process.
The availability of human readable documentation of settings and changes in a bank’s applications is mandated by regulators.
Checking the correctness of the parameters (whether system settings adhere to the documentation) is a manual (and thus error-prone) process that uses the authorization capability built into Flexcube.
Parameterization with Transport Tool
Existing business parameter sheets (Excel file in readable format) can be mapped and converted to the standard Oracle export format (not comprehensible for users).
These export files can be easily and in one step imported into Oracle FLEXCUBE utilizing the standard web interface.
This method eliminates manual data copying to FLEXCUBE via the system’s web interface from the parameter table, accelerating the process and reducing the possibility of error.
Also, with our solution it is possible to validate parameter input (compare parameter sheets with export files) prior to the importing process, thus reducing risks due to undiscovered parameterization errors.
Manual documentation
There are two standard methods for exporting parameters from FLEXCUBE.
The commonly used procedure is to manually enter data to a parameter table (Excel file in readable format) from the FLEXCUBE web interface.
The other possibility is to use Oracle’s built-in function and create FLEXCUBE “export files”.
This has several major limitations: the Excel sheet generated by the system is not comprehensible for users, maximum 50 parameters can be exported at a time (some functions may contain thousands of parameters), only one function can be exported at a time and the export files’ structure differs from the human readable parameter sheets’ format.
So, using this method a parameter set can be created, but the useability of these files is limited at best. Due to the cumbersome and error-prone manual processes comprehensive and up-to-date parameter documentation is often not available.
Documentation using Transport Tool
The settings of a FLEXCUBE environment can be easily documented with the help of our solution by exporting parameters and converting them to the business legible parameter sheet format.
The software can query parameters from FLEXCUBE utilizing the built-in parameter export capability, while solving the 15-50 parameters per export file and the functional segmentation limitations.
This means that in one step all tables of all modules containing parameters can be exported from FLEXCUBE.
In the next step converting these raw export files to readable parameter sheets can be simply performed by MINDSPIRE’s TRANSPORT Tool. These can later also be used to synchronize parameters between two environments.
Eliminating the cumbersome and error-prone manual process a comprehensive parameter documentation can be provided at all stages of the parameterization project.
Manual comparison
Comparing parameters are usually required after some successful manual experimentation with parameters, preparing the synchronization of different FLEXCUBE environments, and during investigation of parameterization issues.
The standard method of comparing parameter settings in different environments is visually matching FLEXCUBE web screens and parameter sheets.
In practice this is usually done by switching between different screens and looking for any differences, and this is obviously also a slow, tedious and error-prone process.
Comparison using Transport Tool
Comparing different FLEXCUBE environments is necessary after a successful manual experimentation with parameters, preparing the synchronization of different versions or when a parameterization issue has to be investigated.
Using the application’s automated parameter difference analysis function, manual difference analysis can be eliminated in most cases. Since a typical parameter difference analysis can result in ~20 man-days of lost time and effort, this is a significant cost and time saving opportunity for FLEXCUBE users.
The automated parameter difference analysis function can compare different versions of parameter sheets, different raw export files and a parameter sheet with an export file as well.
Bulk comparison is also available in our TRANSPORT Tool. Replacing the standard method of comparing parameter settings in different environments visually with an automated difference analysis considerably improves the efficiency of the operations.
Manual synchronization
After the manual comparison of the affected environments and the identification of differences in the parameter sets the synchronization is performed by manually overwriting the individual non-matching parameters in the target system.
The manual synchronization is also a time-consuming and monotonous, while has a high risk of errors.
Synchronization using Transport Tool
With MINDSPIRE’s solution users can quickly synchronize FLEXCUBE environments in an automated process.
It requires only a few simple steps to export parameters from two affected systems and prepare the import files containing the differing values needed to be overwritten and importing these to the target system.
Replacing all manual tasks involved in the standard FLEXCUBE synchronization process (manual documentation of source and target environments, manual comparison and manual data entry) radically reduces cost, risks and speeds up the entire parameterization procedure.
With MINDSPIRE’s efficient and proven Oracle FLEXCUBE Parameter TRANSPORT Tool, you can radically mitigate the risks involved in FLEXCUBE parameterization processes and reduce overall costs of your implementation project or business-as-usual parameter changes.
See TRANSPORT in action
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