Implementing Supplier Data Import and Source System Management

This chapter covers the following topics:

Overview of Import and Source System Management

Bulk import is the process of loading supplier data in bulk from legacy, third party, or other external sources into the Supplier Master, which includes TCA Registry. In Oracle Supplier Data Librarian responsibility, you can use Batch Import to transfer batches of data from the interface tables into the Supplier Master. A batch is a set of data to be loaded into the Supplier Master at one time. The data in one batch must be from the same data source. With Batch Import, you can review and control the import process. Supplier import process provides validations and optional de-duplication to ensure the quality of information being imported.

Using the Supplier Import feature, you can import the following supplier information:

The import process creates a party in the TCA registry and enables the created TCA parties in the Supplier Master as suppliers. You can also use the supplier import process to enable existing TCA organization parties as suppliers in the Supplier Master using the Batch Import functionality described above.

Additionally, supplier data librarians can import data using the spreadsheet. Supplier Hub enables data librarians to import supplier details such as organization (HZ party), person, address, contact, supplier, supplier site, supplier contact, user defined attributes using a spreadsheet. Spreadsheet import uses display formats that enable data librarians to load different set of data for a given batch into the interface tables.

Bulk Import Process

This section gives an overview of the bulk import process. For detailed steps required to import suppliers, see “Supplier Data Consolidation” chapter in the Oracle Supplier Management User's Guide.

Prerequisite: Source Systems must be defined. See Source System Management, Oracle Trading Architecture Administration Guide.

  1. Generate Batches after setting up Source systems. Create import batches before loading data into the import interface tables. After a batch is generated, you can use any available loading tools to populate TCA interface tables. A generated batch initially has no batch status.

  2. Load data into interface tables. See Loading Data into the Interface Tables in Oracle Trading Architecture User Guide. Please note that File Load feature of TCA is not available in Supplier Hub.

  3. After data is loaded into the interface tables for this batch, activate the batch on the Import Batches page, and then proceed to define the import.

  4. Define the import settings for the batch:

    1. Batch De-Duplication: Optionally choose to run batch de-duplication and, if so, specify how to identify and resolve duplicates within the import batch.

    2. Address Validation: Optionally choose to run address validation on the import batch, and if so, specify the authorized sources to use for validation.

    3. Preview validation results: Optionally choose to preview results before import

    4. Registry de-duplication: Optionally run Registry de-duplication to resolve duplicates between the interface tables and the TCA Registry.

    5. Generate Fuzzy Key: Generate Fuzzy Key during post processing.

    6. Specify error-handling settings.

    For more details on these settings, see Defining Imports in Oracle Customer Data Librarian User Guide.

    This launches the “Integrated Supplier Import program” concurrent program for that batch. The “Integrated Supplier Import” first runs “Import Batch to TCA Registry” Concurrent Program, which imports all the Party information like Party, Address, Contact, Classification and Relationships into the TCA registry.: Import Batch to TCA Registry, Oracle Trading Architecture User Guide for details on Import Batch to TCA Registry” program provided by TCA. When Party Import status is 'Completed', Integrated Supplier Import program automatically enables the imported Party as a Supplier in the Supplier master. You can access batch de-duplication preview or results through viewing or updating the batch. After the import process successfully completes, post import processes automatically run. See Post import Processes in Oracle Trading Community Architecture User Guide.

  5. Purge data from the interface tables. See TCA Import Batch Purge in Oracle Trading Architecture User Guide.

Implementing Supplier Data Import and Source System Management

To implement supplier data import and source system management:

These set ups can be performed by the Supplier Data Librarian Super User from the Administration tab in the Supplier Home menu.

Setting up Source Systems

Define the source systems that provide data for specific TCA entities. When the import into the TCA Registry starts, the matching phase of the import process automatically identifies interface table records that have an associated record in the TCA Registry. If an associated record exists, the import process updates the existing party in the TCA Registry. Else, a new party is created.

To set up Source Systems, See Administering Source System Management in Oracle Trading Community Architecture Administration Guide.

Setting up Batch Address Validation

If you choose to validate addresses in the interface tables before importing them into the TCA Registry, the addresses are validated using address validation adapters. An adapter connects TCA to an external source of information, which provides the validation service. TCA batch address validation, uses a central XML open standards based "black box" that allows integration with third party service providers and custom solutions, through adapters that you or the third party provides.

For implementing Batch Address Validation, see Setting up Batch Address Validation in Oracle Trading Community Architecture Administration Guide.

Setting up Batch Duplicate Identification

During batch import, Batch De-Duplication identifies and resolves duplicates within the batch from the interface tables. The Import Batch to TCA Registry program identifies only duplicates with respect to the batch that you are importing. You cannot check for duplicates between batches. You can run the Import Batch De-Duplication report to view results.

To implement Batch De-duplication, see Setting Up Batch Duplicate Identification in Oracle Trading Community Architecture Administration Guide.

Setting up Bulk Import

Users can import data from external sources by first loading source files of data into the import interface tables and then transferring batches of data from the interface tables into the TCA Registry. Setup steps are as follows:

  1. Set up as you would for TCA Bulk Import. See Setting Up Bulk Import, Oracle Trading Community Architecture Administration Guide.

  2. Set the following profile options:

    • HZ: Import Batch De-Duplication Match Rule

    • HZ: Import Registry De-Duplication Match Rule

    • IMC: Import Preview Processing Results

    • IMC: Import Run Address Validation

    • IMC: Import Run Batch De-Duplication

    • IMC: Import Run Registry Match

    To import DNB data with Import Workbench, ensure that the HZ: Third Party Data Integration Enabled for Organization Profile Entity profile option has a value of Yes by default. If it does not display the value 'Yes', then run the Third Party Data Integration program, which updates the value to Yes. The application displays a warning message asking whether to run the Third Party Data Integration program, after you apply any display rule changes. Click Yes to run the concurrent program and the program sets the profile value to Yes.

    See Profile Options and Profile Option Categories Overview, Oracle Customer Data Librarian Implementation Guide.

Setting up Spreadsheet Import

Supplier data librarians can import supplier details such as organization (HZ party), person, address, contact, supplier, supplier site, supplier contact, user defined attributes using a spreadsheet. Spreadsheet import uses Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator (WebADI) and display formats that enable you to load different set of data for a given batch into the interface tables.

To import data using a spreadsheet, complete the following set up:

Viewing Source System References

Trading Community Architecture (TCA) enables users to maintain source system references for suppliers and customers. Oracle Supplier Hub uses the same capabilities to create, maintain, and display source system references for suppliers. For more information on TCA source system references, please refer to the Oracle Trading Community Architecture Administration Guide.

Source Systems maintain references between the TCA Registry and any defined source system, such as a legacy or third party system, which loads data into the Registry. The source ID, or ID of the record in that external system is mapped to the Registry ID of the TCA record, such as the party or contact point.

Using an appropriate responsibility for Oracle Supplier Lifecycle Management (such as Supplier Management Administrator), navigate to the Suppliers > Home page, and search for a specific supplier, using any of the search options provided in the home page. In the search results table, click the Update icon for the supplier to open the Supplier Profile pages.

In the Supplier Company Profile pages, click Address Book to view the source system references for the address. The Address Book page has a column called Source, which you need to click to view the popup for source system references. Using the popup, you can view existing Source Systems References, Create new Source System References and view deleted Source System References (by clicking View History in the popup).

You can also navigate to the Source Systems link below the Company Profile links, in order to create and view the history of the source system references.