1. Another great time at the Annual Oracle Primavera Conference,
COLLABORATE 12 has wrapped up. It was 5 days of Conference sessions
attended by over 6000 attendees with nearly 400 of those Primavera
people. We even had Primavera attendees from Australia and Canada!
There were over 1500 presentations with 47 of those on the Primavera
Products.
So much was learned and shared by the attendees. Want to learn more
about COLLABORATE and why you should attend in the future? Review
the complete recap below provided by the OPSIG Board.
All Primavera content that was presented at the conference is now
available for viewing.
COLLABORATE 12: Technology and Applications Forum for the Oracle
Community
Collaborate 2012 was the second annual user conference for the Primavera
community. The Oracle Primavera SIG (OPSIG) sponsored over 47 presentations, from
introductory “how-to” sessions to tantalizing product road maps. The speakers included
long-time Primavera users and consultants, as well as familiar Oracle Primavera staff.
Sunday set the stage. To start the conference from the Primavera perspective, the
OPSIG had an Orientation Session for the Primavera group. In this session the Oracle
Primavera Special Interest Group (OPSIG) welcomed anyone and everyone who would
like to see what opportunities are available from a Primavera point of view. There was a
highlight of sessions that would be of particular interest to Primavera users, and explain
the mechanics of what is happen where and when. This was also a great opportunity to
meet other members of the Primavera community & catch up with old friends. Many
other Special Interest Groups (SIGs) had their meetings on this day. After hours, Quest

2. and OAUG hosted welcome parties at the Mandalay Bay hotel, with drinks, music, and
hors d’oeuvres. Both receptions provided an entertaining venue for meeting and
mingling with attendees, getting to meet new faces, and greeting old friends.
Monday through Thursday was a mad rush of seminars from morning to
evening. There were typically 3-4 presentations in each time slot, from 8 am to 5
pm. With so much material, choosing which one to go to was not always easy!
One thing that became clear early on was that at COLLABORATE, the line between
Primavera and “other” sessions is quite blurred. Many Primavera attendees attended
other sessions on topics such as WebLogic, BI Publisher, and Autovue, to name just a
few. And at the Primavera talks, there were many people who did not have experience
with Primavera, but were curious. Such people included users of JD Edwards users,
PeopleSoft, and Oracle E-Business Suite who came to learn about the new integrations
offered by Oracle.
Monday through Thursday also included one-on-one clinics with Oracle Primavera
where users met with support staff to address their individual questions and
concerns. The clinic also included hands-on demonstrations and explanations of the
Primavera products.
There were many exhibitors and many opportunities to win prizes such as iPads and
Kindles. Attendees could also match wits with IBM’s Watson, the famous Jeopardy-
winning computer.
On Monday Dick Faris & Mike Sicilia of Oracle presented the Evolution and Vision of
Oracle Primavera for Enterprise Project Portfolio Management. They discussed how
Primavera solutions enable your organization to proactively manage all projects and
programs; more accurately forecast costs, schedules, & resource requirements; &
assess & mitigate risks, to deliver projects on time and within budget. Also, back by

3. popular demand, Dick will present this year’s “Dick’s Picks” of new & innovative
technology.
A little later, Dick Faris & Yasser Mahmud of Oracle presented Today & Tomorrow:
What is New in Primavera & Planned Roadmap. This session provided an overview of
what’s new in the latest release of Primavera P6 as well as what is planned for Oracle
Primavera solutions. It covered planned Primavera enhancements that will enable your
organization to proactively manage projects & programs; more accurately forecast
costs, schedules & resource requirements; assess & mitigate risks, to deliver projects
on time and within budget. Primavera solutions covered in this session include
Primavera P6, Primavera Portfolio Management & PCM
On Tuesday Jennifer Woodford presented What is New With Primavera Support. It
provided insight about the new tools and resources available to help support your
Primavera solutions and better leverage your Support investment. The presentation
was attended by all of the at conference support staff that at the conference to present
and also provide one on one time in the Oracle Primavera Support Clinic.
Also on Tuesday night was a special Primavera reception at Mix THEhotel which
provided a great view of the Vegas strip but also a chance to talk with the Oracle staff
along with peers and old friends.
Wednesday was the final full day of Primavera presentations and featured an
Primavera Panel Q&A session. In early 2012 OPSIG sent out a survey to its members
asking for their top 5 enhancement requests for Primavera P6, CM and Risk Analysis. In
this session the OPSIG will present the results of the survey to the Oracle Primavera
Product Team and will conduct a back-and-forth discussion about each request. The
three areas discussed were P6, Contract Management and Risk Analysis. On the
Oracle panel this year was Brian Saldutti, Director, Solution Strategy; Eileen
Schurmann, Product Manager; Krista Lambert, Senior Manager, Product Strategy; Doug
Larkin, Senior Product Manager and Jennifer Woodward, Senior Director - PGBU

4. Support. It was an informative and lively session for all attendees.
The OPSIG Membership meeting was also on Wednesday. Chairman Daniel Williams
welcomed everyone and provided an overview of OPSIG and how it fits into the larger
framework of user groups within Quest and OAUG. He then introduced fellow board
members: Co-Chair David Long, Programs and Education Coordinator Dana Bartolf,
and User Groups Coordinator Peter VanSickler. He then introduced the Primavera
Contract Management Domain lead, Steve Kelly, P6 Domain Lead - Elaine Krazer. He
asked for volunteers to get involved with the group and think about the upcoming
elections.
Later that evening, attendees had a totally tubular with a retro 80s bash with a “Back to
the 80’s theme party, featuring a performance by The Spazmatics. With all the
awesome sounds, styles and radical dance steps from the 1980s, The Spazmatics
recapture all the best and the worst of the decade for an evening of pure energy and
entertainment. Many people dressed the part. A fun time was had by all.
Thursday there were a few Primavera sessions, but it was still a packed day. The
bookstore was open until noon for providing time for a leisurely review of the selections.
There were more educational sessions as well.
The OPSIG Leadership meeting was last Primavera session that discussed lessons
learned with the OUAG and QUEST representatives so that Collaborate 13 will be even
better.
In conclusion, COLLABORATE 12 was an excellent venue for learning and networking.
It was user-focused, and provided many opportunities to learn practical techniques for
using Primavera products, and best practices to apply. The cross-fertilization with other
SIGs and educational tracks was also a great bonus for learning and networking. And

5. this was the second year that there was a dedicated Primavera track. Next year at
COLLABORATE 13, in Denver, Colorado, we hope to have twice as many attendees
and a greater number of high-quality sessions. This is clearly the best venue for the
Primavera community to come together, learn, share ideas and - COLLABORATE!

6. this was the second year that there was a dedicated Primavera track. Next year at
COLLABORATE 13, in Denver, Colorado, we hope to have twice as many attendees
and a greater number of high-quality sessions. This is clearly the best venue for the
Primavera community to come together, learn, share ideas and - COLLABORATE!