Northwest Oracle Summit 2026: Key Sessions and Insights Guide

Northwest Oracle Summit is a focused, practitioner-driven Oracle event bringing together PeopleSoft, Oracle Cloud, and analytics leaders for a single day of tactical, real-world sessions.

If you are attending or deciding, this preview highlights what matters most and how to get real value from the day.

• Progress comes from targeted improvements, not large transformations.
• Data, process maturity, and adoption matter more than platform choice.
• PeopleSoft and EBS still have strong runway when managed well.
• AI and analytics are shifting toward usability and outcomes.
• The Northwest Oracle Summit is best used to validate direction and pressure-test plans.
• Come and see SMACT Works' Sessions at Northwest Oracle Summit 2026.

Northwest Oracle Summit is different from larger Oracle conferences. Sessions are short, conversations are direct, and the focus is execution. This is not a roadmap event. It is a practitioner exchange focused on what is working in production environments.

The agenda spans PeopleSoft optimization, Oracle Cloud strategy, infrastructure decisions, and analytics and AI. The value comes from applying these discussions to your own environment.

Modernization is rarely a single move to cloud. Most organizations are working across PeopleSoft/EBS, OCI, analytics, and automation in parallel.

These layers are connected, so decisions in one area affect the others. The Northwest Oracle Summit helps surface those tradeoffs and shows how to reduce overhead and evolve incrementally without full replacement.

Readiness is less about technology and more about execution. It comes down to three areas:

• Data: inconsistent reporting and unclear ownership carry forward into new platforms
• Processes: heavy customization increases friction and slows adoption
• People: without adoption, even strong systems fail, especially in analytics and AI

Most sessions reflect this shift toward governance, usability, and adoption.

PeopleSoft and EBS remain a major focus. The key question is not when to leave, but how much value you are getting today. Before attending, identify manual workarounds, underused features, customization levels, and your update strategy.

The biggest value comes from practical improvements you can make now.

For Oracle Cloud users, the conversation has shifted from implementation to utilization. Many teams are underusing analytics, treating cloud tools like legacy systems, or struggling with AI adoption.

The focus now is execution: improving usability, driving adoption, and turning features into outcomes.

AI and analytics are now part of daily operations, not separate initiatives. The challenge is rarely tooling. It is data quality, metadata, and governance. Without that foundation, AI and analytics underdeliver regardless of platform. The strongest sessions focus on these fundamentals, not just features.

Progress does not require large programs. It comes from focused improvements.

• PeopleSoft and EBS: reduce friction through cleanup and simplification
• Cloud evaluation: validate assumptions through real peer experience
• Oracle Cloud: improve adoption by aligning systems with actual user behavior

The goal is steady improvement without added complexity.

At this year's Summit, SMACT Works will lead five sessions at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center focused on Oracle modernization, analytics, and total cost of ownership.

Oracle Autonomous DB26ai Advantage: A PeopleSoft TCO Transformation, New Brunswick Community College Case Study

Scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 10:10 AM PST, this session covers PeopleSoft migration to Oracle Autonomous Database 26ai, Zero Downtime Migration, integration and compatibility challenges, and shifting from manual DB management to autonomous operations.

Fayetteville Public Works Commission - Oracle Fusion AI Data Platform Implementation Case Study

Taking place Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 11:10 AM PST, this session covers end-to-end implementation of Oracle Fusion AI Data Platform and expansion into analytics and data warehousing.

Secrets to Maximizing Oracle Analytics AI Assistant Effectiveness

Scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 2:15 PM PST, this session covers improving AI Assistant accuracy, LLM selection, metadata structure, and indexing for usability.

Leading Practices for PeopleSoft Selective Adoption

Taking place Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 2:15 PM PST, this session covers Selective Adoption, proactive release management, and planning PeopleSoft enhancements.

Unlocking the OCI Advantage, Modernizing PeopleSoft Campus Solutions with Oracle Cloud Manager: A New Brunswick Community College Case Study

Taking place Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 3:15 PM PST, this session covers Cloud Manager implementation, timelines, required resources, and cost and efficiency benefits via Policy Manager.

Together, these sessions help organizations move beyond maintenance into structured modernization.

Northwest Oracle Summit moves fast. Value depends on preparation and intent. The most effective attendees come with specific questions, prioritize conversations over volume, and use peer insight to validate direction. If you want to pressure-test your strategy or clarify next steps, this is the right environment.

Connect with the SMACT Works team during the event. We are always open to discussing where you are today, what is working, what is not, and what practical progress looks like from here.