This chapter covers the following topics:
This chapter details how to integrate Oracle iSupport with the applications that provide products and returns functionality.
Several processes within Oracle iSupport require the use of products and purchasing-related applications, including:
Creating and processing returns
Viewing invoice information
Viewing payments data
Viewing shipment information
Creating and updating service requests
Viewing the repair status of an item by repair order tracking
Maintaining products databases, such as customer products and inventory items
The information in this chapter is designed to provide the merchant implementing Oracle iSupport with setup details directly related to Oracle iSupport.
The applications that integrate with Oracle iSupport and provide products repository and returns functionality include:
Oracle Inventory
Oracle Bills of Materials
Oracle Install Base
Oracle Order Management
Oracle Order Capture APIs
Oracle Shipping
Oracle Advanced Pricing
Oracle Purchasing
Oracle Service Contracts
Oracle Customer Care portion of Oracle TeleService
A full installation and setup of each product or purchasing application must be performed in order for the functionality to perform as described. For more information, refer to the specific product documentation for full implementation details.
Oracle Inventory supplies the infrastructure that holds an organization's entire product repository and configuration. It integrates closely with Install Base, which is the repository of customer- or party-purchased products.
Both Inventory and Install Base may be required for service request functioning, Products tab functionality, and Account tab functionality in Oracle iSupport.
For information on how to set up Oracle Inventory, see the Oracle Inventory User's Guide for basic information and further references.
Oracle Bills of Materials (BOM) is an application that allows the configuring of groups of products into coordinated and complementary systems. Within BOM, you can define product relationships and create products with multiple components and subcomponents. BOM integrates with Inventory and Install Base.
BOM is an optional integration with products and returns functionality in Oracle iSupport.
If using BOM, setup Oracle Bills of Materials. Refer to Oracle Bills of Material User's Guide.
OracleOracle Install Base is a repository that maintains customer items in a tree structure. The application maintains all the customer details, installation details, product information, and applicable service agreements. The application uses the concurrent program, Install Base Interface, to populate tables when new data is added.
Oracle iSupport uses Oracle Install Base for:
Retrieving customer item data in the Account tab
Adding item instances to Oracle Install Base using the Item Instances tab
Retrieving customer item instances while creating service requests
Confirm the setup of Oracle Install Base. Refer to Oracle Install Base Implementation Guide.
Note: When setting up new users of the Oracle Install Base functionality, please add the role CSI_END_USER to them. This role contains the required permissions for Install Base general users.
The following applications and relevant dependencies are necessary for returns functionality in Oracle iSupport:
In Oracle Order Management, RMA is often used synonymously with Return or Credit Orders and Returned Material. An order can have a mix of outbound (regular) and inbound (return) lines, if not restricted by the order type definition. Credit order types are of the order type category Return, while an order with Mixed order type category can contain both regular and return lines. Each order type and each line type is associated with a workflow process. The Line Type Category associated with the Line Type determines if it is a return. Line types can be variations of Return, such as Return with Approval, Return for Credit Only, and have a line type category of Return.
Oracle Order Management supports a variety of methods for returning products. An agent or administrator decides at the time of authorizing the return how to process the request. For example, an agent can accept the return and process a credit for the customer, updating all sales activity and credit balances. Or, the agent may accept the return for replacement and enter a replacement order instead of issuing a credit.
Examples of returns supported by Oracle Order Management:
RMA with Credit Only - Company issues a credit without the customer returning the product.
RMA with Repair - Customer returns damaged product. Company repairs and returns the product to customer.
RMA with Replacement - Customer returns a product. Company sends a replacement product rather than issuing a credit.
RMA with Receipt and No Credit - Customer returns a product sent to him on a trial basis or at no charge. Company does not issue a credit.
RMA with Receipt and Credit - Customer returns a product. Company issues a credit.
Returned Item Fails Inspection - Customer returns product. Company inspects product and rejects it. Company either destroys product or sends product back to customer.
Create an RMA in Oracle iSupport.
Book the RMA into Oracle Order Management through Oracle Order Capture API.
Receive the RMA using the Receipts form of Oracle Purchasing.
Check the on-hand quantity of the item in inventory to verify that the correct quantity was received.
Fulfill the RMA line.
Generate a credit memo in Oracle Invoicing.
View the credit memo in Oracle Order Management.
Check the Shipped and Fulfilled quantity on the RMA line.
Oracle iSupport allows users to create a return by providing a UI that calls Oracle Order Capture APIs to submit the return to Oracle Order Management and perform customer validation. Oracle iSupport does not create the return to Oracle Order Management directly.
Navigation to the returns feature is Account tab > Return > Create Returns.
Following is the process flow for creating a return within Oracle iSupport. For information on Oracle Workflow items associated with returns, refer to the chapter in this guide called Integrating Oracle iSupport with Oracle Workflow.
Within Oracle iSupport, the user accesses the Create Return window.
User enters orders associated with his account number(s). The user must have an exact order number to create a return. Only orders that have been ordered (booked) can be returned.
The user provides the following information:
Account Number - This must be the account number associated with the order.
Contact for the company returning the item, if appropriate.
Bill to address - User must enter a bill to address. This indicates where the credit will be sent if the credit memo cannot be applied to an invoice. User can select alternate address using the drop list.
Ship from address - User will be see a default ship from address; this indicates where the return is originating from. User can select alternate address using the drop list.
Return reason - A return reason must be specified for each line being returned.
User selects the lines to be returned. Only items that are "returnable" can be returned. Only returnable lines display a select check box.
The page calculates the credit amount for the user; this is the amount of the order line. The ordered amount is the net selling price per unit multiplied by the quantity ordered.
Having selected a valid order item and quantity, the user clicks Create Return, and Oracle iSupport submits the return to Oracle Order Management through the Oracle Order Capture API. If the return submission is successful, then the user receives an RMA number. If Oracle Order Management/Oracle Quoting return any errors, then Oracle iSupport captures and displays them on the next page. When the return is booked, the same order line cannot be returned twice.
After creation of the return from Oracle iSupport, the return is handled by Oracle Order Capture API, Order Management, Oracle Purchasing, Workflow APIs, Oracle Inventory (or Oracle Install Base), and Oracle Receivables.
Set up Oracle Quoting according to the latest Oracle Quoting Implementation Guide. This enables access to the Order Capture APIs that are required for returns functionality in Oracle iSupport.
The following profile options must be set to allow returns functionality in Oracle iSupport:
ASO: Default Order Type - Set to Mixed.
ASO: Default Order State - Set to Booked.
Using the Oracle Order Management Suite, you can enter sales orders, calculate the price of items on order lines, fulfill the orders -- for example, by shipping the items -- and send information to an accounts receivable system so that invoices are created. The core Oracle Order Management products are:
Oracle Order Management - required for returns in Oracle iSupport
Oracle Shipping Execution (SE) - required for returns in Oracle iSupport
Oracle Pricing
These products are included when Oracle Order Management is purchased. Additional products are available which are also integrated with Oracle Order Management, and these include:
Oracle Advanced Pricing - required for returns in Oracle iSupport
Oracle Configurator
Oracle Accounts Receivable - a dependency for general Oracle iSupport setup
Oracle Advanced Planning and Scheduling
Confirm the setup of Oracle Order Management. While the steps in this section can assist you in setting up Order Management, you will need to refer to Oracle Order Management Implementation Manual for complete setup information.
Order Management transaction types classify orders and returns. Credit order types are of the order type category Return.
In order for the returns feature to work properly, the default order type in Order Management must be set to Mixed. This is controlled by the profile option, ASO: Default Order Type = Mixed.
The following steps can assist you in setting up Order Management Line Types. For setup information, refer to the Oracle Order Management Implementation Manual.
Log in to Oracle Forms; select Order Management super user or administrator responsibility.
Navigate to Setup > Transaction Types > Define. The Transaction Types window displays.
Query for Mixed (you must enter the word exactly as shown here) in the Transaction Type field. (Use F11 and Ctrl +F11 to query.) The Transaction Types window populates with the information for the Mixed transaction type.
Place the cursor in the Order Category field and select an Order Category of Mixed.
Place the cursor in the Default Return Line field and select a Default Return Line Type of Return (Receipt).
Place the cursor in the Default Order Line Type field and select a Default Order Line Type of Standard (Line Invoicing).
Access the Line Workflow Assignments window by selecting the Assign Line Flow button.
In the Access the Line Workflow Assignments window, add a new record.
In the Set Line Type field, select Standard (Line Invoicing) from the LOV.
Select an appropriate Item Type to populate the Item Type field.
In the Set Process Name field, select Line Flow Generic from the LOV.
Select an appropriate Start Date.
Add a second record.
In the Set Line Type field, select Return (Receipt) from the LOV.
Select an appropriate Item Type to populate the Item Type field.
In the Set Process Name field, select Line Flow Return for Credit with Receipt.
Select an appropriate Start Date for the record.
Select Ok. Save the changes.
Here are some useful guidelines when using the application:
When the lot controlled and serialized items are returned, the serial number entered by the user is not validated against an Inventory serial number or the original order serial number. However, the serial number is captured in the RMA lines and is viewable in Oracle Receivables.
Currently, Oracle Install Base does not get updated automatically when a serialized item is returned.
ATO/PTO configurations are configured items. For example, a configuration such as a computer system can consist of many items. Fulfillment of the entire configuration is required before crediting. The usage of fulfillment set can achieve the result of triggering crediting only after the entire configuration is fulfilled.
Oracle Order Management allows the return of freight and other special charges.
To find out what is wrong in case the Create Return fails in Oracle iSupport, it is helpful to properly generate a debug file from Oracle Quoting or Oracle Order Management when a return is created. Use the following procedure.
Ensure that the debug file directory is defined as a database directory for PL/SQL file I/O. See My Oracle Support Knowledge Document 2525754.1, Using UTL_FILE_DIR or Database Directories for PL/SQL File I/O in Oracle E-Business Suite Releases 12.1 and 12.2.
Ensure the settings on the following Oracle Order Management (OM) and Order Quoting (ASO) profile options:
OM: Debug Level
OM: Debug Log Directory - This directory needs to be one of the database directories defined for PL/SQL file I/O as described in the previous step.
ASO: Enable ASO Debug - Set to Yes.
Additional information on this topic is available in the Profile Options chapter of this guide.
Order Management uses Oracle Advanced Pricing for determining prices of goods sold; therefore, it is a mandatory module for returns execution.
Confirm the setup of Oracle Advanced Pricing. Refer to Oracle Advanced Pricing Implementation Guide for setup details.
Oracle Shipping Execution provides shipping execution for Order Management and is necessary for the returns integration. It is mandatory for returns in Oracle iSupport.
Refer to Oracle Shipping Execution User's Guide for setup details.
The Receipts form of Oracle Purchasing receives an RMA when it is booked. Therefore, it is a mandatory module for returns execution.
Confirm the setup of Oracle Purchasing. Refer to Oracle Purchasing User's Guide.