In creating workflow-based applications for Oracle Applications, there are many instances when it is necessary to associate an Oracle Workflow Role with a workflow-based application.
From the OPM System Administration application, you can use the seeded data that comes with the system, or create your own workflow activities, column definitions, and role associations. In addition, you can activate and deactivate a workflow activity from the Workflow Activation window.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Yes. A workflow process can be enabled or disabled instance wide.
Use the Workflow Process Activation window to enable or disable an approval process. Query for approval process or processes and select the Enable checkbox to enable an approval process instance wide.
Yes. You can configure an approval process.
Use the Process Configuration Framework window to configure workflow process. Query for approval process defined in the Workflow Process Activation window.
Yes. You can customize an approval process.
Use the Process Configuration window to customize an approval process. Query for approval process that needs to be customized. Select the parameter values from list of values provided. Select the Enable checkbox to enable for the current data values.
Yes. You can customize an approval process activity.
Use the Workflow Activity Configuration window to customize the behavior of approval process activity. Query the approval process activity to be customized. Select the parameter values from list of values provided. Select Enable checkbox to enable for the current data values. Enter an approver for the data values. Deselect the flag to disable for current data values.
Approval process of a business can vary from enterprise to enterprise. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an approval process that is flexible and users can customize them easily. These customizations include enabling or disabling approval process based on certain criteria or sensitivity of information and defining approval authority for each step within the approval process
This design addresses the customization of approval process in a consistent fashion when creating workflow-based applications. By using a generic method instead of application-specific ones, the following objectives can be achieved.
Enable or disable approval processes enterprise wide
Enable or disable approval process based on certain criteria
Customize steps of the approval process using certain criteria
Define approver for each steps of the approval process
Generic and consistent architecture
More easily readable application code resulting in easier maintenance
Modularity, enabling performance improvements to be applied across the board
Smaller body of code
Less likelihood of error in creating new similar code
Oracle Applications lets you navigate to a window in two ways. First, you can use the navigator menu. This menu is organized by function. For example, if you need to create, modify, or inspect a purchase order, all of these functions are grouped together under the menu item called Purchase Orders. The second method of navigation is at the document level. Documents can be placed on the desktop so that you can go directly to the document that is needed. With the Graphical Process Navigator, you can navigate in the context of a business process.
The Workflow Process Navigator provides you with a high level look at your business processes. By having the ability to look at things from a high-level perspective, managers can become aware of inefficiencies, and other employees understand the overall context of the processes that they are following.
There are five steps in the GPN process for the Oracle Process Manufacturing (OPM) Workflow system. The process contains both the definition option and maintenance option, if necessary, for each stage in the GPN.
Navigate to the Workflow Process Activation window.
Use this window to define or maintain approval process. To add a new approval process to the OPM Approval Process Framework, you must create a workflow process and save in to the database. Once you save the Approval Process Workflow, open the Workflow Process Activation window and register the approval process. You can use this window to enable or disable approval processes instance wide.
Navigate to the Process Configuration Framework window.
This window is used to setup configuration parameters for the approval process at the processes level. You can control the approval process at three levels.
Instance wide using the Workflow Process Activation window
Process Level using the Workflow Process Configuration Framework and Workflow Process configuration windows
Activity Level using the Workflow Activity Approval configuration Framework window and Workflow Activity Configuration windows
You have to define configuration parameters in the Workflow Process Configuration Framework window. Using these parameters, you can enable or disable the approval process for a set of parameter values using the Process Configuration window.
You can define up to 10 configuration parameters for each approval process. To customize configuration parameters:
Open the Workflow Process Configuration Framework window.
Select the approval process to customize configuration parameters.
Enter the configuration parameter hierarchy. This is used to determine display order of configuration parameters on the Process Configuration window, as well as to interpret whether approval is required for the given parameter values on the Workflow Process Configuration window.
For each parameter, provide Table name, Column Name, Prompt to be shown, table and column names to provide List of Values.
Provide a select statement returning all configuration parameter values in the order they are defined. This select statement contains a driving table and returns only one row after appending the primary key where clause for the driving table. The driving table is the main transaction table monitored by the approval process.
Navigate to the Activity Configuration Framework window.
This window is used to setup configuration parameters for the approval process at the activity level.
You have to define configuration parameters on the Activity Configuration Framework window. Using these parameters, you can enable or disable the approval process for a set of parameter values using the Activity Configuration window. You can define up to 10 configuration parameters for each approval process. To customize the configuration parameters:
Open the Activity Configuration Framework window.
Select the approval process activity to customize configuration parameters.
Enter the configuration parameter hierarchy. This is used to determine the display order of configuration parameters on the Activity Configuration window as well as to interpret whether approval is required for the given parameter values on the Activity Configuration window.
For each parameter, provide Table name, Column Name, Prompt to be shown, table and column names to provide List of Values.
Provide a select statement returning all configuration parameter values in the order they are defined. The select statement contains a driving table and returns only one row after appending the primary key where clause for the driving table. The driving table is the main transaction table monitored by the approval process.
Navigate to the Process Configuration window.
Use this window to enable or disable the approval process at the process level. Open the Process Configuration window.
Query for the approval process you want to setup configuration parameter values for. The window shows configuration parameters in the order defined in the Workflow Process Configuration Framework window.
Select the parameter values from the List of Values provided.
Select Yes if the approval is required for current parameter values, otherwise select No from the dropdown list provided for the Approval Required field.
You can check how conditions are evaluated to determine if approval is required or not by clicking Show Execution Order.
Navigate to the Activity Configuration window.
Use this window to enable or disable the approval process at the activity level.
Query for the approval process activity you want to setup configuration parameter values for. The window shows the configuration parameters in the order defined on the Activity Configuration Framework window.
Select parameter values from the List of Values provided.
Select Yes if approval is required for current parameter values, otherwise select No from the dropdown list provided for the Approval Required field.
Enter the Approver for the current parameter values.
You can check how conditions are evaluated to determine if approval is required or not by clicking Show Execution Order.
A Role is the name of a group of Oracle Workflow users, with one receiving notifications for a particular instance of a workflow. That person is generally responsible for responding to notifications, and for making decisions based upon the content of the notifications.
Users can be chosen through various mechanisms from within the role at runtime.
In the case of Oracle Applications, workflow roles generally map to elements of the Application responsibilities, Application users and persons defined and workflow local users and roles.
This window is used to enable the approval processes that use the generic workflow customization framework. Using this window, users can enable or disable approval process throughout the application. Before you can use this window, ensure that an Oracle Process Manufacturing Workflow is defined in the database.
Select Enable if necessary. This field lets you set the workflow process to enabled or disabled. When the system is initially set up, all workflow processes are disabled.
Save the window.
Navigate to the Find Workflow Process window.
Enter the following search criteria:
Workflow Name to search for a workflow process using the name of the workflow.
Process Name to search for a workflow process using the name of the process.
Click Find.
The Process Configuration Framework window is used to define the configuration parameters for each approval process. Using these configuration parameters, you can customize the approval process behavior. For example, if the configuration parameter is Organization, then you can enable or disable the approval process for any organization.
You can define up to 10 columns from this window.
Navigate to the Process Configuration Framework window. The following fields display viewable information:
The Workflow field displays the name of the workflow.
The Process field displays the process that is taken by the workflow. There can be many processes associated to one workflow.
Modify the following fields to define the configuration parameters:
Hierarchy is used to determine the display order of configuration parameters on the Workflow Process Configuration window as well as to interpret whether approval is required for the given parameter values on the Workflow Process Configuration window.
Table displays the name of the Oracle Process Manufacturing (OPM) table where the column name can be found.
Column Name displays the column name from the OPM table.
Column Prompt displays the name of the column you see on the Role Association window.
List Table displays the name of the OPM table from where the Role Association List of Values comes.
List Columns displays the two fields of List of Values column name.
Enter a Data Retrieval Query, if necessary. This lets you enter a select statement returning all configuration parameter values in the order they are defined. The select statement contains a driving table and returns only one row after appending the primary key where clause for the driving table. The driving table is the main transaction table monitored by the approval process.
Use the Find Process Configuration Framework window to search for a parameter.
Navigate to the Find Process Configuration Framework window.
Enter the workflow name, or the workflow name and process.
Click Find.
The Activity Configuration Framework window is used to define the configuration parameters for each approval process activity. Using these configuration parameters, you can customize the behavior of an activity. For example, if the configuration parameter is Organization, then you can customize the approval process activity behavior based on any organization.
Navigate to the Activity Configuration Framework window. The following fields display:
Workflow is the name of the workflow.
Process is the process that is taken by the workflow. There can be many processes associated to one workflow.
Activity is the type of activity the process does. There can be many activities associated to one process.
Descriptionis a description of the action the activity takes.
Modify the following fields to define the configuration parameters:
Hierarchy is used to determine the display order of configuration parameters on the Workflow Activity Configuration window as well as to interpret whether approval is required for the given parameter values on the Workflow Activity Configuration window.
Table displays the name of the OPM table where the column name can be found.
Column Name displays the column name from the OPM table.
Column Prompt displays the name of the column that displays on the Role Association window.
List Table displays the name of the OPM table from where the Role Association List of Values comes.
List Columns displays the two fields of List of Values column name.
Enter a data retrieval query, if necessary. This lets you enter a select statement returning all configuration parameter values in the order they are defined. The select statement contains a driving table and returns only one row after appending the primary key where clause for the driving table. The driving table is the main transaction table monitored by the approval process.
Navigate to the Find Activity Configuration Framework window by selecting Activity Configuration Framework.
Enter the workflow name, or the workflow name and process, or the workflow name, process, and activity.
Click New to add a new configuration parameter or Find to see existing parameters.
Use the Find Process Configuration window to search for a workflow process configuration.
Navigate to the Find Process Configuration window by selecting Workflow Process Configuration.
Enter the workflow name, or the workflow name and process.
Click Find.
This window is used to customize the approval process behavior at the customer site. Approval can be required based on the business process requirement. This window lets you enable or disable the approval process based on configuration parameters defined in the Approval Process Configuration Framework.
Use this window to enable or disable the approval process.
Enter an Organization name.
Enter the Approval Required parameter. This field determines if you need an approval based on the current set of values and parameters.
If you have multiple columns, then click Show Execution Order to reevaluate the runtime order.
Save the window.
Use the Find Activity Configuration window to search for approval configuration parameters.
Navigate to the Find Activity Configuration window.
Enter the workflow name, or the workflow name and process, or the workflow name, process, and activity.
Click New to add a new configuration parameter or Find to see existing parameters.
Generally, an approval process consists of multiple activities or steps. The Activity Configuration window lets you customize the approval process activities behavior based on the configuration parameters defined in the Activity Configuration Framework. Sometimes, approval can be required based on the business process requirement. You can enable or disable an activity and define an approver if the activity requires approval.
Before you can use this window, ensure that Roles are defined against the workflow for associating the fields, and the Role Field association is defined for the role.
Use this window to customize approval process activities.
Navigate to the Activity Configuration window. The following fields display viewable information:
The Workflow field displays the name of the workflow.
The Process field displays the process that is taken by the workflow. There can be many processes associated to one workflow.
The Activity field displays the type of activity the process does. There can be many activities associated to one process.
The Description field displays a description of the action the activity takes.
Modify the following fields to define the configuration parameters in the Configure Activity section of the window:
Enter an Organization name.
Enter the Approval Required parameter. This field determines if you need an approval based on the current set of values and parameters.
If the approval is required, then enter the name of the Approver.
If you have multiple columns, then click Show Execution Order to reevaluate the runtime order.
Save the window.
The Workflow Activation window displays all currently defined workflows. You can view if a workflow is enabled from this window.
Navigate to the Workflow Activations window.
View the following information:
WF Item Type displays the internal name of the workflow.
WF Description displays a basic description of the workflow.
Trigger Description field displays a description of that trigger.
Navigate to the Find Workflow Activations window:
Enter any of the following criteria to search for a workflow activation:
WF Item Type to search for a workflow activation using the workflow name.
WF Description to search for a workflow activation using the workflow description.
Trigger Description to search for a workflow activation using the description of the trigger activating the workflow.
Click Find.