PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS 9.1 Application Fundamentals PeopleBook

Setting Up and Working with Self-Service Transactions

Self-service transactions serve as extensions of a core PeopleSoft application. They enable workers to update their personal information or to perform some basic task required by their job.

This chapter discusses how to:

Configure self-service transactions.
Review transactions.
(USF) Review federal self-service transactions
Set up access to direct reports data.
Use workflow with self-service transactions.

Note. PeopleSoft delivers two different workflow technologies for self-service transactions. Delivered self-service transactions with workflow are preconfigured for either the Approval Framework or the technology described in this chapter.

See Also

Setting Up and Working with Approvals

Configuring Self-Service Transactions

To configure self-service transactions, use the Self Service Workflow Configurations component (WF_CO_CONFIG).

This section provides an overview of rules for self-service transactions and discusses how to:

Set up approvals and database updates.
Set up administrator notification rules.
Set up component interface rules.

Note. If the self-service transaction uses the Approval Framework for approval processing, you must also set up the transaction for use with that engine and its framework.

See Setting Up and Working with Approvals.

Understanding Rules for Self-Service Transactions

You can set rules that define whether the transaction:

Goes through an approval process.
Updates the database or sends a notice to the administrator to complete the transaction manually.
Notifies a specific person when problems occur during the processing of the transaction or when a transaction successfully completes.

Which Transactions Can Be Configured

This table lists the configurable transactions and indicates the approval and delegation features that are delivered active for each:

Configurable Transaction Description	Approval Framework Delivered Active	Delegation Initiation Delivered Active	Delegation Approval Delivered Active
Performance Document	Yes (Approval Framework)		Yes (Approval Framework)
Address Change
Change Full/Part Time Status		Yes
Change Location		Yes
Marital Status
Name Change
Promotion	Yes (Approval Framework)	Yes (Approval Framework)	Yes (Approval Framework)
Reporting Change	Yes (Approval Framework)
Retire Employee		Yes
Ad Hoc Salary Change	Yes
Terminate Employee		Yes
Training Enrollment
Training Enrollment by Manager	Yes
Transfer	Yes (Approval Framework)	Yes (Approval Framework)	Yes (Approval Framework)

You can change the delegation setting for any transaction on the Workflow Transactions page. For workflow that does not use the Approval Framework, you can enable transactions for delegation initiation, but not for delegation approval.

See Setting Up and Working with Delegation.

Transactions that use the Approval Framework functionality and the delegation functionality require additional configuration. PeopleSoft delivers these transactions preconfigured for using these functionalities.

Overview of the Self-Service Processing

This diagram maps out the process a self-service transaction takes when the transaction is set up to follow the configuration rules:

Process flow for transactions using Process Configuration

Note. If the transaction uses the Approval Framework and an appropriate user is not found, the system automatically routes the transaction to the Approval Framework administrator for review and approval. If an appropriate user is not found for a transaction that does not use Approval Framework for workflow, the system sends an error notification to the administrator who can view the error using the Self-Service Inquiry page. If you enter an alternate user on the General Profile Information page, make sure the User ID entered has permission to access the necessary pages.

Exceptions to the Rules

Some transactions update the worker's job data. These self-service rules cannot override information controlled by Position Management.

Position Management Setting	Worker's Job	Auto-Update of Database
None	Not Applicable	Is allowed.
Partial	In a position	Not allowed. Exception to this rule is when a manager is requesting a reporting change for a worker. If the worker is in a position and an ID was entered in the Supervisor ID field automatic update is allowed. Note. If you select Partial Position Management on the Installation page, the system automatically updates position data if you also select the Position Override check box on the Workforce Administration - Job page. If you select Full Position Management on the Installation page the system automatically updates all position data.
Full	In a position	Not allowed. Exception to this rule is transferring and promoting a worker. This is because managers promote or transfer workers by selecting a new position number, not changing the existing one. So, automatic updates will insert the new position number and update all the related fields; position data is not touched.

See Also

Setting Up and Working with Approvals

Setting Up and Working with Delegation

Pages Used to Set Up Rules for Self Service Transactions

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Workflow Configurations	WF_CO_CONFIG	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self-Service, Workflow Configurations, Workflow Configurations	Determines whether transaction should follow an approval process, update the database automatically, and identify who handles errors and manual updates to database.
Admin Notification Setup	WF_HR_TRANS_NOT	Click the Notification Setup link on the Workflow Configurations page.	Defines if an administrator should receive email notification when automatic update was successful or there were warning messages issued during the update.
SS Component Interface Setup	SS_TRANS_CIDTL_SEC	Click the Component Interface Setup link on the Workflow Configurations page.	Defines the name of the component interface used by the transaction and location of error and warning messages.

Setting Up Approvals and Database Updates

Access the Workflow Configurations page (Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self-Service, Workflow Configurations, Workflow Configurations).

Note. (USF) This page is not used for U.S. federal self-service transactions, which never update the HR tables directly. Instead, federal transactions go through intermediate Personnel Action Request (PAR) tables, where an HR administrator completes a final approval outside of the standard approval process.

Description	Lists the self-service transaction delivered with the system that is designed to work with the Process Configuration process.
Approval Process?	This check box is only available to those transactions designed to use an approval process. If selected, the system requires Manager level approval. If not selected, manager level approval is not required. Note. Transactions that use the Approval Framework require additional approval configuration. See Setting Up and Working with Approvals.
Allow DB Update (allow database updates)	If selected, this check box allows the transaction to update the database. If not selected, an administrator will be notified of the change and need to complete the process request. Administrators can complete the request on the Workflow Inquiry page or in the Self-Service transaction pages.
Administrator Role	Identifies the role of the person who is responsible for reviewing the results of the transaction if errors occur. If Notify on Success or Notify on Warnings is selected on the Admin Notification Setup page, this role receives notifications when processing is successful or warnings are encountered.
Notification Setup	Click this link to access the Admin Notification Setup page.
Component Interface Setup	Click this link to access the SS Component Interface Setup page.

See Also

Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBooks: Security Administration

Setting Up Administrator Notification Rules

Access the Admin Notification Setup page (click the Notification Setup link on the Workflow Configurations page).

Component

The name of the transaction.

Notify on Success

Applicable only if Allow DB Update is selected on the Workflow Configuration page. Select to have the role selected on the Workflow Configuration page receive an email when automatic updates are successful.

Notify on Warnings

Select to have the role selected on the Workflow Configuration page receive an email when warning messages are generated during a successful HR database update.

Business Process Name, Activity Name, and Event Name

This is predefined system data that can be changed if you want to use a different business process.

Setting Up Component Interface Rules

Access the SS Component Interface Setup page (click the Component Interface Setup link on the Workflow Configurations page).

Note. You do not need to modify this page unless you use component interfaces or exception tables that you have created or modified. This is predefined system data that can be changed if you want to use a different component interface.

Reviewing Transactions

This section discusses how to review transaction activity.

Note. Use the Approval Monitor to review transactions that use the Approval Framework.

See Also

Administering Approvals

Page Used to Review Transactions

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Workflow Inquiry	WF_SS_STAGED	Workforce Administration, Self Service Transactions, Workflow Inquiry, Workflow Inquiry	Administrators review activity for self-service transactions that do not use the Approval Framework.

Reviewing Transaction Activity

Access the Workflow Inquiry page (Workforce Administration, Self Service Transactions, Workflow Inquiry, Workflow Inquiry).

Required Search Fields

To see the activity for a specific worker enter the ID in the Empl ID field. Make sure to tab out of the field.

To see the transaction activity, select the transaction name in the Transaction Name field.

Optional Search Field

To see the activity for transaction that occurred on a specific date, enter the date in the Date field.

To select activity with a specific status, select the check box next to the name of the status. You can select one or more statuses.

Search

Click this button to find transactions that match the search criteria. Results display below the Search button.

Clear All

Click this button to clear all search criteria or search results on the page and start a new inquiry.

Search Results

Information about the transaction appears below the search area. Click the various tabs to display information relevant to the transaction:

Click the Errors or Warnings links to display error and warning messages.
Click the Go To link to display the component page relevant to the transaction.
Click the Update Status link to view or update the status.

(USF) Reviewing Federal Self-Service Transactions

This section provides an overview of federal self-service transactions and discusses how to:

Review activity for federal self-service transactions.
Review transaction detail.

Note. The Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) provides its own approval monitor that you can use to review and, if necessary, perform certain administrative actions for approval transactions. The pages described in this section provide additional administrative capabilities, including the option to review transactions that predate the use of AWE processing for federal self-service transactions.

See Also

Administering Approvals

Pages Used to Review Federal Self-Service Transactions

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Workflow Inquiry (USF)	FE_SS_STAGED	Workforce Administration, Self Service Transactions, Workflow Inquiry (USF), Workflow Inquiry	(USF) Administrators review activity for self-service transactions that do not use the Approval Framework.
<Transaction Name>	<Various>	Click the View Detail link for a transaction on the Workflow Inquiry (USF) page.	Review detailed transaction information, and take administrative action for certain transactions.

Reviewing Activity for Federal Self-Service Transactions

Access the Workflow Inquiry (USF) page (Workforce Administration, Self Service Transactions, Workflow Inquiry (USF)).

Search Criteria

Transaction Name, Request Date, and Employee ID

To see the activity for a specific transaction type, request date, or employee, enter the appropriate search criteria in these fields.

Workflow Status

To get search results, you must select at least on of these check boxes; only transactions with selected statuses are included your search results.

Error With Processing	An approved AWE transaction encountered an error with the component interface that pushes the transaction data to the U.S. federal PAR tables. See (USF) Administering Personnel Action Requests.
Error With Approval Routing	An AWE transaction encountered a routing error. To review and address the error, you must use the AWE approval monitor (the Monitor Approvals page).
Warnings Encountered	The transaction generated warnings.
In SS Approval Process (in self-service approval process)	The transaction is currently awaiting approval.
Denied	Transaction approval was denied.
Manually Entered into PAR	The transaction was approved and an administrator manually entered the transaction into the PAR tables. This occurs for the full-time/part-time change, location change, and reporting change transactions. These transactions cannot be automatically pushed to the PAR system because they are position-controlled: changes are made to the position and then propagated out to the persons in the positions
Automatically sent to PAR	The transaction was approved and the system automatically pushed the data into the PAR tables using a component interface.
Administrator Action Required	A transaction requires an administrator to make a decision in order to continue.
Cancelled	The transaction was cancelled.

Search

Click this button to access a list of self-service approval transactions that meet the specified criteria.

Search Results

Search results are grouped into transaction-specific grids. The grids display basic transaction information such as the employee name and ID and the date of the transaction. The grids also display the following approval processing columns:

Status	Displays the status of the transaction. The statuses are the same as the status check boxes in the Search Criteria group box.
PAR Result	Indicates whether the transaction has been sent to the PAR tables. Not Applicable: The transaction is still in the approval process and, until it is approved, it cannot be sent to the PAR tables. This value is used only for transactions that are normally sent to the PAR tables automatically. Not Available: The transaction cannot be automatically sent to the PAR tables. This value is used for the three position-based transactions that require a user to manually enter data into the PAR tables: location change, reporting change, and full time/part time change. In Process: The transaction has been sent to the PAR tables and is awaiting HR action. Complete: The transaction has been sent to the PAR tables, and HR personnel have finalized the transaction. Denied: The transaction was sent to the PAR tables, and HR personnel have denied PAR approval.
Go to HR Processing	Click this link to access the HR Processing USF component where the HR Personnelist reviews and finalizes the approved transaction.
View Detail	Click this link to access a detail page that displays more information about the transaction, including: The specific data change that the user requested (for example, the previous and new marital status). Information about the approval process, including the status of each approval step.

Reviewing Transaction Detail

Access the <transaction name> page (click the View Detail link for a transaction on the Workflow Inquiry (USF) page).

Note. The page name and certain field vary depending on the transaction type.

At the top of the page, you can see the previous and new values for the requested data change. The specific fields that appear depend on the type of transaction.

PAR Values

This group box displays data that will be written to the PAR tables for this transaction. This data is not provided by the self-service user; instead, you use the Defaults/Admin setup page to provide transaction-specific default values for each field.

See Defining PAR Tracking Data.

Approval Details for AWE Transactions

When transaction approvals are processed using AWE, the transaction details page includes a graphical representation of the approval flow.

The approval chain diagram includes a box for each approver. The box title shows the approver's status, while the box contents include the approver's name, the approver's role in the approval process (for example, First Authorizer), and the date, if any, when the approver took action on the approval request

Approval Details for Non-AWE Transactions

When the transaction predates the use of AWE to manage approvals for federal self-service transactions, the approval steps appear in a grid rather than as a graphical representation of the approval flow.

This grid lists each approver by role and by name and displays the action (if any) taken by the approver, the date the action was taken, and any comments entered by the approver at the time the action was taken.

PAR Result

PAR Result (Personnel Action Request Result)

Displays a message that corresponds to the PAR Result field on the Workflow Inquiry (USF) summary page.

Administrator Actions

Current Transaction Status

Displays a message that corresponds to the Status field on the Workflow Inquiry (USF) summary page.

Select this option as the request cannot be completed via Self-Service. You will be required to manually enter the request into PAR

This check box and the Save button appear only if the current transaction status is Error with CI. Select the check box to acknowledge that you know you must manually enter the request into PAR, then click the Save button.

Go to HR Processing

Click this link to access the HR Processing USF component where the HR Personnelist reviews and finalizes the approved transaction (and where you manually enter the transaction data if necessary).

This link is not available if the current transaction status is Error With Approval Routing because such errors must be addressed in the AWE approval monitor (the Monitor Approval page).

Setting Up Access to Direct Reports Data

To set up access to direct reports data, use the Direct Reports Setup component (SS_LINK_TBL).

This section discusses how to:

Determine access to manager self-service.
Set up direct reports.
Set up transaction instructional messages.

Note. If you are setting up direct reports data for ePerformance or eProfile, use the pages documented in the "Working With Common Components" chapter.

See Configuring Direct Reports Functionality.

Pages Used to Set Up Direct Reports

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Target Information	SS_LINK_TBL	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Direct Reports for Managers, Direct Reports Setup, Target Information	Set up worker data access for the Manager self-service option.
Instructional Text	SS_LINK_TBL2	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Direct Reports for Managers, Direct Reports Setup, Instructional Text	Add instructional messages to the Select Employee page (OPRROWS) for this transaction component.service.
Configure Direct Reports UI	HR_DR_UI_CFG_1	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Direct Reports for Managers, Configure Direct Reports UI	Select the ePerformance or eProfile transaction that you want to configure for direct reports or user interface behavior. See Configuring Direct Reports Functionality.
Configure Direct Reports UI	HR_DR_UI_CFG_2	Click the Configure button for the selected transaction on the Configure Direct Reports UI component page.	Configure direct reports or user interface behavior for ePerformance or eProfile self-service transactions. See Configuring Direct Reports Functionality.

Determining Access to Manager Self-Service

The system determines who can access the manager self-service components and data by determining the answers to these questions:

Is this user a manager?
Who reports to this manager?

You determine a user's access to some or all of the manager self-service components when you define their component access on the Permission List page. In the Direct Reports Setup component, you specify whose data a user can see for a particular manager self-service transaction.

The system determines what kind of reporting relationship exists between managers and their staff. Reporting relationships are determined on two pages: the Work Location page (JOB_DATA1) and the Department Profile page (DEPARTMENT_TBL_GBL). On the Work Location page, you indicate who a worker's manager is. On the Department Profile page, you indicate who manages a department and the staff who report to that department.

Note. This section does not apply to the manager role in PeopleSoft Enterprise Talent Acquisition Manager.

Entering Employee Job Location and Position Information

Defining Basic Information About a Department

Setting Up Direct Reports

Access the Target Information page (Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Direct Reports for Managers, Direct Reports Setup, Target Information).

Note. If you are setting up direct reports data for ePerformance or eProfile, use the pages documented in the "Working With Common Components" chapter.

See Configuring Direct Reports Functionality.

Note. To determine technical names of the system objects, use PeopleSoft Application Designer.

Component Name	Enter the component name as defined on the menu in PeopleSoft Application Designer. The component name is the name of the Select Employee page that the system displays when the user selects a Manager self-service transaction. It isn't the name of the transaction component.
Menu Name	Select ROLE_MANAGER. All Manager self-service transactions are delivered on this menu. To grant manager access to components on other menus, select the name of the menu that the component is on.
Menu Bar Name	Select the name of the menu bar that the transaction component is under.
Item Name	Enter the component's item name. The item name is the system name of the transaction component, not the component name of the Select Employee page. The transaction component contains pages that the manager uses to view or manipulate staff data.
Page Name	Enter the object name of the transaction component's page. The object name for each Manager self-service transaction is listed in the introduction table of the page discussion. If a transaction component has more than one page, enter the name of the transaction page that the system displays first (usually the first page in the component) when a user selects a person name.
Access Mode	Select which action the user performs in the transaction. Options are Add, Update/Display, Update/Display All, and Correction.
Record (Table) Name	Enter the object name of the record that makes up the page of the transaction component.
Access Type	This field defines the reporting relationship used by the Select Employee page for this transaction component. Available options are: By Department Manager ID: Defines the reporting relationship based on information in the Manager ID field on the Department Profile page. For users who are department managers, the system displays a list of the workers who are in the user's department. By Dept Security Tree: Determines person data access using information from the security tree. The system presents the user with a list of people whose data the user has access to, based on the security tree. By Group ID: Determines data access using the Group ID set up in the group build feature. By Part Posn Mgmt Dept Mgr ID: Defines the reporting relationship by the Reports To field on the Work Location page and the information in the Manager ID field on the Department Profile page. This is designed for the organizations that use Partial Position Management. The system searches for reporting relationship based on Report To first, and then for Department Manager ID. By Part Posn Mgmt Supervisor: Defines the reporting relationship by both the Reports To and the Supervisor ID fields on the Work Location page. This is designed for the organizations that use Partial Position Management. The system searches for reporting relationship based on Report To first, and then for Supervisor ID. By Reports To Position: Defines the reporting relationship based on information in the Reports To field on the Work Location page. The system presents the user with a list of people whose job record indicates that they report to that user's position. By Supervisor ID: Defines the reporting relationship based on information in the Supervisor ID field on the Work Location page. The system presents the user with a list of people whose job records indicate that they are supervised by the user.
Update Own Info (update own information)	Not applicable to self service. Select to allow managers to update their own information in this transaction component.

See Also

Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: PeopleSoft Application Designer

Creating and Modifying Security Trees

Setting Up Transaction Instructional Messages

Access the Instructional Text page (Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Direct Reports for Managers, Direct Reports Setup, Instructional Text).

Direct Reports - Page Instructional Text

Title Message Set and Title Message Number	Enter the title message set and number of the transaction instructions title that the system displays on this component's Select Employees page.
Message Text	Displays the text of the transaction instruction title that is associated with the Title Message Number. The system displays this text on this component's Select Employees page.
Instructions Message Set and Instructions Message Number	Enter the number of the instructions message set and number for the instruction message that the system displays on this component's Select Employees page.
Explain	Displays the text of the instruction message that is associated with the Instructions Message Number. The system displays this text on this component's Select Employees page. Tells the user how to select the employees whose data they want to view or manipulate.

Using Workflow with Self-Service Transactions

To use workflow with self-service transactions, use the Set Workflow Defaults component (WF_SYSTEM_DEFAULTS), Transaction Categories component (EO_TRAN_CATS), Workflow Transactions component (EO_TRANSACTIONS), System Workflow Rules component (EO_SYS_WF_RULES), Workflow Status component (HR_WF_STATUS), and Workflow User Preferences component (HR_SS_WF_EE_PREF).

This section discusses how to:

Activate workflow message defaults.
Set user notification preferences.
Define rules for workflow notifications.

See Also

Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Workflow Technology

Pages Used to Activate Workflow

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Worklist System Defaults	WF_SYS_DEFAULTS	PeopleTools, Workflow, Defaults & Messages, Set Workflow Defaults, Worklist System Defaults	Set default parameters for workflow messages.
Workflow Transaction Categories	EO_TRAN_CATS	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self Service, Transaction Categories, Workflow Transaction Categories	Defines the category for self-service transactions. Generally, all self-service transactions are assigned to HR_TRANSACTIONS. This data is supplied by PeopleSoft and it is recommended that you not change this information.
Workflow Transactions	EO_TRANSACTIONS	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self Service, Workflow Transactions	Register self-service transactions as workflow transactions by associating them with the appropriate workflow functionality and assigning a workflow transaction category. For transactions that do not use the Approval Framework, the a category is supplied by PeopleSoft and we recommend that you not change this information. For transactions that use the Approval Framework, you must additionally specify the approval process ID associated with the transaction. You can also enable delegation of transaction initiation and approval. See Linking Workflow Transactions.
System Workflow Rules	EO_SYS_WF_RULES	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self Service, System Workflow Rules, System Workflow Rules	For every SetID where you plan to use workflow, set the rules for workflow notification.
Workflow Status	HR_WF_STATUS	Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self Service, Workflow Status, Workflow Status	For each self-service transaction, specify what workflow is triggered. Changes to the approval path can be made, but is not recommended.
Workflow User Preferences	HR_SS_WF_EE_PREF	Self Service, Workflow User Preferences, Workflow User Preferences	Set up a user's notification method for workflow messages.

Activating Workflow Message Defaults

Access the Worklist System Defaults page (PeopleTools, Workflow, Defaults & Messages, Set Workflow Defaults, Worklist System Defaults).

Make sure the Worklist Active, Email Active, and HR Installed check boxes are selected.

Defining Rules for Workflow Notifications

Access the System Workflow Rules page (Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Self Service, System Workflow Rules, System Workflow Rules).

For different rules to exist for different business units, specify these rules at the SetID level.

Note. You must specify this information when you implement PeopleSoft HRMS.

Transaction Category	Select a transaction category.
Workflow Rule	Define how the system notifies users when they're required to perform a function. Values include: Email: Notify the user via email. Worklist: Notify the user by placing an entry in the user's worklist. Both: Notify the user by both email and worklist. None: No notification. User: Enable the user to define a preference. The user specifies preferences on the Workflow User Preferences page.
Notify User - Entry	Select if users are to receive confirmation when initiating transactions.
Notify All	Select if users are to be notified each time someone processes one of their transactions.
Notify - Final disposition	Select if users are to be notified when the final disposition has been made for the request.

See Also

Delivered Workflows for PeopleSoft HRMS

Setting User Notification Preferences

Access the Workflow User Preferences page (Self Service, Workflow User Preferences, Workflow User Preferences).

Select the method of workflow notifications.

Component	The name of the transaction.
Notify on Success	Applicable only if Allow DB Update is selected on the Workflow Configuration page. Select to have the role selected on the Workflow Configuration page receive an email when automatic updates are successful.
Notify on Warnings	Select to have the role selected on the Workflow Configuration page receive an email when warning messages are generated during a successful HR database update.
Business Process Name, Activity Name, and Event Name	This is predefined system data that can be changed if you want to use a different business process.

Required Search Fields	To see the activity for a specific worker enter the ID in the Empl ID field. Make sure to tab out of the field. To see the transaction activity, select the transaction name in the Transaction Name field.
Optional Search Field	To see the activity for transaction that occurred on a specific date, enter the date in the Date field. To select activity with a specific status, select the check box next to the name of the status. You can select one or more statuses.
Search	Click this button to find transactions that match the search criteria. Results display below the Search button.
Clear All	Click this button to clear all search criteria or search results on the page and start a new inquiry.