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Oracle Applications User's, System Administrator's, and Flexfields Documentation Update

This section contains important information. Please read this section for the latest updates and additions to your Applications User's, System Administrator's, and Flexfield guides.

This section contains updates for the following topics:

Profile Options in Oracle Applications Object Library

The following Profile Options have been updated, created, or obsoleted:

See: Profile Options in Oracle Applications Object Library Oracle Applications System Administrator's Guide

RRA:URL

The profile option RRA:URL is obsolete. This profile option provided a URL which enabled the Report Review Agent to display reports in a browser. Applications now uses the URL entered for the profile option Applications Web Agent instead.

Concurrent: Show Requests Summary After Each Request Submission

Using this new profile option you can choose to either have the Requests Summary displayed each time you submit a request or retain the request submission screen.

The default is "Yes". "Yes" means the Requests Summary screen is displayed each time you submit a request.

If you choose "No" a decision window is opened asking you if you wish to submit another request. When you choose to submit another request you are returned to the submission window and the window is not cleared allowing you to easily submit copies of the same request with minor changes.

Users can see and update this profile option.

This profile option is visible and updatable at all four levels.

Level Visible Allow Update
Site Yes Yes
Application Yes Yes
Responsibility Yes Yes
User Yes Yes

The internal name for this profile option is CONC_REQ_SUMMARY.

Viewer:Default Font Size

Using this new profile option you can set the default font size used when you display report output in the Report Viewer.

The valid values for this option are 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14.

Users can see and update this profile option.

This profile option is visible and updatable at all four levels.

Level Visible Allow Update
Site Yes Yes
Application Yes Yes
Responsibility Yes Yes
User Yes Yes

The internal name for this profile option is FNDCPVWR_FONT_SIZE..

Viewer: Text

The Viewer: Text profile option has been enhanced to allow you to send report output directly to a browser window. Enter "Browser" in this profile option to take advantage of this new feature.

See: Profile Options in Oracle Applications Object Library Oracle Applications System Administrator's Guide:

Message Level Threshold

The Viewer: Text profile option has been enhanced to allow you to send report output directly to a browser window. Enter "Browser" in this profile option to take advantage of this new feature.

The valid values for this option are 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14.

Users can see and update this profile option.

This profile option is visible and updatable at all four levels.

Level Visible Allow Update
Site Yes Yes
Application Yes Yes
Responsibility Yes Yes
User Yes Yes

The internal name for this profile option is FND:MESSAGE_LEVEL._THESHOLD

RRA: Service Prefix

Using this new profile option allows you to override the default service name prefix (FNDFS_) assigned to the Report Review Agent. By assigning a new prefix to the Report Review Agent you can avoid having multiple instances of the Applications share executables.

Valid values for this option must be nine characters or less and use only alphanumeric characters or the underscore. We recommend using the underscore character as the last character of your value as in the default value "FNDFS_".

Users cannot see or update this profile option.

This profile option is visible and updatable at the site level only.

Level Visible Allow Update
Site Yes Yes
Application No No
Responsibility No No
User No No

The internal name for this profile option is FS_SVC_PREFIX.

Attention: GLDI will not support the "RRA: Service Prefix" profile until release 4.0 and so uses the default prefix "FNDFS_" regardless of the value entered for the profile option. Consequently, you must ensure that at least one of your Report Review Agents maintains the default prefix in order for GLDI to access the application executables.

TCF: HOST

Using this profile option with the TCF: PORT option allows selected product forms to interact with Java applets which provide graphical display of hierarchical data.

Set the value of this profile option to the hostname of the machine running SocketServer.

Initially you should set these profile options at the site level to ensure that all Applications use them. As more products make use of this listener, you may choose to start multiple SocketServers and set these profile option values at the Application level. This will route users of different applications to different instances of the SocketServer.

Users cannot update this profile option.

This profile option is visible at all levels and updatable at the site and application level only.

Level Visible Allow Update
Site Yes Yes
Application Yes Yes
Responsibility Yes No
User Yes No

The internal name for this profile option is TCF:HOST

See: Administering the TCF SocketServer

TCF: PORT

Using this profile option with the TCF: HOST option allows selected product forms to interact with Java applets which provide graphical display of hierarchical data.

Set the value of this profile option to the port number of the machine running SocketServer.

Initially you should set these profile options at the site level to ensure that all Applications use them. As more products make use of this listener, you may choose to start multiple SocketServers and set these profile option values at the Application level. This will route users of different applications to different instances of the SocketServer.

Users cannot see or update this profile option.

This profile option is visible and updatable at the site and application level only.

Level Visible Allow Update
Site Yes Yes
Application Yes Yes
Responsibility Yes No
User Yes No

The internal name for this profile option is TCF:PORT

See: Administering the TCF SocketServer

Using the Requests Window

When running Applications on the Web, Choosing Copy File from the Special menu in the Requests window displays the selected requests ouput in a browser window. From the browser window, you can use the native browser tools to save your request output to a file.

See: Using the Requests Window: Oracle Applications User's Guide

Customizing the Presentation of Data in a Folder

With the addition of multi-language support, Folders are associated with specific languages. Existing folders are associated with the base language of the Site and new folders are associated with the language used when the folder is created. Folders can only be accessed when the Applications are running in the same language that is associated with the folder. For example, A folder created in the French version of the Applications cannot be accessed when running the Applications in German.

See: Customizing the Presentation of Data in a Folder: Oracle Application User's Guide

Export

Use the Export feature to export records in a multi-row block to the application of your choice. Export always uses the records and format currently queried in the form. Thus, you can control the data to be exported using the query functions of the form, such as Query Find. Additionally, if you are exporting from a Folder form, you can reorder columns in the form or remove unwanted columns before you export.

   To start the export process:

Note: To reduce the time required to export your records, reduce the number of records returned by using explicit query criteria.

   Select a Application:

Example of Setting up a Default Application for Export

You can set up your Browser environment so that exported data is automatically displayed in the application you specify. Each Browser type setup is unique; this example explains the steps required to set up Microsoft Excel as the default application for Export within Netscape Communicator 4.0:

Field Name Value Entered
Description of Type Tab-Delimited
File extension exp
MIME type text/tab-separated-values
Application to use c:\MSOffice\Excel\Excel.EXE "%1"

Note: To Set up your browser you must enter the MIME type exactly as shown in the table. The Application field should be set to reflect the location of the application you wish to use. The Description and File extension fields are optional.

Exporting Large Numbers of Records

Export automatically selects all records currently retrieved as well as the remaining records associated with the current query. If the records retrieved exceed 100, you will be prompted to:

Stop Limits the records available to be exported to those already selected by the export process. You will then be prompted to either cancel the export or export only those records already selected. The number of records selected is included in the decision window.
Continue to End Allows the export process to select all records retrieved in the form. When all records retrieved have been selected the export process will automatically export the records.

Note: We recommend that you do not use the export feature for very large numbers of records, such as records that exceed 1000, as this is time consuming, and uses significant machine and network resources.

Continue Will select the next 100 records. When all records retrieved have been selected the export process will automatically export the records. Otherwise, you will continue to be prompted until all records are selected or you choose Stop or Continue to End.

Shortcut Keys for Buttons

Most window buttons are mapped to keyboard shortcuts. The shortcut key is indicated with an underline in the button label. For example, in the Request Summary window, the button label Hold Requests has the "H" underlined. This indicates that you can use the keyboard shortcut Alt-H to put a request on hold instead of using the mouse.

Note: The keyboard shortcuts for buttons are defined in the English version of the Applications and do not change when the applications are translated. Although, these shortcuts are active for all languages the shortcuts may not be indicated in the translated button label. Using the example from above, in the French version of the applications, the Hold Requests button is labeled "Bloquer le traitement", but the shortcut key is still Alt-H.

Uploading/Downloading Attachment Files

   To attach an existing file to an Oracle Applications record:

   To open an uploaded attachment:

Choose the Open Document ... button

See: Adding an Attachment: Oracle Applications User's Guide

Viewing Reports in HTML

In Release 11, reports that produce an output other than a text file (for example HTML or PDF) are displayed in a browser. If you set the profile option VIEWER: TEXT to Browser, your text files are also displayed in a browser as opposed to the Report Viewer.

Administering Oracle Applications Security in Release 11

In Release 11 the security model has been enhanced to include login authentication for web access as well as ensuring secure web access to files used by such features as Export and Attachments. This enhancement requires a newly created .dbc file, a Database Access Descriptor setup at install, and that you provide a URL for the profile option Applications Web Agent.

See Also

Profile Options in Oracle Applications Object Library Oracle Applications System Administrator's Guide:

Administering .dbc Files

The .dbc file is contained on the web/applications server and holds information used by the database for authentication. The web/application server passes the information from the .dbc file, as well as login information, to the database server to authenticate the user. The authentication process is handled by the standard applications security feature.

The .dbc files required by the application server security system are not part of the delivered product and must be created after installation.

The Java script AdminAppServer is used to create the .dbc files.

Prior to running AdminAppServer you must ensure that:

The syntax for the script begins with the call to the script.

   jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer [parameters]

The first parameter must be the connection string followed by the command string.

   apps/apps@dbname
   ADD

Some commands require additional parameter(s). For example, the ADD command must be followed by the GWYUID and FNDNAM parameters, which are followed by any optional parameters. Optional parameters are indicated in brackets.

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	ADD								\
	GWYUID=pub/pub FNDNAM=apps					\
	[SERVER_ADDRESS=<tcp.ip address>]				\
	[SERVER_DESCRIPTION=<machine_name>]		\
	[<env_name>=<env_value>]					\
	SECURE_PATH=$FND_TOP/secure					\
	GUEST_USER_PWD=<username/password>

In the example above, the parameter env_name allows you to enter additional information you wish to store in the .dbc file. Programs that access the Applications using the .dbc file will use all of the environment variable settings in the file. Additionally, if you do not provide a value for the SERVER_ADDRESS it will default to the ip address of the machine on which the utility is run.

Creating .dbc Files

Use the AdminAppServer script to create a .dbc file for the application server to access the database server. In addition to creating the .dbc file this script registers the application server with the database for the Applications Server Security feature.

To access additional database servers from the same application server, you must rerun the AdminAppServer script for each additional database. You must run the AdminAppServer script each time you create a .dbc file, and each .dbc file only allows access to one database.

   To create a .dbc file for an application server:

	GUEST_USER_PWD=visitor/welcome

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	ADD								\
	GWYUID=pub/pub FNDNAM=apps					\
	[SERVER_ADDRESS=<tcp.ip address>]				\
	[SERVER_DESCRIPTION="Public web access server"]		\
	[<env_name>=<env_value>]					\
	SECURE_PATH=$FND_TOP/secure					\
	GUEST_USER_PWD=<username/password>

The SECURE_PATH parameter provides the location of the directory which contains .dbc files. The value of this parameter must be set to $FND_TOP/secure.

Updating or Deleting a .dbc File

When updating the .dbc file you can change as many parameters as you want, including the server ID, but you must enter at least one. Settings that you do not update retain their value.

   To update a .dbc file:

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	UPDATE								\
	[SERVER_ID]							\
	[SERVER_ADDRESS=<tcp.ip address>]				\
	[SERVER_DESCRIPTION="Public web access server"		\
	[<env_name>=<env_value>]					\
	SECURE_PATH=$FND_TOP/secure					\
	GUEST_USER_PWD=<username/password>

Attention: If you have not already set the username/password value for the GUEST_USER_PWD parameter, you can do so here using the UPDATE command. For instructions, see the section on Creating DBC files in .Administering Oracle Applications Security in Release 11.

   To delete a .dbc file:

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	DELETE								\
	SERVER_ADDRESS=<tcp.ip address>				\
	SECURE_PATH=$FND_TOP/secure

This deletes the .dbc file and disallows access to the indicated database if Server Security is active.

Administering Server Security

Because Release 11 is deployed in a multi-tier configuration, the security model has been enhanced to include authentication of application servers to the database servers they access. When this layer of security is activated, it uses "server IDs" or passwords that the application server passes to the database server. If the database server recognizes the server ID, it grants access to the database. The server IDs are created using a Java utility.

The application server security system is not initially activated. You must activate it after installation. The application servers are registered with the database and assigned server IDs when you create .dbc files for Oracle Applications Security in Release 11.

The Java script AdminAppServer is used to set up, activate, and check the status of the application server security feature. For a detailed description of the AdminAppServer utility see Administering Oracle Applications Security in Release 11.

Server ID Status

You can check the Server ID status for a particular database using the STATUS command in the AdminAppServer script. The STATUS command displays all registered application servers and their server IDs. The command also indicates whether the server security feature is currently active.

Attention: Check the server ID status of your databases before you activate server security and ensure that all desired Application Servers have been registered.

   To check the server ID status for a database:

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	STATUS

Activation of Server Security

You can turn the server security feature on or off using the same AdminAppServer utility. When you turn off server security, you will not change or delete your server IDs. You can restart server security without recreating server IDs for all of your applications servers.

   To activate server security:

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	AUTHENTICATION ON

   To deactivate server security:

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	AUTHENTICATION OFF

Updating or Deleting Server IDs

You can update or delete a application server's server ID at any time. When updating the server ID you can change as many parameters as you want, including the server ID, but you must enter at least one.

Note: Server ID values are generated by the AdminAppsServer utility, and therefore cannot be supplied on the command line.

   To update a server ID:

jre oracle.apps.fnd.security.AdminAppServer apps/apps@dbname	\
	UPDATE								\
	SERVER_ID							\
	[SERVER_ADDRESS=<tcp.ip address>]				\
	[SERVER_DESCRIPTION="Public web access server"		\
	[<env_name>=<env_value>]					\
	SECURE_PATH=$FND_TOP/secure					\
	GUEST_USER_PWD=<username/password>

Attention: If you have not already set the username/password value for the GUEST_USER_PWD parameter, you can do so here using the UPDATE command. For instructions, see the section on Creating DBC files in .Administering Oracle Applications Security in Release 11.

   To delete a server ID:

Server IDs can be deleted by deleting the corresponding .dbc file. This must be done using the AdminAppsServer utility as explained in the Updating or Deleting a .dbc File section.

Using the Navigator's Processes Region

The Processes region of the Navigator, enables you to navigate to forms associated with a specific business functionality within Oracle Applications. These processes are listed on the left portion of the screen. Several generic process are delivered with the applications, however, your System Administrator can modify these processes or create new processes to meet your specific needs.

Working with a Process

The available processes are displayed on the left side of the Navigator window.

Attention: Function Security is enabled through the Processes region of the Navigator. If your current responsibility does not have access to the form, you will receive an error message.

Assigning an Account Generator Process for a Flexfield Structure

Within the Account Generator Processes window, you select a flexfield structure by using a Row-LOV from Query Find..

Administering the TCF SocketServer

Beginning with Oracle Applications 11.0.1, selected product forms will support interactions with Java applets which provide graphical display of hierarchical data. The Thin Client Framework (TCF) provides the Java applets a means of communicating with the Application Server and Database Server tiers. When an applet is launched by a form, it is told the hostname and port where it can find the TCF listener process called SocketServer which provides this connection.

Setting up the SocketServer

To use the SocketServer the System Administrator must start the TCF SocketServer process and provide values for the profile options TCF:HOST and TCF:PORT.

   Starting the SocketServer

	jre oracle.apps.fnd.tcf.SocketServer <port number> [-d]

Attention: Be sure that the CLASSPATH environment variable includes your $JAVA_TOP directory and the JDBC support classes. You must also ensure that the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable includes the Oracle 8.0.4 JDBC driver libraries. These variables should normally be included in an environment script used when starting the Oracle Web Server 3.0.1. If these variables are not set properly, the TCF SocketServer may not be able to support client connections.

   Setting the Profile Options

	TCF:% 

Note: The values for these profiles should be initially set at the Site level to ensure that all Applicaitons see these values. You can override these values later by entering values at the Applications level. This routes the users of different applications to different instances of the SocketServer.

Hierarchy Screen

The Hierarchy Screen contains an Object Navigator that allows you to navigate through your flow data. The following describes the elements of the Menu Structure and Toolbar Structure.

Menu Structure

File    
  Exit Exits from the Object Navigator.
  Print ... Prints the current hierarchy to a printer
Edit    
  Preferences Allows the user to set default color, font, and icon settings for all nodes displayed within the Object Navigator. (Refer to Sample Screen - Preferences for more details)
  Type Display Allows the user to assign color and icons to a specific type of node. (Refer to Sample Screen - Type Display for more details)
View    
  Horizontal Displays hierarchy in an Organization Chart style. The parent node will start in the middle of the screen. Child nodes will branch out from under the parent in a root like fashion.
  Vertical Displays hierarchy in a Microsoft Windows Explorer style. The parent node will start from the upper left corner of the screen. Child nodes will be displayed below the parent and slightly indented to the right.
  Column Displays hierarchy in a hybrid style of Horizontal and Vertical. The parent node will start in the upper left corner of the screen. Child nodes will be displayed in a column to the right of the parent node.
  Toolbar Allows the user to display or hide the toolbar.
  Node Type Allows the user to display or hide the type of node information for all nodes in the Hierarchy pane.
Help    
  Using Object Navigator Allows the user to view html help on the Object Navigator. The first help could be a "table of contents" type page that gives the users an overview of all the help topics available for the Object Navigator.
  Selected Node Descriptions Allows the User to view node information for any selected node.
  Debug Information Allows the users to turn debug information on or off. Currently, Object Navigator supports debugging the values returned by from the akquery engine. These values are displayed on a screen. Similar support will be provided by the new Object Navigator.
  About Object Navigator ... Allows the user to view the current version number of the Object Navigator as well as other miscellaneous information.

Toolbar Structure

Prints the current hierarchy

Allows the user to display nodes in a vertical Microsoft Windows Explorer style. The parent node will start from the upper left corner of the screen. Child nodes will be displayed below the parent and slightly indented to the right.

Allows the user to display nodes in a horizontal Organization Chart style. The parent node will start in the middle of the screen. Child nodes will branch out from under the parent in a root like fashion.

Allows the user to display nodes in a hybrid style of Horizontal and Vertical. The parent node will start in the upper left corner of the screen. Child nodes will be displayed in a column to the right of the parent node.

The Graphical Navigator

When you install production release 11, the Graphical Navigator will be ready to use. The Navigator is shipped with seeded process, so you can start using the Graphical Navigator immediately. The Graphical processes give you access to descriptions of the processes and the steps within each processes as well as allows you to open the form associated to each step. To access some of the forms related to the seeded process, some modification to your responsibility will be needed.

Seeded Processes

With production release 11, the Graphical Navigator comes seeded with high level processes that span the expense cycle, the revenue cycle, and the cash reconciliation process. You can use these processes as they are, modify these processes, and create new processes that are specific to your particular organization. Each process seeded with release 11 is described below:

Expense Cycle Process

Expense Cycle Process Diagram

Below is the seeded Expense Cycle Process. It spans entering a requisition to inquiring the transaction in the General Ledger. This process covers only expense and asset requisitions.

The following diagram depicts the purchasing process for Vision Operations.

Expense Cycle Process Descriptions

Descriptions are visible through the Graphical Navigator at the process level as well as step level. Below are the descriptions for the Expense Cycle Process and the steps within the process.

Enter Requisitions For most requisitions you will be able to accept the default information. Although not required, a description may facilitate a more rapid approval process through the Vision Operations chain of command. Other than this, the only required information is as follows:

Save your work, and note your requisition number for future reference.

Submit the requisition for approval using the "Approve" button at the bottom of the screen.

Requisition Inquiry Use this inquiry form to locate requisitions based on a variety of criteria. You can use this to view the history and check on the status of requisitions.

Enter Purchase Orders If you have access to this screen, then you are a buyer or have been given authority to create purchase orders without a requisition. Please be aware that your purchase order may still go through an approval process, depending on your authority.

For most purchase orders you will be able to accept the default information. Although you may optionally enter other information, the only required information is as follows:

Save your work, and note your requisition number for future reference.

Submit the purchase order for approval using the "Approve" button at the bottom of the screen.

Autocreate Purchase Orders Use this form to automatically create purchase orders from approved requisitions. You may want to select lines from multiple requisitions and put them into a single purchase order. Use the first window to enter your selection criteria.

Press the "Ctrl" button and click on the lines you wish to include in this purchase order. Select the "Action." (Is this a new PO, or are you adding to an existing PO). Select the "Document Type." (Is this a standard PO, or is it a release against a blanket or planned PO, or is it to be placed on an RFQ). Select the "Grouping." (should PO lines be grouped by requisition? Unless otherwise instructed, use "Default.")

Click on the "Automatic" button.

(You can optionally create this purchase order by manually selecting the lines. This function would be used on an exception basis.)

Purchasing Inquiry Use this inquiry to locate purchase orders based on a variety of criteria. You can use this to view the history and check on the status of purchase orders.

Receive Goods Use this form to select the purchase order line items you wish to receive against. You can select based on a variety of criteria. Remember, you can also review purchase order detail information before receiving against a particular purchase order. You can use the Express Receipt feature to enter most or all of your receipts in a few keystrokes. Use this feature if you know that the amount received is equal to the amount on the purchase order.

Create Invoices For most invoices you can use the default type of "Standard." If this is an invoice for which a purchase order was entered, select a type of either "PO Default" or "QuickMatch." When you enter the PO number, much of the invoice information will default.

Invoice Inquiry Use this inquiry form to locate invoices based on a wide variety of criteria. This form will provide drill down into the details of the invoice, including payment information. If a supplier phones to request information on invoices, this is a good place to efficiently locate the detail they need. Remember that the system will quickly calculate a supplier's balance online (see "Calculate Balance Online" button at bottom of screen).

Create Payments You can use this form to enter checks for invoices already entered, or for invoices which have not yet been entered into the system. Please enter the "Bank" and the "Document Name." After entering information about this payment, go to "Enter/Adjust Invoices" to either enter the invoice information, or select the supplier invoice you wish to pay. To get a listing of this supplier's invoice to select from, use the QuickPick icon in the "Invoice Number" field.

Reconcile Cash The Cash Workbench is the central location for working with invoices to reconcile cash received or paid through a bank account. In addition to reconciling cash, you can create reconciliation journals to be posted to General Ledger.

Create Mass Additions Use this form to run the process to transfer purchases for capital assets to Oracle Assets. If an invoice line item has been marked to track as an asset (in the "Distributions" window), then it will be picked up here and transferred. The program to be run is "Mass Additions Create." In the parameters window, select the appropriate accounting date, and the "OPS CORP" book of depreciation.

Prepare Mass Additions Select the invoice line items you wish to prepare for inclusion in Oracle Assets. A single invoice line may be a single asset or split into multiple assets. Or, it may be merged with additional lines to create a single asset. Or, invoice line items may be added to existing assets. You should open the line item to be sure there is a description, category location and depreciation expense account. Save your work. Then, select "Post All" from the "Special" menu on the menu bar at the top of the screen. This will change the status of this line item to "Post".

Mass Additions Post Select the appropriate book of depreciation in the parameters field. In general, this will be "OPS CORP." Submit the request. This will change the status of this item in the Mass Additions Summary window to "Posted." You should now be able to view this item as an asset being tracked through the Asset Workbench.

Assets Workbench The Assets Workbench is the central location for working with items being tracked in Oracle Assets. In addition to adding new assets, you can review and add detail information for existing assets.

General Ledger Transfer To post Accounts Payable transactions to the Oracle General, run the concurrent process "Payables Transfer to General Ledger." Be sure to enter a batch name to be used to identify the journal entry; and enter the date through which you wish to capture data to be transferred. In general, the default information for the remaining parameters can be accepted. After completing this process, you can query the journal entry created in Oracle General Ledger.

General Ledger Post Highlight the journals you wish to post by clicking the check box to the left of each line. Clicking the "Post" button will initiate the posting process.

General Ledger Inquiry After journals have been posted to the general ledger, this form will provide the ability to inquire on the balances in the accounts which have been charged. After selecting the accounts you wish to inquire against, you can view the total account balance (Show Balances); view the journals that make up that balance (Journal Details); and view the invoice information for a line item from a subledger (Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc.). Remember that all of these are folder forms. You can create your own view by bringing in the information you want to see in a format that works for you.

Expense Cycle Process Form Functions

Listed below are the form function names the Graphical Navigator calls when it launches a form related to its step. Additionally, your responsibilities accessing the Expense Cycle Process must have access to these forms to view them through the Graphical Navigator.

Step Name Prod Associated Product Menu Form Function Name
Enter Requisitions PO Purchasing SuperUser GUI PO_POXRQERQ
Requisition Inquiry PO Purchasing SuperUser GUI PO_POXRQVRQ
Enter Purchase Orders PO Purchasing SuperUser GUI PO_POXPOEPO
Autocreate Purchase Orders PO Purchasing SuperUser GUI PO_POXBWVRP
Purchasing Inquiry PO Purchasing SuperUser GUI PO_POXPOVPO
Receive Goods PO Purchasing SuperUser GUI RCV_RCVTXERT
Create Invoices AP AP_NAVIGATE_GUI12 AP_APXINWKB
Invoice Inquiry AP AP_NAVIGATE_GUI12 AP_APXIWALL
Create Payments AP AP_NAVIGATE_GUI12 AP_APXPAWKB
Reconcile Cash CE CE_SUPERUSER_GUI CEXCABMR
Create Mass Additions AP AP_NAVIGATE_GUI12 FND_FNDRSRUN
Prepare Mass Additions FA FA_MAIN FAXMADDS
Mass Additions Post FA FA_MAIN FAXSSPMA
Assets Workbench FA FA_MAIN FAXASSET
General Ledger Transfer AP AP_NAVIGATE_GUI12 FND_FNDRSRUN
General Ledger Post GL GL_SUPERUSER GLXJEPST
General Ledger Inquiry GL GL_SUPERUSER GLXIQACC

Revenue Cycle Process

Revenue Cycle Process

Below is the seeded Revenue Cycle Process. It spans entering a sales order to inquiring the transaction in the General Ledger. This process does not represent all functionality available in the revenue cycle.

The following diagram depicts the sales order process for Vision Operations.

Revenue Cycle Process Descriptions

Descriptions are visible through the Graphical Navigator at the process level as well as step level. Below are the descriptions for the Revenue Cycle Process and the steps within the process.

Enter Sales Order You can enter, view, and update sales orders using the Sales Orders window. You can order standard items, both shippable and non-shippable, and configurations using this window. You can also adjust pricing, assign sales credits, record payment information, attach notes, schedule shipments, enter model options, query material availability, and make material reservations, including selection of item revisions, subinventories, or lots.

You can enter information in the Sales Orders window as you receive it. Oracle Order Entry/Shipping validates individual fields as they are entered. When you book an order, Order Entry/Shipping validates it to ensure that all required fields have values, that configurations are complete, and so on. After an order has been booked, it becomes eligible for the next step in its order cycle.

Release Sales Order Pick Release releases order line details for shipment. Pick Release creates picking lines for one order line, one order, or many orders depending on your release criteria. You can run as many releases as you want and qualify those releases to meet your requirements.

You can define Release Sequence Rules, which specify the order in which eligible picking lines are released during Pick Release. You can also define Pick Slip Grouping Rules, which determine how released picking lines are grouped onto pick slips.

You can release orders by departure and delivery, warehouse, order, requested or schedule dates, customer, item, shipment priority, order type, subinventory, ship sets, or combinations of these criteria.

Using Pick Release, you can also:

Confirm Shipment Departure You can partially or completely ship or completely backorder an existing departure during Ship Confirm. You can also create a departure, assign deliveries to the departure, and ship or backorder the departure. You can calculate the weight, volume, and percentage fill of the departure using the Calculate Weight Special menu option.

If delivery line details are not required and all deliveries within the departure are able to be closed, you can ship part or all of the departure from the departure level.

Confirm Shipment Delivery You can partially or completely ship a delivery. If picking line details are not required, you can ship an entire delivery from the delivery level. If picking line details are required, you must define the required details for the items on the Delivery Lines window.

You must create a departure for the delivery if you want to ship a delivery. You can create a departure prior to Ship Confirm, or you can create a departure while confirming the delivery. For example, when you try to ship a delivery that is not assigned to a departure, you are prompted to define three fields on the Delivery Status window (see the steps below). When you select Ship Entered Quantities or Ship All from the Delivery Status window, define these three fields, and choose OK, a departure is automatically created and the delivery is assigned to the departure.

Update Shipping The Update Shipping Information program updates orders lines with shipped quantity, sets the ship confirmation status, and backorders unshipped quantities on order lines you have pick released (picking lines).

Create Sales Invoices Most sales invoices will be automatically created from Oracle Order Entry or from other feeder systems. This form can be used to manually create miscellaneous sales invoices.

   To create a manual sales invoice

Print Invoice Use this form to print all new invoices, specific invoices or a single batch of invoices. In addition to printing invoices, note that you may also print an invoice preview report. You may find it helpful to review this prior to printing the invoices.

Generate Statements Use this form to generate statements to provide your customers with a complete record of all activity for their receivables account. Remember that you can print statements up to an "as of" date to include all recent charges.

Sales Invoice Inquiry You can use this form to view complete information for a specific transaction. In the Transaction Summary window use the "find" icon to select the sales invoice you want to view. Select the "Open" button and then the "Balances" button. The Balances window displays the original transaction and other transactions that have been applied.

Receive and Apply Cash To enter a cash receipt enter a Receipt Number, Receipt Type, the Receipt Amount and the Payment Method. Go to the next block and enter the customer's name. Open the Remittance alternative region and enter the deposit date and the remittance bank account information. Select the "Application" button to apply your cash receipt to specific invoices. Go to the Transaction Number field to select invoices from the list of values to apply against your cash receipt.

Reconcile Cash The Cash Workbench is the central location for working with invoices to reconcile cash received or paid through a bank account. In addition to reconciling cash, you can create reconciliation journals to be posted to General Ledger.

Customer Call To enhance customer relations, Vision Operations has a policy to record and maintain conversations with our customers. When communicating with customers for whatever reason, use this window to record notes concerning your conversation. Enter the customer's name and the contact's name and phone number. Open the Response alternative region and enter your notes. Optionally enter the Outcome of the call. It the customer makes any commitments, enter the promise and forecast dates. This information is necessary for all of us to do our jobs better, and service our customers more efficiently.

Customer Account Review Using this form, you can view customer information in a variety of ways. To view a summary of a customer's account, enter your selection criteria in the Find Customer Accounts window. To view a detail of the transactions that make up the customer balance, click on the "Account Details" button. From here you can view the history on individual transactions by clicking on the "Transaction Overview" button.

General Ledger Transfer To transfer all of your receivables transactions to the general ledger run this GL interface program. Create either detail or summary journal entries and enter the date through which you wish to transfer data. Choose whether to import the transactions into the general ledger automatically.

General Ledger Post Highlight the journals you wish to post by clicking the check box to the left of each line. Clicking the "Post" button will initiate the posting process.

General Ledger Inquiry After journals have been posted to the general ledger, this form will provide the ability to inquire on the balances in the accounts which have been charged. After selecting the accounts you wish to inquire against, you can view the total account balance (Show Balances); view the journals that make up that balance (Journal Details); and view the invoice information for a line item from a subledger (Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc.). Remember that all of these are folder forms. You can create your own view by bringing in the information you want to see in a format that works for you.

Revenue Cycle Process Form Functions

Listed below are the form function names the Graphical Navigator calls when it launches a form related to its step. Additionally, your responsibilities accessing the Revenue Cycle Process must have access to these forms to view them through the Graphical Navigator.

Step Name Prod Associated Product Menu Form Function Name
Enter Sales Order OE OE_SUPER_USER_10SC OE_OEXOEMOE
Release Sales Order OE OE_SUPER_USER_10SC SHP_SHPFRREL_DELIVERY
Confirm Shipment Departure OE OE_SUPER_USER_10SC WSH_WSHFDCDP
Confirm Shipment Delivery OE OE_SUPER_USER_10SC WSH_WSHFDCDL
Update Shipping OE OE_SUPER_USER_10SC SHP_FNDRSRUN_UPDATE_SHIPPING
Create Sales Invoice AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXTWMAI_HEADER
Print Invoice AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_FNDRSRUN_INVOICES_PRINT
Generate Statements AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXSUPST
Sales Invoice Inquiry AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXTWMAI_SUMMARY
Receive and Apply Cash AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXRWMAI_HEADER
Reconcile Cash CE CE_SUPERUSER_GUI CEXCABMR
Customer Call AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXCWMAI_ECC
Customer Account Review AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXCWMAI_MAI
General Ledger Transfer AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXPRGLP
General Ledger Post GL GL_SUPERUSER GLXJEPST
General Ledger Inquiry GL GL_SUPERUSER GLXIQACC

Cash Cycle Process

Cash Cycle Process

Below is the seeded Cash Cycle Process. It spans reconciling and forecasting cash to inquiring the transaction in the General Ledger. This process does not represent all functionality available in the cash cycle.

The following diagram depicts the forecasting process for Vision Operations.

Cash Cycle Process Descriptions

Descriptions are visible through the Graphical Navigator at the process level as well as step level. Below are the descriptions for the Cash Cycle Process and the steps within the process.

Define and Generate Forecast Define a cash forecast template if you have new forecasting criteria or you have not defined a forecast template previously. After you define your cash forecast template, click on "Special" on the Menu bar and select "Submit Forecast". This will generate a forecast in which you can review and update.

Review Forecast Use the Cash Forecast Window to review forecast which have been previously generated.

General Ledger Inquiry After journals have been posted to the general ledger, this form will provide the ability to inquire on the balances in the accounts which have been charged. After selecting the accounts you wish to inquire against, you can view the total account balance (Show Balances); view the journals that make up that balance (Journal Details); and view the invoice information for a line item from a subledger (Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc.). Remember that all of these are folder forms. You can create your own view by bringing in the information you want to see in a format that works for you.

Sales Invoice Inquiry You can use this form to view complete information for a specific transaction. In the Transaction Summary window use the "find" icon to select the sales invoice you want to view. Select the "Open" button and then the "Balances" button. The Balances window displays the original transaction and other transactions that have been applied.

Invoice Inquiry Use this inquiry form to locate invoices based on a wide variety of criteria. This form will provide drill down into the details of the invoice, including payment information. If a supplier phones to request information on invoices, this is a good place to efficiently locate the detail they need. Remember that the system will quickly calculate a supplier's balance online (see "Calculate Balance Online" button at bottom of screen).

Cash Cycle Process Form Functions

Listed below are the form function names the Graphical Navigator calls when it launches a form related to its step. Additionally, your responsibilities accessing the Cash Cycle Process must have access to these forms to view them through the Graphical Navigator.

Step Name Prod Associated Product Menu Form Function Name
Define and Generate Forecast CE CE_SUPERUSER_GUI CEFFCDFN
Review Forecast CE CE_SUPERUSER_GUI CEFFCAST
General Ledger Inquiry GL GL_SUPERUSER GLXIQACC
Sales Invoice Inquiry AR AR_NAVIGATE_GUI AR_ARXTWMAI_SUMMARY
Invoice Inquiry AP AP_NAVIGATE_GUI12 AP_APXIWALL

Using the Navigator's Process Region

When you first enter the Processes region of the Navigator, you will see a list of processes on the left portion of the screen. This list is comprised of basic processes that highlight a portion of Oracle Application's functionality. Using Oracle Workflow Builder, you can either create additional processes or modify the existing processes within in the list.

   Viewing a Process

The processes that you can view are displayed in the left side of the Navigator window. Currently, processes listed in the Navigator are sorted alphabetically.

Figure 1

If you click on a step within a process and the description is not detailed enough, open the form by double clicking on the step icon and hit the "?" button on the toolbar to open up specific documentation related to form.

After a form has been opened, it will operate in the same manner as if it was accessed by the function menu region in the Navigator.

Note: Function Security is still enabled through the Processes region of the Navigator. If your responsibility does not have access to the form, then you will receive an error message. You have the option of changing to a responsibility which has access to the form or customizing the menu your current responsibility accesses.

Modifying Your Menu

Until process security is available in Oracle Applications, the Graphical Navigator will have to work within Oracle Application's function security. In order to open forms from every step within the process seeded for production release 11, you will need to modify your menu. Additionally, if you build additional processes for the Graphical Navigator, then you must add the form functions associated to each step in the new processes on the access of the menu your responsibility accesses.

Implementing Function Security for the Navigator

A "full access" responsibility with a menu that includes all the functions in an application is predefined for each Oracle Applications product. Some applications may provide additional predefined responsibilities that include a smaller set of functions (i.e., fewer forms and subfunctions).

As a System Administrator, you can modify the security of a menu and the responsibility that uses the menu.

In fact, we recommend that you create a special menu which grants access to the Graphical Navigator's predefined process steps and associate this menu to an predefined menu or a newly defined menu.

For example, suppose you want to customize a menu which would allow access to Purchasing and Payables' forms as well as the Expense Cycle Process. First, you create a menu which includes access to all the steps within the Expense Cycle process. Then a new menu should be created to associate the "full access" menus predefined for both Purchasing and Payables and the new menu created for the Expense Cycle. Finally, you would associate your responsibility with the menu which grants access to Purchasing, Payables, and the Expense Cycle process.

   Create Menus for the Graphical Navigator Processes

Note: Do not enter a prompt for the Graphical Navigator menus, but do enter a sequence and an entry for the function fields.

   Securing Functions Using Predefined Menus or New Menus

Note: Do not enter a prompt for the Graphical Navigator menus, but do enter a sequence and an entry for the submenu fields.

Customizing Graphical Navigator Processes

The following instructions are specifically written to easily modify graphical processes to be used in the Graphical Navigator. These instructions do not address most of the functionality of Oracle Workflow, but are tailored to specifically modify processes for the Navigator. The Oracle Workflow Builder is a multidimensional tool that can be used to accomplish anything from routing documents through an approval process to setting up your Oracle Applications. Please see the Oracle Workflow User's Guide to gain a better understanding of the product.

For production release 11 of Oracle Applications, three processes are available for immediate use. These processes are:

These Processes are a high level view of how a company enters a sales order to receiving cash as well as how a company enters a requisition to paying its invoice. It is intended that there will be a need to add steps to these processes or change portions of the processes. The following instructions explain how to edit these seeded processes.

Access the Seeded Processes from the Database

To access the seed processes from the database, you have to have installed your production release 11 Oracle Applications and you need to have installed Oracle Workflow Builder 2.03 or greater on your client.

   To access the seed processes

			Local drive (i.e. "C"):orant\network\admin

Note: If you are using Windows 95, then the "orant" should be replaced with "orawin" in the directory structure above.

Adding and Deleting Steps in a Process

If you need to customize the seeded processes for the Graphical Navigator by either adding steps or deleting steps, follow the instructions below.

   Adding Steps

It is easy to add steps to an existing process by replicating existing messages and notifications and changing information specified in the instructions that follow.

Add a Message for Each Additional Step
Note: Please see Adding and Changing The Form Link to a Step under the Customizing Graphical Navigator processes in this document for more information on how to obtain the form function name.

Create Notifications for Each Additional Step

Attention: You cannot update the internal name of an activity once it is defined.

Caution: Do not include colons ":" or spaces in your internal name.

Add New Step to the Process Activity Diagram

   Deleting Steps

It is easy to delete steps to an existing process by selecting the associated step's and deleting them from the process diagram, and their notifications and messages.

Changing Process Names and Description

In order to modify the Process Names and Descriptions of the seeded Release 11 Navigator processes, perform the following steps:

Changing Step Icons, Names, and Descriptions

Follow the instructions on how "Access the Seeded Processes from the Database" within this section.

   Changing Step Icons

Changing Step Names and Descriptions

Adding and Changing the Form Link to a Step

Follow the instructions on how "Access the Seeded Processes from the Database" within this section.

   Finding the Form Function Name

In order for the Navigator to call the form you want to associate to a step within the Navigator, you have to find the form function name of the form. If you don't know the form function name of the form, follow the steps below:

   Associating the Form Function Name to a Step

Adding Graphical Navigator Processes

The following instructions are specifically written to easily build graphical processes to be used in the Graphical Navigator. These instructions do not address most of the functionality of Oracle Workflow, but are tailored to specifically build processes to function within the Navigator. The Oracle Workflow Builder is a multidimensional tool that can be used to accomplish anything from routing documents through an approval process to setting up your Oracle Applications. Please see the Oracle Workflow User's Guide to gain a better understanding of the product.

One reason to build additional processes is that there may be a need to have detailed processes in the Navigator. For instance, one may build a process to detail how to perform cycle counts or month end close.

Create an Item Type

An item type is a classification of the components that contain a process or processes. An item type is a repository of attributes, messages, notifications, and processes which are all required to build your new Graphical Navigator Processes. Often times it makes sense to define an item type so that it describes the item being managed by your process. For example, "Closing Processes" can be an item type while "Year-End", "Month-End", and "Period-End" can be processes associated to the "Closing Processes" item type.

   Creating an Item Type

Attention: You cannot update the internal name for an item type once it is defined.

Caution: Do not include colons ":" or spaces in your internal name.

Creating Item Attributes

An item type attribute is a property associated with a given item type. It acts as a global variable that is referred by a message within a process. Item type attributes for the Graphical Navigator provides default information which will be copied for each message of a processes. For the Navigator processes, only one item attribute will be needed. This attribute enables the Oracle Application form to be linked to each process step.

   To Create a Form Attribute

Creating Messages

A message for the Graphical Navigator holds the description for each step to be displayed to the user.

   To Create a Message

Attention: You cannot update the internal name of a message once it is defined.

Caution: Do not include colons ":" or spaces in your internal name.

		Define, Assign, Run, Load, Convert, Open, Set, Generate, 				Review

		Create, Associate, Setup, Execute, Initiate, Start, etc.

Creating Message Attributes

For the Graphical Navigator, only one message attribute is needed. The attribute open form is required in order to launch a form from the Graphical Navigator.

   To Define a Message Attribute

Note: In the field next to "Constant" in the default value area, the form function name of the form to opened by the Navigator is to be entered. Please see Adding and Changing The Form Link to a Step under the Customizing Graphical Navigator processes in this document.

Replicating Messages

Once the first message has been created by following the direction under Creating Messages and Creating Message Attributes sections of this document, it is easy to replicate additional messages which will be attached to steps within the overall process you are creating. Messages enables steps within a process to have descriptions and the Message Attribute "Open Form" allows the Navigator to launch the form associated to the step by double clicking on the step icon. Therefore, you will need as many messages as there are steps within your process.

To replicate messages quickly, perform the following:

Creating Notifications

Within the Graphical Navigator, the notification enables you to label and select which icon will represent each step of your process. While creating your notifications, you must associate the related message to the notification in order to link the step description with its associated label and icon.

Notification Display names should be the same as the Message Subject Name.

   To Create a Notification Activity

Attention: You cannot update the internal name of an activity once it is defined.

Caution: Do not include colons ":" or spaces in your internal name.

Creating Start and End Functions

Create start and end functions to designate a start and end of your Graphical Process.

Creating Processes

A process activity represents a collection of activities in a specific relationship. Processes enable process steps to be linked in order to create the process diagram to be displayed in the Graphical Navigator. Additionally, the description field on the process activity property sheet allows the Navigator to display a process description when a user clicks on a process name with the Navigator.

   To Create a Process Activity Properties

Before you can draw a workflow process diagram, you must first create a process activity. Double-click on the "Processes" classification on the Workflow navigator tree to display its properties window. Please complete the following steps to fill out your process activity properties sheet for drawing you process diagram.

Attention: You cannot update the internal name of an activity once it is defined.

Caution: Do not include colons ":" or spaces in your internal name.

   To Create a Process Activity Diagram

To start building your process diagram complete the following steps:

Saving Processes

All processes are associated with an item type. An item type can include one or more processes. You can save item types to a database or to a flat file. When you save your work to a database, you actually save everything in the current data store that has been modified. When you save your work to a flat file, you actually save everything in the current data store to the file.

You can also load an item type into Oracle Workflow Builder from a database or flat file. Opening an item type automatically retrieves all the attributes, messages, lookups, notifications, functions and processes associated with that item type.

Attention: It is highly recommended that for new processes created for the Graphical Navigator that you always save a copy of your workflow process definition as a flat file and check that file into a source control system to maintain a working version of your process definition. Then when you want to update your definition in the database, you can pull up the flat file and save it directly to the database. Avoid using the process definition stored in your database as your source controlled version, as others with access to the database can update the definition.

   Saving a New Processes to a Flat File

   Modifying an Existing Flat File and Saving

   Saving a Flat File to the Database

Naming Conventions

ELEMENT NAMING CONVENTION EXPLANATION
ITEM TYPE and File Name (i.e. *.wft) AZNX999
e.g. AZNE000 for expenditure process navigation
Limited to 8 characters in length.
Item Types don't have any association to the graphical processes.
AZNR*** would designate Revenue cycle processes
AZNE*** would designate Expenditure cycle processes
AZNO*** would designate Other processes
ITEM ATTRIBUTE INTERNAL NAME AZN_IA_XXXXXXXX Item attributes are used as variables which values are assigned. Item attributes can be used at the item, process, notification, and message levels. Typically item attributes are used to pass values from one node to another node in the workflow.
PROCESS INTERNAL NAME AZN_PR_XXXXXXXX The value for the item type should be the internal item type name in which the process belongs.
The `X' should provide meaningful name to the process.
Note: The display name and description will be the process title and summary displayed in the graphical navigator.
NOTIFICATION ACTIVITY INTERNAL NAME AZN _NA_XXXXXXXX The value for the item type should be the internal item type name in which the notification belongs.
The `X' should provide meaningful name to the notification.
Note: The display name shows in the Workflow monitor along with the icon chosen here.
FUNCTION ACTIVITY INTERNAL NAME AZN_FA_XXXXXXXX The value for the item type should be the internal item type name in which the function belongs.
The `X' should provide meaningful name to the function.
MESSAGE INTERNAL NAME AZN_MS_XXXXXXXX The value for the item type should be the internal item type name in which the message belongs.
The `X' should provide meaningful name to the message.
Note: The text will be the node description in the graphical navigator.
MESSAGE ATTRIBUTE INTERNAL NAME AZN_IA_XXXXXXXX This attribute is typically copied from the item attributes setup at the item level and therefore will have the same naming convention.
LOOKUP TYPE INTERNAL NAME N/A N/A
LOOKUP CODE INTERNAL NAME N/A N/A

Naming Standards

   Message and Message Display Name

The Message Display Name and Message Subject should match each other exactly.

Message subject will have following format: <Verb> <Form Title>

			Define/Assign/Run/Load/Convert/Open/
			Set/Generate/Review

Try not use verbs which are synonymous with these. Thus avoid the following verbs which have synonyms in the previous list:

			Create/Associate/Setup/Execute/Initiate/Start etc.

Message Body Format: The message body will have the following format:

Message Summary and Message Detail will be left aligned text. There could be exception to this case where message may not be necessarily structured in this format.

Item Attribute Display Name: Item Attribute Name is not displayed to the user at anytime in the Navigator and can be named to best fit its purpose. The standard item attribute used in the Navigator is called "Open Form" and is associated at the message level.

Notification/ Process Step Display Names: Notification display names are used to label the activity icons in the Navigator diagram. These names should be the same as the Message Subject Name.

Process Name: The Process Name appears as the heading in the Navigator's graphical component using the format:<name><process name>.


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