Transitioning from Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) to Oracle Fusion Procurement is a major shift for functional consultants. While the core principles remain, the architecture, user interface, and functional capabilities differ significantly. In this post, we’ll explore 10 specific, real-world differences to help Oracle consultants navigate this transformation with confidence.
1. Procurement Dashboard and Navigation
Fusion: Fusion provides a role-based Procurement Work Area that consolidates tasks, analytics, and alerts into a single dashboard. Users with appropriate roles can view procurement tasks, supplier negotiations, purchase orders, and KPIs from one screen. The UI is modern, with intuitive navigation and actionable infolets.
EBS: EBS lacks a unified dashboard. Each module (iProcurement, Purchasing, Sourcing) has separate responsibilities and menus. Navigation is often fragmented, requiring users to switch between forms and responsibilities.
Consultant Tip: Understand the role-based UI structure in Fusion and how privileges are tied to job roles for seamless task execution.
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| Fusion vs EBS Procurement Dashboard and Navigation |
2. Business Units vs Operating Units
Fusion:
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Fusion Procurement replaces the traditional Operating Unit concept with Business Units (BUs), designed to better align with modern organizational structures.
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Types of Business Units:
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Requisitioning Business Unit: The BU that raises the requisition (request to buy goods or services).
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Procurement Business Unit: The BU responsible for creating purchase orders and managing supplier contracts.
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Servicing Relationship: A setup allowing one BU to procure on behalf of another, supporting shared services or centralized procurement models.
Flow (Fusion):
Requisitioning BU → [Service Provider Setup] → Procurement BU → Purchase OrderReal Example:
A company has two divisions: Manufacturing and Marketing.
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Manufacturing BU raises requisitions for raw materials.
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Procurement BU (centralized team) processes purchase orders and supplier negotiations for both divisions.
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The servicing relationship allows the Marketing Business Unit to create purchase requests, which the Manufacturing Business Unit can handle and fulfill when necessary.
This separation improves control and reporting by BU, enabling shared service centers and better compliance.
EBS:
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EBS uses Operating Units (OUs) under the Multi-Org Architecture, which represent the legal or operational entities within the organization.
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Each OU manages its own transaction data and user responsibilities.
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Typically, procurement activities happen within the same OU, which may limit centralized purchasing capabilities.
Real Example:
In the same company, EBS Operating Units could be:
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OU1: Manufacturing Division
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OU2: Marketing Division
Each OU handles its own procurement independently, making it difficult to consolidate supplier management or centralize purchases without complex cross-OU configurations.
Consultant Tip: In Fusion, carefully design Procurement BUs, Requisitioning BUs, and their relationships during implementation, especially for shared service models.
3. Self-Service Procurement Experience
Fusion: Fusion's Self-Service Procurement (SSP) offers a modern, consumer-like experience. It includes guided buying, catalogs, punch-out integration, smart forms, and flexible search options. Employees can easily shop for items with category-based restrictions and approval visibility.
EBS: EBS iProcurement supports catalogs and smart forms, but the interface is outdated, navigation is slower, and punch-out configuration is more complex.
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| Fusion vs EBS Self-Service Procurement Experience |
Consultant Tip: Emphasize Fusion’s improved user experience in training and change management for end-users.
4. Workflow and Approval Management: BPM vs AME
Fusion: Fusion uses BPM (Business Process Management) Worklist for approvals. Approvals are managed via rules configured in BPM Worklist Composer, allowing for conditions based on roles, job levels, amounts, and document types.
EBS: EBS uses AME (Approval Management Engine) or standard workflow builder. Configuration often requires technical support and lacks the intuitive, self-service capability of BPM.
Flow (Fusion BPM Example):
Requisition Submitted → BPM Rule Check → Approver Assigned → Approved/RejectedConsultant Tip: Learn how to create and troubleshoot approval rules in Fusion BPM, especially for requisitions, POs, and supplier registration.
5. Supplier Management and Portal
Fusion: Fusion includes a fully integrated Supplier Portal, supporting self-registration, onboarding, profile management, sourcing participation, and communication. It supports internal supplier qualification and supplier lifecycle management (SLM).
EBS: Supplier Lifecycle management & iSupplier module in EBS is web form-based, with limited workflow-driven onboarding. Supplier Hub exists but lacks integration and automation features compared to Fusion.
Flow (Fusion):
Supplier Registration → Approval Workflow → Spend Classification → Qualification & OnboardingConsultant Tip: Configure Supplier Registration flows in BPM and define approval hierarchies for streamlined onboarding in Fusion.
6. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) vs Responsibilities
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| Fusion Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) vs EBS Responsibilities |
Consultant Tip: In Fusion, managing role provisioning and data access is more complex but more flexible. Understand Security Console usage.
7. Document Styles and Rules
Fusion: Fusion allows for Document Styles (Standard PO, BPA, CPA) which are configurable. Each style defines the allowed document types, numbering, and user controls.
EBS: In EBS, document types are static and controlled via Document Types form with fewer options.
Consultant Tip: Use Document Styles to streamline different procurement flows such as capital purchases, recurring services, or catalog orders.
8. Smart Forms and Guided Buying
Fusion: Fusion supports Smart Forms with advanced configuration. You can define category-specific templates, charge accounts, default suppliers, and attachments. Guided buying helps requesters choose correct paths.
EBS: Smart Forms exist in iProcurement but lack many Fusion features such as dynamic defaults and rules-based behavior.
Consultant Tip: Use smart forms to standardize service requests like AMC, consulting, and facility management.
9. Procurement Contracts Integration
Fusion: Fusion offers integrated Procurement Contracts tied to Purchase Agreements and Orders. You can create clauses, templates, and track compliance. Contracts auto-populate terms in downstream documents.
EBS: EBS contracts are separate or part of CLM module. Integration with PO is minimal.
Consultant Tip: Promote use of contract templates and approval rules for audit readiness.
10. Reporting: OTBI vs BI Publisher
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| Fusion OTBI vs EBS BI Publisher |
Fusion Example: A procurement manager wants to track aging requisitions by buyer. Using OTBI, they create a real-time dashboard showing requisitions pending approval over 7 days, with filters by business unit and buyer. No need for SQL coding—just drag-and-drop.
EBS Example: To get similar data in EBS, a technical user must create a BI Publisher report or develop a custom form/report. This often involves writing SQL, deploying RDF/XML templates, and maintaining concurrent programs.
Consultant Tip: Leverage OTBI for real-time visibility into POs, supplier performance, and requisition aging reports. Encourage client business users to adopt OTBI to reduce dependency on technical teams.
💡 Final Thoughts
Understanding these key differences isn’t just about knowledge – it’s about being project-ready. Fusion Procurement introduces new functional layers and best practices that demand deeper configuration knowledge and proactive functional leadership. Whether you're migrating clients or supporting new implementations, mastering these areas will make you stand out as a capable Oracle Functional Consultant.
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