The PUM (PeopleSoft Update Manager) is possibly the most misunderstood tool that has been introduced to the PeopleSoft ecosystem in recent memory.
That is unfortunate since it is the most visible of the tools that support the process of selective adoption for PeopleSoft that has been introduced by Oracle. Not only that, but it revolutionizes the way that PeopleSoft is supported (both by Oracle and your internal staff).
A couple of key points first, Oracle has moved PeopleSoft into a model of continuous improvement and moved away from a strategy of feature releases. You may have heard that 9.2 is the last release of PeopleSoft. That is true, but not because PeopleSoft is going to remain static and not grow through enhancements and new features… it will… probably grow at a faster rate than before because the process is streamlined.
Prior to release 9.2, Oracle’s customers would be on various releases while Oracle worked on the next release; everyone was on something else. Bug fixes would have to propagate to all of the various releases and new features were kept under wrap until the grand unveiling of a new release. Then customers had to go through a painful (and expensive) process of upgrading to the latest release.
With release 9.2, Oracle will no longer craft new full releases. Instead, they will put all new features into 9.2 and release them to the user community when that feature is complete. It will not be held until a “new release” is ready. Similarly, bug fixes will be delivered in the same manner. Since everything is on 9.2, the level of effort is lower and the time spent enhancing the system can be increased.
What makes this possible? The PUM. Many customers equate PUM releases closely to the old bundles and feel compelled to apply each new PUM release. This approach does not bring the value of the PUM to your organization.
A better analogy is to think of a PUM release as a catalog. In this case, it is a catalog of everything that has been delivered for PeopleSoft release 9.2 including features and patches.
Your organization should always want to have the latest version of the catalog on hand in case you need to order something, but there is not a need to acquire everything that is in the catalog every time a new one comes out. When you need something, see if it is in the catalog and, if so, apply it.
The PUM is what makes this work. In some cases, you may want something in the catalog (PUM), but to get it, you have to have something else (e.g. if you want the flashlight, you have to have the batteries); the PUM takes care of this and makes sure that your system is consistent.
That said, the PUM will let you know what you have and don’t have in your system compared to Oracle’s latest version; gives you the ability to search for fixes to problems that may arise; most of all though, it allows Oracle to move to a process of continuous improvement of the PeopleSoft system.
That is a big deal and drives greater value to your organization.
Check out the PUM homepage on support.oracle.com
It’s a great resource for learning about future release dates, when documentation will be available and what features will be part of the next PUM image.
Once you sign in to the support portal, go to the PUM homepage. It’s a dashboard about all things PUM.
And, you can refer to PSFTOracle, Oracle’s dedicated PeopleSoft YouTube Channel, once a new image is released. Oracle posts videos of what’s in each new PUM image.
