This appendix provides detailed information about the workflow process in Oracle Work in Process.
This appendix covers the following topics:
The Intermediate Shipment workflow allows you to track the outside processing assemblies from the shop floor to the shipping dock, and then to the supplier.
The workflow is activated when you move assemblies into the Queue intraoperation step of an Outside Processing operation that has a PO Move resource charge type or if the outside processing operation is the first operation.
Use the Oracle Workflow Builder to customize workflows. You can also use the Workflow Builder to create unique planning exception messages workflows for different parts of your organization and associate particular workflows with certain activities.
To display the process in Oracle Workflow Builder:
Choose Open from the File menu, and connect to the database.
Opening and Saving Item Types, Oracle Workflow Guide.
The display name of the Intermediate Shipment workflow is WIP: Shipping & Receiving Intermediate. The name of its Workflow definition file is wipishpw.wft.
Expand the data source, the WIP Intermediate Shipment branch within the data source.
Expand the Processes branch, then choose the Intermediate Shipment branch activity to display the diagram.
Customize the default (original) workflow that Oracle Work in Process provides after creating a backup. This allows you to have your backup while testing customizations.
The process first checks to see if there are requisitions pending at Node 2, then executes the concurrent program Requisition Import at Node 3. At Node 4 the process checks to see how many approved (non-cancelled) purchase orders exist for the outside processing supplier.
At Node 5 the process searches for the default buyer for the outside processing item. If the buyer is found, the process notifies the buyer that there are no approved purchase orders at Node 6, and the buyer can again query for them.
If a buyer is not found, the process attempts to locate the production scheduler at Node 7.
If the production scheduler is not found, the activity is complete and the process ends at Node 8. If the production scheduler is found, the process notifies the production scheduler if there are no purchase orders at Node 9. The process then ends at Node 18
If there is one approved purchase order, the buyer is notified that the Intermediates are ready to ship at Node 10, and the Ship and Receive Intermediates workflow is initiated at Node 12. The process ends at Node 18.
If there are from one to three approved purchase orders, the buyer is notified at Node 13. If the buyer does not proceed with the transaction, the process ends at Node 14. If the buyer proceeds with the transaction, the quantities are validated at Node 15, and the Ship and Receive Intermediates workflow is initiated at Node 16. If quantities are not validated, the buyer is notified at Node 15. The process ends at Node 18.
To examine the activities of the process in more detail, the nodes on the following diagram are numbered for easy referencing. The numbers themselves are not part of the process diagram.
The following is a description of each activity in the Intermediate Shipment workflow, listed by the activity's display name.
This is a standard function activity that simply marks the start of the process.
This function determines if there are any requisitions to be imported from the Requisitions Table.
This function processes the current program.
This function activity determines how many approved purchase orders there are for the same job and operation. The possible values are none, one, multiple.
This function activity locates the buyer responsible for the PO information.
If there are no approved purchase orders, this function activity sends a notification to the default buyer.
The function activity attempts to locate the production scheduler.
If there are no purchase orders, this function activity sends a notification to the production scheduler.
When the Intermediates are ready to ship, this function activity sends a notification to the buyer.
This function calls the workflow Ship and Receive Intermediates which will notify the 2nd subcontractor. See: Ship and Receive Intermediates.
This function sums QTY1, QTY2, QTY3 and validates that it equals the TXN_QTY. If it does, then it returns a Yes. If does not it returns a No.
The function validates qualities on purchase orders.
This function starts the second (child) process of the workflow (Ship Intermediate) for each subcontractor. It will also populate common data (WIP_ENTITY_NAME, LINE_NAME,$) to the child process.
If there are multiple purchase orders, this function activity sends a notification to the default buyer.
This is a standard function activity that marks the end of the process.
The Ship and Receive Intermediates workflow allows you to notify the shipping manager and the supplier that outside processing assemblies are ready to ship. The workflow is activated during the Intermediate Shipment workflow, when the buyer decides to proceed with the order and selects the Proceed button on the notification window.
To enable this workflow, you can optionally define the Shipping Manager parameter in the WIP Parameters window. The workflow first searches for the shipping manager, and if found, then searches for the supplier's shipping address. It then notifies the shipping manager that the assemblies are ready to ship and relays the shipping address. If the shipping manager decides to proceed with the shipment, the system searches for the supplier contact. If a contact is found, he or she is notified that the assemblies have been shipped (if the supplier contact is not found, the buyer is then notified). The system also searches for the purchase order's Internet address or URL and includes it as a link on the notification so that the supplier has immediate access to the purchase order information. The supplier can use the same notification to send a reply stating how many assemblies were received and whether or not any assemblies were damaged.
If the shipping manager decides not to ship the assemblies, a search is conducted for the production scheduler, and if found, the production scheduler is notified that the assemblies were not shipped. The same notification is also sent to the buyer.
The following is a description of each activity in the Ship and Receive Intermediate workflow, listed by the activity's display name.
To examine the activities of the process in more detail, the nodes on the following diagram are numbered for easy referencing. The numbers themselves are not part of the process diagram.
This is a standard function activity that simply marks the start of the process.
This function activity attempts to locate the shipping manager.
This function gets the ship-to address of the subcontractor.
When the Intermediates are ready to ship, this function activity sends a notification to the shipping manager.
The function activity attempts to locate the production scheduler.
If the intermediates are not shipped, this function activity sends a notification to the production scheduler.
If the intermediates are not shipped, this function activity sends a notification to the buyer.
This function activity attempts to locate the subcontractor contact.
If the subcontractor is not found, this function activity sends a notification to the buyer.
This function activity retrieves the URL for the PO.
After the PO is received, this function activity sends a notification to the subcontractor.
If intermediates are received, this function activity sends a notification to the buyer.
This is a standard function activity that marks the end of the process.
When suppliers complete outside processing assemblies, they can notify you through Purchasing's Advance Shipment Notice. The Advance Shipment Notice is available through a link on the Supply Management Portal Supplier Service menu. When the supplier completes the Advance Shipment Notice and submits it, Oracle Purchasing automatically sends a notification to the buyer, and a shipment is created in the system.
If you have two consecutive outside processing operations on a routing, and you want the supplier for the first operation to ship the completed assemblies directly to the supplier for the second operation, you specify the second supplier's address in the Ship-To Location field on the purchase order before you fill out the Advance Shipment Notice.
Note: In order for the supplier's address to be available on the list of values for Purchasing's Ship-To Location field, you must first must set up the supplier's address in the Shipping Network Location field on Oracle Payables' Supplier Sites Window. See: Supplier Sites window, Oracle Payables User's Guide.
When the supplier completes the Advance Shipment Notice, a receipt is automatically created and sent to the first supplier, and the Notify Second Buyer and Supplier workflow is activated to notify the second supplier that the assemblies have been shipped.
It first searches for an approved purchase order for the second outside processing supplier, and if it finds the purchase order, it then searches for the production scheduler. If the production scheduler is found, it sends the production scheduler a notification that the assemblies have been shipped from the first supplier. The same notification is also sent to the buyer for the second supplier, and if the buyer decides to proceed with the order, the Ship and Receive Intermediates workflow is activated to notify the shipping manager and the supplier that the assemblies have been shipped.
The following is a description of each activity in the Notify 2nd Buyer & Subcontractor workflow listed by the activity's display name.
To examine the activities of the process in more detail, the nodes on the following diagram are numbered for easy referencing. The numbers themselves are not part of the process diagram.
This is a standard function activity that simply marks the start of the process.
This function activity determines if there is an approved PO.
If no PO is found for second subcontractor, this function activity sends a notification to the buyer.
The function activity attempts to locate the production scheduler.
If the intermediates are shipped, this function activity sends a notification to the production scheduler.
If the intermediates are shipped, this function activity sends a notification to the buyer.
Buyer sets PO attribute.
This function calls the workflow Ship and Receive Intermediates and notifies workflow that the intermediates shipped. See: Ship and Receive Intermediates.
This is a standard function activity that marks the end of the process.