Redwood for ERP and HR: What It Means for Procurement and HCM Leaders

By Seef Müller, Chief Delivery Officer, APPSolve

Oracle’s Redwood UX has became the default for many new Oracle Cloud apps and an increasing share of existing modules. Oracle plans to complete the Redwood transition across all Oracle Cloud Applications by the end of 2026, with mandatory migrations for existing HCM customers which started early in 2025.For procurement and HR leaders, the shift changes how employees, suppliers, and candidates interact with core processes, and it introduces a clearer path to embed automation and AI in day-to-day work.

This article outlines what Redwood is, where it is landing first in Procurement and HCM, and how to manage the transition to secure value quickly and safely.

What Redwood is (and isn’t)

Redwood is Oracle’s next-generation design system and UX layer for Fusion Applications. It standardises navigation, streamlines common tasks, and is being delivered progressively across modules. The objective is consistent, modern UX that reduces friction, shortens training time, and readies processes for embedded AI and automation.

Where Procurement is changing now

Several procurement processes are already available in Redwood with clear operational implications:

• Self-Service Procurement (SSP): organisations can make the Redwood SSP the default application or phase it in by role. This enables a controlled rollout and allows side-by-side use with classic pages where features are still catching up.
• Supplier Experience for Sourcing: a streamlined supplier portal flow for searching negotiations, accepting terms, acknowledging amendments, and submitting responses reduces back-and-forth and speeds cycle time.
• Supplier Registration and Onboarding: next-generation registration simplifies data capture and improves data quality for internal users initiating supplier requests.
• Buyer Workbench Updates: view and navigate purchase orders through new Redwood pages with lifecycle and history tabs, aiming to reduce clicks and context switching.

Oracle has also stated that Redwood enhancements are part of a broader Cloud SCM push to improve efficiency and resilience - useful context for procurement roadmaps tied to supply risk and service-level KPIs.

Where HCM is changing now

HCM is seeing Redwood-built experiences delivered via Oracle Visual Builder Studio (VBS), including new Enterprise HCM Information pages. These pages are constructed natively in the Redwood toolset and are part of the staged rollout across core HCM areas.

For HR teams, this means:

• more consistent page patterns for HR specialists and managers,
• less training overhead across modules, and
• a foundation for upcoming AI-assisted authoring and guidance within HCM flows.

Oracle has published step-by-step guidance for Redwood adoption in HCM - useful for sequencing pilots and managing change without interrupting business-as-usual.

Why the shift matters (beyond “look and feel”)

1. Task throughput and adoption: Consistent UX reduces hand-offs and the time it takes new users to become proficient, especially important in high-volume requisitioning or manager self-service scenarios.
2. Supplier and candidate experience: Streamlined supplier and candidate journeys lower cycle time and support better compliance capture without extra administration.
3. Readiness for embedded AI: Redwood pages are the host for Oracle’s expanding AI capabilities and agents; adopting Redwood prepares processes to benefit from AI-assisted drafting, recommendations, and exception handling as they are released.

A practical adoption plan

1. Inventory your processes. Map where Redwood is available (e.g., SSP, supplier sourcing flows) and where classic pages remain necessary. Use Oracle’s readiness notes to confirm gaps and dependencies before enabling features.
2. Pilot by persona. Start with a contained user group - such as requisitioners in one business unit or a supplier cohort for Redwood Sourcing - then evaluate cycle time, help-desk tickets, and data quality.
3. Align controls and security. Validate approval routing, audit trails, and access roles in Redwood pages to ensure parity with your control framework.
4. Update training and comms. Focus on “what changed on this screen,” short clips, and job aids embedded where work happens (not long slide decks).
5. Test with automation. Quarterly updates and page changes can break scripts and reports. Use automated regression testing to protect critical flows and reduce manual test effort during updates.
6. Phase the switch-over. Use Oracle’s “opt-in” and role-based enablement to avoid a big-bang cutover. Only make Redwood the default when pilots hit success criteria.

Metrics to track

• Cycle time: requisition-to-PO, supplier onboarding duration, and time-to-candidate-screen.
• Adoption: % of tasks completed in Redwood vs classic; help-desk tickets per 100 users.
• Data quality: reduction in incomplete supplier data or requisition corrections.
• Policy compliance: fewer exceptions or off-catalogue purchases as SSP improves search and guidance.
• Supplier participation: completion rates and response times in Redwood Sourcing.

Risks to manage

• Feature parity gaps: Some classic features may not yet exist in Redwood pages, maintain dual access where needed.
• Change fatigue: Users can disengage if changes arrive without clear benefit; sequence releases and communicate “why this helps my job today.”
• Report and integration impact: Deep links, OTBI access paths, and custom integrations can be affected—plan remediation during pilots.

How APPSolve can help

As an Oracle partner, APPSolve works with clients to:

• assess Redwood readiness across Procurement and HCM,
• design pilot cohorts and success criteria,
• enable role-based rollout and security alignment,
• build lightweight training and in-app guidance, and
• set up test automation to protect quarterly updates.

Our delivery approach focuses on measurable outcomes such as cycle time, adoption, and compliance.

Bottom line

Redwood is now a core part of Oracle’s delivery cadence. For procurement and HR teams, adopting Redwood in targeted areas can reduce friction, improve supplier and employee experience, and open the door to embedded AI. A phased, metrics-driven approach, supported by structured testing and change management, will capture value with lower risk.

If you’d like a short assessment of your current footprint and a Redwood rollout plan aligned to your quarterly update window, our team can help.

Seef Müller is Chief Delivery Officer at APPSolve and leads Oracle delivery across ERP and HCM programmes in South Africa and the broader region.