Category Flexfield
|
| Owner
| Oracle Assets
|
| Flexfield Code
| CAT#
|
| Table Name
| FA_CATEGORIES
|
| Number of Columns
| 7
|
| Width of Columns
| 30
|
| Dynamic Inserts Possible
| No
|
| Unique ID Column
| CATEGORY_ID
|
| Structure Column
| None
|
Oracle Assets uses the category flexfield to group your assets by financial information. You design your category flexfield to record the information you want. Then you group your assets by category and provide default information that is usually the same for assets in that category.
Warning: Plan your flexfield carefully. Once you have started entering assets using the flexfield, you cannot change it.
Group Assets According To Your Needs
Define the category flexfield to fit the way you group your assets. Use the category flexfield to group your assets. Group your assets according to depreciation rules. By standardizing category names, you can more easily track your assets.
Category Flexfield Structure
You define your category flexfield structure to fit the specific needs of your organization. You must define a major category segment and you can also define up to six subcategory segments. This key flexfield supports only one structure.
Warning: The combination of segment values plus segment value separators must be 30 characters or less, since the combination is used as a context field value for the Asset Category descriptive flexfield. An example of a valid combination is VEHICLE.DELIVERY, which contains 16 characters including the segment separator.
Category Hierarchy
You can set up your category flexfield so that the valid values for the subcategory segment are dependent on the major category value entered. Then, if you have a dependent segment, only the valid values appear in the list of values for that segment.
Category Default Depreciation Rules
You can default asset financial information for new assets based on the asset category. You can enter default depreciation rules for each category flexfield combination for each book. When you add an asset to a book, Oracle Assets defaults the depreciation rules from the asset category. If necessary, you can specify different depreciation rule defaults for different date placed in service ranges.
Category Budget
You can track actual spending versus budgeted amounts for each category. Enter budgeting information based on asset category. Enter budget amounts for each category for each period and then run depreciation projections for your budgeted additions. You can also run reports that compare budgeted and actual spending or show asset additions to categories for which you did not enter budget amounts.
Descriptive Flexfield Based on the Asset Category
You can set up a descriptive flexfield that stores additional information based on the asset category. Enter the asset category flexfield as the reference field, and the concatenated category segments as the context field value for that descriptive flexfield structure.
See:
Asset Category Descriptive Flexfield in Oracle Assets
Descriptive Flexfield Segments
Determine Your Needs
Category Structure
Consider the way you group your assets. Determine which assets share depreciation information such as prorate convention and depreciation method. You also need to decide how many levels (segments) your category structure needs. Decide which is the top level (major category segment).
You may want to set up your categories to match your chart of accounts. Each chart account defines a major category. You can define at least one subcategory segment to allow for distinctions within a major category.
Suggestion: You can define up to seven segments for your asset category flexfield. Since Oracle Assets only displays a limited number of characters on its forms and reports, you may wish to use only two or three segments so they can be displayed. Also, since you must define depreciation rules for each category flexfield combination, more segments require more setup and maintenance effort.
Value Sets
Each segment of your category structure needs a value set. The terms you used to group your assets are the values you enter for these value sets.
Suggestion: The category name (all segments concatenated) appears on forms and reports which only display a limited number of characters. You may want to abbreviate some category segment values.
Dependent Segments
To set up a subcategory segment for which the valid values are dependent on the value of a previously entered segment, create a dependent value set. Create an independent value set for the first segment using the Value Set windows. Then create a dependent value set for the dependent segment. Enter the name of the independent value set, and specify the value which must be entered for the dependent value set to be valid.
The valid values for the minor category segment are dependent on the value of the major category segment.
Alternatively you can set up cascading dependencies for your category flexfield value sets. See: Example of $FLEX$ Syntax.
You must define exactly one Major Category segment when setting up your category flexfield. Specify which segment is your major category segment by entering Yes for the Major Category qualifier in the Define Key Segments form. You can enter capital budgeting information for your major categories.
Define Your Category Flexfield
Create A Value Set For Each Segment
Create a value set for each segment using the Value Set windows. If you want to set up a segment which is dependent on another segment, create an independent value set for the segment which the user enters first, and a dependent value set for the segment which depends on the value entered. See: Value Set Windows.
Enable Each Segment For Your Asset Category Flexfield
Define new asset category segments using the Define Key Segments form. For your major category segment, check Enabled for the Major Category qualifier. Remember, you must log into Oracle Assets again to add assets after you recompile your key flexfield.
Notice that since you must enter default depreciation rules for each asset category, you should uncheck Allow Dynamic Inserts. You define valid category flexfield combinations in the Asset Categories form. See: Key Flexfield Segments.
Define Values For Each Segment
Create a list of valid values for each segment using the Segment Values Window. Since Oracle Assets only displays a limited number of characters of the asset category flexfield on forms and reports, you may want to keep the values short. See: Segment Values Window.
Suggestion: If you are setting up the descriptive flexfield on forms where you add assets to reference the asset category, you may want to enter all values in uppercase. Then, when you enter the concatenated category flexfield segments value for which the descriptive flexfield structure applies, you can just enter the segment values in all uppercase separated by your segment separator.
Create Asset Categories
Use the Asset Categories form to enter the asset category name using the segments you defined. Also enter the asset category default information. You must define your category for a book using the Asset Categories form before you can enter assets in that category and book.
Example
You decide to use a two segment category flexfield with a dependent segment. A typical category combination might be COMPUTER.HARDWARE, where HARDWARE is a valid value for the second segment only if the value of the first segment is COMPUTER. To set up your category flexfield you must set up value sets, enable your segments, enter valid segment values, and set up the category.
First, use the Value Set windows to set up a value set for each segment. For example, you create the value sets Major, and Minor Computer. Since you want the Minor Computer value set to be dependent on the Major value set, create an independent value set for Major and a dependent value set for Minor Computer. The Independent Value Set on which Minor Computer depends is Major, and the Dependent Default Value is COMPUTER.
Then use the Key Flexfield Segments windows to enable your segments. Enter each segment and the value set for validation in the Segments window. For the major category segment, check Enabled for the Major Category qualifier.
Now use the Segment Values windows to enter the valid values for each subcategory segment. For example, you enter HARDWARE as a valid value for the Minor segment.
Finally, use the Asset Categories window to enter the asset category name and information.
Flexfield Qualifiers
Major Category
You must have exactly one Major Category segment in your Category Flexfield. Oracle Assets uses the Major Category segment for capital budgeting.
See Also
Key Flexfields by Flexfield Name
Key Flexfields by Owning Application
