How to plan, prioritize, and

profit in 2023 and beyond

A playbook for finance and supply chain leaders

Best practices, redefined
These days, we’re all a little more cautious about making predictions, and
a lot more focused on being prepared for whatever changes come next. As
finance and supply chain leaders plan (and re-plan), four priorities continue
to surface—priorities that are critical to driving the entire business forward.

1 Find new ways to engage and inspire employees, and attract top
talent as turnover and staff shortages reach all-time highs.

2 Manage our organizations responsibly and sustainably to align

with the values and priorities of today’s employees, customers,
investors, and shareholders.

3 Anticipate and respond to supply chain disruptions in the face

of complex challenges, from material shortages to labor shortages,
higher costs to longer delivery times.

4 Exceed every customer expectation to meet growing demands

for better service, quality products, and a faster, more personalized
buying experience.

To get you started, Oracle has compiled this playbook of short checklists,
including a handful of best practices for each of the four areas above.
These lists can help you assess your organization’s strengths and gaps—
and provide a path to success by prioritizing the issues that will continue to
matter most, no matter what’s ahead.

How to Plan, Prioritize, and Profit in 2023 and Beyond 2

 1 Engage and inspire your employees
Recent events have caused employees to reprioritize how they spend their time and how they work,
leading to talent shortages in all industries and across all areas of the business. In fact, for many
candidates, a meaningful job now trumps a steady paycheck. A great employee experience (EX) not only
impacts employee retention and tenure—it can also have ripple effects across the organization. Research
shows that a better EX leads to a better customer experience, improved brand reputation, and increased
sales and profitability.
Read the checklist below to see how your team stacks up when it comes to inspiring and protecting your
most valuable asset: people.

We have a clear, easy path for employee learning, opportunities,

and career advancement.
Want your workforce to be invested in your goals? Invest in their future. Make it quick and easy
for them to identify career paths and opportunities; support their growth with performance
reviews and resources; and offer advanced learning to further their development. The best
employers treat their employees like customers, and provide the tools and technology to
support their career growth and individual goals.
With a complete human capital management cloud solution, your team can make internal
career mobility simple. Talent management capabilities allow you to build meaningful
development plans with goals, tasks, and outcomes tied to roles of interest. Dynamic skills
tools analyze your workforce’s skills to provide AI-enabled training recommendations, and
digital assistants deliver a self-service experience for employees and managers to get the
information they need.

We track and report regularly on our environmental, social, and governance

(ESG) initiatives to demonstrate our values, purpose, and vision.
Employees, customers, and investors increasingly want to align with organizations that are
committed to a sustainable and ethical future—and that demand is growing, according to
Korn Ferry research. Forward-thinking leaders are using technology to measure 3
Engage and inspire your employees (continued)

environmental impact and embed priorities such as diversity and inclusion (D&I) throughout
their business. With advanced analytics, you can highlight statistics and trends to better
analyze employee data and improve your D&I initiatives.
You can also simplify ESG reporting to clearly communicate, and publicize, your commitments.
Cloud enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions with management, narrative,
and regulatory reporting capabilities help you satisfy internal and external requirements. Use
them to collaborate across departments to define, author, review, and publish reports. You can
integrate nearly any data from any source, securely, via a consistent and controlled process
with cloud-based refreshes in one place.

We are competitive in offering employees the latest technologies to make

their roles easier and more exciting.
Advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital assistants, 24/7 mobile
access, and a modern, intuitive user experience help employees feel more engaged and
productive—and can help you attract new talent and retain your high-performing employees.
AI and machine learning are game changers when it comes to analytics, virtual collaboration,
and risk and compliance. They allow you to automate manual and mundane processes, freeing
up your employees so they can focus on doing more strategic and rewarding work.

We prioritize employee well-being, offering them the tools and

environment to effectively balance work and personal lives.
Today’s employee expects their employer to nurture a healthy work-life balance—and the
pandemic only exasperated this demand. People have realized what they value most, and
mental health, wellness, and a sense of purpose and community are high on that list.
Leading organizations are investing in tools that address work-life balance,
align work and well-being, support the health and fitness of employees, and even provide
volunteering and mentoring recommendations. After all, when your employees are healthy
and happy, it benefits everyone; it can lead to lower healthcare costs, increased engagement,
and higher productivity for your business.

We understand the talent gaps and hiring costs across departments

and can predict future gaps to build the workforce we need.
With so many employees rethinking where and how they want to work, you need to be
prepared to manage sudden shifts—and their cost implications. A connected, continual
workforce plan enables real-time collaboration across finance and HR, so you can understand
how workforce decisions affect costs, plan and budget for future skills and headcount, improve
hiring decisions, and pivot based on trends.
It’s also critical that you understand, and plan for, future talent shortages and openings. Use
a scenario planning tool to model potential future scenarios so you can perform a what-if
impact analysis to forecast gaps and identify needs.

Innovation Guide: ESG Reporting Read guide

4
 Manage your organization
2
responsibly and sustainably
Where we work isn’t the only focus of The Great Reprioritization. Environmental, social, and governance
issues have also moved center stage. People want to buy from, invest in, and work for organizations that
have a strong ESG commitment. You risk your brand reputation if you’re seen as not taking sustainability
and diversity seriously, or if your products are seen as environmentally unfriendly. Legislators worldwide
are poised to adopt proposals that increase sustainability reporting requirements. Corporate commitment
to ESG goals has become a board-level concern.
When ESG is done right, you not only address these risks but often gain tangible rewards, among them
faster growth, lower costs, and better productivity. Fortunately, new technologies and advanced
analytics provide better insight into your ESG performance, and offer ways to accelerate progress toward
your goals.
Below are six focus areas that should be on your ESG checklist:

We have a single source of truth for ESG reporting.

Every part of your organization generates ESG data—all at different levels of granularity and
different standards—that must be collected, converted, standardized, and aggregated. As
a result, it’s a monumental challenge to gather this disparate information and consistently
deliver accurate reports and plans, both internally and externally.
Arm yourself with comprehensive ESG reporting, with capabilities spanning data collection,
translation and verification, auditing, and approval, through to the narrative reporting
output. Reports should show not only your KPIs, but also provide commentary to help
your stakeholders understand your targets, blockers, and progress. ESG reporting should
seamlessly connect with your core ERP, HR, and CX systems, as well as gather and reconcile
data from other sources, for holistic, fully integrated insights.

5
Manage your organization responsibly and sustainably (continued)

We maximize the fuel efficiency of our trucks and other transport.

Since an organization’s supply chain often accounts for more than 90% of its carbon footprint,
transportation efficiency should be a top focus of your sustainability efforts. Having holistic
visibility across your in-transit shipments and transportation routes, as well as real-time
predictive insights to boost efficiencies, will help you drive down emissions and costs.
A digitally connected logistics solution can help you monitor and improve your carbon
footprint and reduce waste. To increase fuel efficiency, leading solutions tap logistics network
modeling, allowing you to make continuous improvements to optimize capacity (e.g., no
empty trucks) and route planning. To reduce waste, Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities enable
you to monitor the condition and location of cargo during transit. This is essential to ensure
the stability of temperature-sensitive items, such as food or medicine, and to know when
seasonal items are at risk of not arriving at their destination before becoming obsolete, such
as when they get stuck at a port because of incomplete documentation.

We comply with environmental and governmental regulations

across jurisdictions.
Many organizations rely on manual and piecemeal systems to manage their import and export
processes, and struggle to support changes in tariffs and complexities of trade regulations.
This not only increases the chances for costly penalties but for transit delays—a significant
problem when transporting seasonal items or those with a shelf life.
Instead, a cloud-based global trade management system automates your global trade
processes, and provides cross-functional visibility and internal controls to ensure regulatory
adherence. Be sure to select a solution that seamlessly integrates with your logistics network
and business processes.

We enforce ethical and sustainable sourcing from suppliers.

Since two-thirds of the average organization’s ESG footprint rests with suppliers,
procurement is a critical component of your ESG strategy. A cloud procurement
solution can help you ensure your products are procured and sourced in a responsible
and sustainable way, and that the workers creating these goods work in a safe and fair
environment. The tool helps you qualify suppliers based on your ESG selection criteria, as
well as enforce continued compliance.

We set realistic ESG goals and understand how they will impact
the business.
According to a recent McKinsey survey, organizations that generate value from sustainability
programs do so because they clearly define targets and develop key performance indicators.
But how do you ensure that your ESG targets are realistic and achievable? Scenario planning
eliminates much of this guesswork. It allows you to model multiple “what-if” scenarios in order
to examine potential impacts on the organization.

How to Plan, Prioritize, and Profit in 2023 and Beyond 6

Manage your organization responsibly and sustainably (continued)

We have real-time predictive insights into our cash position and forecasts.
Cash management is even more critical as you pursue new ESG initiatives that may not generate
immediate revenue. Legacy ERP systems can take days or even weeks to compile the data you
need—and by then, it’s old news. If you want to stay on top of your cash position, look to the
latest capabilities in the cloud.
Predictive cash forecasting enhances your ability to anticipate potential liquidity shortfalls and
constantly optimize your investments. Machine learning provides real-time insights, analyzing
cash inflows and outflows, along with operational data and external data like bank balances,
investments, and loans. You can take actions to optimize cash, such as managing early payment
discounts with your suppliers, exploring new business models, or funding carbon offsets.

Innovation Guide: Read guide

Predictive Cash Forecasting

How to Plan, Prioritize, and Profit in 2023 and Beyond 7

 Anticipate and respond
3
to supply chain disruptions
A hefty 87% of Americans were negatively impacted by supply chain issues over the past year, and every
day brings fresh news coverage of supply chain disruption. The good news? Connected cloud applications
can help you build greater operational resilience and eliminate weak links in your supply chain. And when
the unexpected does occur, you’ll be ready to pivot more quickly and easily from a position of strength.
Below are a handful of top priorities that should be on your supply chain management (SCM) checklist:

We can quickly and cost-effectively reroute transit when disruption occurs.

On-time order delivery has a direct impact on your bottom line. Some 84% of Americans
surveyed say delays would cause them to cancel an order, and 80% say delays would cause
them to stop buying from a brand altogether. So when there’s a transit delay or disruption, you
need to be able to act fast.
By adopting a connected logistics solution with IoT, you can monitor shipments as they move
through your supply chain. Chatbots and digital assistants allow you to communicate and
collaborate with carriers and others across your logistics chain. This enables you to get regular
updates and adjust transit arrangements as needed.
Logistics network modeling helps you respond quickly to short-term problems, such as a
natural disaster, strike, or port gridlock. You can run what-if scenarios, compare results side-
by-side, and determine the best course of action—which would then be carried out through
your transportation management solution. Over the long term, machine learning analyzes
historical data to make your logistics system smarter, helping you better predict transit times,
reduce costs associated with unplanned delays, and increase logistics efficiency.

We diversify our sourcing strategy.

A recent Deloitte procurement survey reinforces the growing challenges posed by supplier
risk. A majority of CPOs experienced key suppliers that went bankrupt or were otherwise
severely hampered, one third lost revenue due to supply shortages, and 11% cited brand
damage as a direct result of supplier problems.
8
Anticipate and respond to supply chain disruptions (continued)

To mitigate these risks, supplier diversification is key—as is adopting cloud procurement

to enable this. The solution allows you to adapt when you experience supplier delays or
insolvencies, respond to changing market trends and customer demands, and take advantage
of better pricing.
For relief from regional risk, consider suppliers located in diverse geographic areas that may
not be affected by the same economic circumstances. When facing port gridlock, for instance,
you’ll need an alternate supplier that doesn’t depend on the same ports to load its goods.
Before selecting new suppliers, be sure to prequalify them to minimize company-specific risks,
such as financial problems, quality control, and the environmental and ethical issues noted
earlier. Tools with supplier qualification management help you streamline the collection
of supplier data, monitor compliance with your business policies, and store supporting
documentation.

We perform predictive maintenance instead of reactive fixes.

Poor maintenance strategies are a drain on your operational performance and profitability,
and lead to unsatisfied customers. Adopting predictive maintenance has become a must,
reducing asset breakdowns by 70%, lowering maintenance costs by 25%, and increasing
equipment uptime by up to 20% according to Deloitte research.
Industry 4.0 capabilities hold the key. Advanced technologies, such as IoT and machine
learning, increase equipment reliability and uptime while reducing overall maintenance
costs. Predictive analytics help anticipate asset failure, estimate reliable lifespan, and
generate actionable insights in real time. These insights trigger prescriptive workflows to take
preemptive action and optimize your maintenance.

We identify, recruit, and retain top supply chain talent.

To address today’s staffing shortages cost-effectively, your supply chain, finance, and HR
teams need to collaborate—and the right tools will allow this to happen more seamlessly. With
AI-driven analytics across your back office, you can connect workforce and operational data
to identify critical labor areas that are underperforming, detect and resolve issues, and predict
business outcomes.
A recruiting solution with AI can help you hire more quickly for specific skillsets—such as
planners and analysts with good data science and forecasting skills, as well as supply chain
workers with the right licenses and certifications. The solution provides applicants with an
“easy apply” option requiring only a few clicks.

Innovation Guide: Connected Logistics Read guide

9
 4 Exceed every customer expectation

We’ve quickly learned that customers have little patience for mistakes or delays in their orders. In fact,
80% of Americans surveyed say that delays would cause them to stop buying from a brand altogether.
They also expect more buying options and want personalized, customizable experiences. And they want
insight into what’s happening with their purchases, every step of the way.
Check these things off your list to improve your customer experience and over-deliver:

We focus on developing innovative ways to do business in response to

customers’ evolving needs.
During the pandemic, organizations had to rethink their business models to survive and
grow. A 2020 survey revealed that 62% of companies implemented solutions to cater to
increased demand for online services, and 53% said that change will stick as the pandemic
subsides. Finance and operations teams are continually evaluating their offerings to remain
competitive and capitalizing on “as-a-service” models that let customers sign up for “pay as
you go” subscriptions.
Several solutions can help you succeed with business model innovation, including scenario
planning tools to model and analyze the profitability of new offerings; product lifecycle
management (PLM) solutions to manage development and configuration of new products
and services; order management, enterprise service management, and cloud ERP for sales,
customer contracts, billing and payments; and revenue management tools to recognize and
report recurring revenue.

We bill customers correctly every time to improve their experience and

prevent revenue leakage.
Customized as-a-service business models can get complicated if you don’t have a system in
place to streamline the management of contracts, billing, and revenue.
You need an advanced subscription management solution that connects your front and
back offices for a complete view of your customers’ purchasing behavior. Armed with that
10
Exceed every customer expectation (continued)

technology, you can add customer subscriptions to your ERP system, maintaining revenue
recognition rules; give field service teams real-time visibility into which services, rates, and
discounts are part of a subscription package; identify at-risk customers early to improve
renewal rates; and more.

We provide one point of contact for customers to get questions answered,

instead of transferring them from department to department.
Want to improve your customer engagements? Start by unifying your technology systems
across ERP, SCM, and CX. Through 2022, 50% of large organizations will have failed to
unify engagement channels, resulting in a disjointed and siloed customer experience that
lacks context.
When your cloud applications are engineered to work together, you can operate from one
shared data model. This ensures a single source of truth across your most import functions—
and a streamlined, consistent experience for your customers.

We have an efficient system for capturing and managing orders

perfectly, at scale.
Whether it’s online, in stores, or through direct sellers, customers want an effortless
experience that enables them to place orders and process returns quickly. That’s why
companies such as Tramontina are implementing technology to simplify order capturing,
order configuration, inventory visibility, and fulfillment. With cloud order management, the
cookware brand processes 12,000 orders a day.
Use an order management solution to match customer requirements to the best products,
capture and fulfill complex orders, deliver dynamic pricing tailored by buying channel, improve
response times, and eliminate order errors. A solution with prebuilt analytics can help you
evaluate order fulfillment, analyze cycle times from order to fulfillment to invoicing, and track
KPIs such as perfect order, shipped-in-full, and on-hold orders.

We can quickly identify and correct product design and manufacturing

errors to improve product quality.
In this rapidly changing environment, it’s not only critical to get your ideas to market faster—
you must be able to identify product issues in real time and quickly make improvements to
retain customer satisfaction.
Quality management processes, part of a product lifecycle management solution, enable
closed-loop feedback about product defects, so you can rapidly detect and resolve quality
issues and drive continuous product improvement. They also help you to proactively reduce
risk and make more informed decisions with predictive analytics and a 360-degree view of
quality across your product lifecycle and supply chain processes.

Innovation Guide: Read guide

Oracle Fusion Analytics
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