Using Additional Routing Options

This chapter provides an overview of route control development and discusses how to:

• Define route controls.

• Use route control roles.

• Review role users.

Understanding Route Control Development

This section discusses:

• Route control development

• Route control query roles

Route Control Development

Additional routing options enable you to define complex, custom routing schemes without writing PeopleCode. Develop route controls in the following order:

1. Define route control types, which identify the factors on which you want to base routings: Business Unit, Department, Vendor ID, and so on.

   You can define route control types based on any prompt table.

2. Define route control profiles, which identify ranges of values for route control types.

   For example, one route control profile might list the vendor IDs for all software vendors, while another might list the IDs for all office supply vendors.

3. Assign route control profiles to role users.

   Assign the Vendors (Software) profile to the clerks who handle software and the Vendors (Office Supplies) profile to the clerks who handle office supplies.

4. When you define the routing in PeopleSoft Application Designer, assign one of the roles that is provided for use with route controls.

Route Control Query Roles

The route control query roles have runtime bind variables that correspond to:

• The route control types to use.

• The values for those types.

For example, the One Route Control Qry (one route control query) rule has four bind variables:

• One that specifies the single route control type to use.

• Two that you map to a value from the page that triggers the routing.

• One that you map to the user list role.

When a business event is triggered, the system decides to whom it should route the work item by:

• Binding the query bind variables using data from the page that triggers the event.

• Running the query, and checking each user’s route control profile to determine whether the user meets the selection criteria.

• Routing the work item to the appropriate role users.

Defining Route Controls

To define route controls, use the Route Control Type (RTE_CNTL_TYPE) and Route Control Profile (RTE_CNTL_PROFILE) components.

This section provides an overview of route control definition and discusses how to:

• Add route control types

• Build route control profiles

Understanding Route Control Definition

Create route controls using Workflow Administrator. There are two major parts to defining route controls:

• Route control types, which identify the situational factors on which you want to base routing decisions.

  For example, to route purchase requisitions to different buyers based on which vendor can supply the requested item, you create a Vendor route control type. Later, you specify with whom each buyer works.

  Note. You can create route control types based only on fields that have prompt tables.

• Route control profiles, which specify the range of values within a route control type.

  Assign route control profiles to role users to identify the areas on which they work.

Pages Used to Define Route Controls

Adding Route Control Types

To access the Route Control Type page, select PeopleTools, Workflow, Routings & Roles, Route Control Types.

To add a route control type:

1. Search for an existing route control type, or create a new one.

   The Route Control Type page appears.

   When creating a new route control type, use a descriptive name for the factor on which you want to base the route control.

2. In the Edit Table drop-down list box, select the prompt table against which you want to validate values.

3. Save this page and repeat the process for each route control type.

Building Route Control Profiles

To access the Route Control Profile page, select PeopleTools, Workflow, Routings & Roles, Route Control Profiles.

To build a route control profile:

1. Search for an existing route control profile, or create a new one.

   The Route Control Profile page appears. Use this page to specify the range of values that is associated with a class of users.

2. Select a route control type from the Route Control Type drop-down list box.

   The route control type specifies the prompt tables to which this profile applies.

3. Specify the range of values from the type’s edit table that users with this profile can process.

   To provide access to a continuous range of values, select the lowest value in the From Value field and the highest value in the To Value field. To provide access to a single value, select the same value in both fields. To provide access to two values, add a new row to the Range field.

4. (Optional) Assign values for another route control type.

   You can assign values for more than one route control type to the same route control profile. With your cursor in the Route Control Type field, click the Add button. Select a new route control type. Assign its authorized values.

5. Save the page.

Using Route Control Roles

This section provides an overview of route control query roles and discusses how to define routings in Application Designer.

Understanding Route Control Query Roles

When you use route controls, the application-specific data that you use to control routings is stored in database tables, not in PeopleCode or query definitions. To change the way that you route items, you update the route control tables using Workflow Administrator pages. You don’t have to modify code or business processes.

To preserve this advantage, you use a set of predefined query roles that are designed for use with route controls. The five route control query roles differ only in how many route control types you can use:

• One Route Control Qry.

• Two Route Controls Qry.

• Three Route Controls Qry.

• Four Route Controls Qry.

• Five Route Controls Qry.

Role queries do not include application data (that is, the names of particular route control types or particular values). Instead, they have a series of runtime bind variables that you link to the route control types that you want.

Sample SQL of Role Query

This is the SQL for the Two Route Controls Qry role:

SELECT A.ROLEUSER
                
  FROM PS_RTE_CNTL_LN_VW2 A
                
  WHERE A.ROLENAME = :1
                
     AND A.RTE_CNTL_TYPE_1 = :2
                
     AND A.RTE_FROM_VALUE_1 <= :3
                
     AND A.RTE_TO_VALUE_1 >= :4
                
     AND A.RTE_CNTL_TYPE_2 = :5
                
     AND A.RTE_FROM_VALUE_2 <= :6
                
     AND A.RTE_TO_VALUE_2 >= :7 

Like all role queries, this query selects role users (although it retrieves the field from a special route control view, rather than the ROLEXLATOPR table).

Notice how generic the WHERE clause is and how many runtime bind variables it includes. This structure enables you to use the same role, regardless of which route control types you are using. The RTE_CNTL_TYPE bind variables enable you to plug in route control types at runtime.

A route control query has two classes of bind variables:

• RTE_FROM_VALUE and RTE_TO_VALUE bind variables are set to values that come from the component that triggers the routing.

  They are similar to the bind variables that all role queries have. They enable the role to route items to different users based on some aspect of the item.

• ROLENAME and RTE_CNTL_TYPE variables are typically set to constant values, representing the role and route control types that are relevant for the current routing.

  Note. The value for the ROLENAME bind variable should be a user list role that corresponds to a level in your organization. If you’re using route controls, you must have a set of organizational roles, and each role user should be assigned to at least one role. PeopleSoft provides a default set of roles—EMPLOYEE, MANAGER, and so on—but you might need to update them to reflect your organization.

Defining Routings in Application Designer

To define routings in PeopleSoft Application Designer:

1. Map the OPRID field (or the TO field for email routings) to the route control query that uses the number of route controls that are relevant for the routing decision.

2. In the Specify Query Bind Variables dialog box, map the RTE_FROM_VALUE and RTE_TO_VALUE bind variables to fields from the page’s record definitions.

3. Map the ROLENAME and RTE_CNTL_TYPE variables to constant values that provide the name of a user list role and route control type.

To experiment with how the route control queries work, the Review Role Users page enables you to mimic their operation.

Reviewing Role Users

To review role users, use the Route Control Search (RTE_CNTL_SRCH) component.

This section provides an overview of role users and discusses how to search for and review role users.

Understanding Role Users

If you use route controls, at runtime the system determines where to route work items. This feature provides flexibility, but it also creates the possibility that no users meet the criteria for the role. In a purchase requisition role query, for example, you might want a role query that returns the buyer that is assigned to work with the vendor of the ordered item; if someone orders an item from a new vendor, the query might return no one.

The Review Role Users (RTE_CNTL_SRCH_1) component enables you to search for role users based on specified criteria. Use this page to determine which users receive particular work items. This is useful when using route controls. By entering different values for the route control parameters, you can verify that the correct users are receiving the correct work items and that you’ve assigned a user for every possible case.

Pages Used to Search For and Review Role Users

Searching For and Reviewing Role Users

To search for users meeting specified criteria:

1. Sign on to PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture and select PeopleTools, Workflow, Routings & Roles, Review Role User.

   The Criteria page appears. All of the fields are optional. For a complete list of role users, leave them all blank. To list all of the users in a role, select a role but leave the Route Control Type boxes blank.

2. Specify a user list role in the Role Name field.

3. Specify which route control values to use.

   1. In each of the Route Control Type fields, select a route control type that you defined.

   2. In the corresponding Value field, select a value from the prompt table that is associated with the route control type.

4. Click the Search button.

   The system searches for role users who meet the specified criteria. It displays the number of users below the button.

5. Access the User List page to review information about the users who meet the criteria.

   In the Users list, click the down button to expand or collapse the list of users. If there are multiple users, either review them one at a time using the controls in the Users bar or list all of them together by clicking View All.

   For any user in the list, click the Detail button to populate User Details. The Details button is visible only when the list of users is expanded.

   The following table defines the terms on the User List page:

   Descr (description), User, and Email ID	Displays the user’s name, ID, and email address.
   Routing Preferences	Displays the places where the system can deliver work items to this user. Only selected options are available; users cannot receive work items using options that are not selected.