11g Release 6 (11.1.6)
Part Number E20365-06
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Oracle® Fusion
Functional Setup Manager User's Guide 11g Release 6 (11.1.6) Part Number E20365-06 |
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Implementation Projects: Explained
Implementation Project Task Lists: Explained
Completing Tasks not in an Implementation Project: Points to Consider
Assigning Setup Tasks: Explained
Executing Setup Tasks: Explained
Monitoring an Implementation Project: Explained
Maintaining Setup Data: Explained
Business Object Dependencies: Explained
FAQs for Managing an Application Implementation
An implementation project is the list of setup tasks you need to complete to implement selected offerings and options. You create a project by selecting the offerings and options you want to implement together. You manage the project as a unit throughout the implementation lifecycle. You can assign these tasks to users and track their completion using the included project management tools.
You can also create an implementation project to maintain the setup of specific business processes and activities. In this case, you select specific setup task lists and tasks
Implementation projects are also the foundation for setup export and import. You use them to identify which business objects, and consequently setup data, you will export or import and in which order.
When creating an implementation project you see the list of offerings and options that are configured for implementation. Implementation managers specify which of those offerings and options to include in an implementation project. There are no hard and fast rules for how many offerings you should include in one implementation project. The implementation manager should decide based on how they plan to manage their implementations. For example, if you will implement and deploy different offerings at different times, then having separate implementation projects will make it easier to manage the implementation life cycles. Furthermore, the more offerings you included in an implementation project, the bigger the generated task list will be. This is because the implementation task list includes all setup tasks needed to implement all included offerings. Alternatively, segmenting into multiple implementation projects makes the process easier to manage.
Once you make offering and option selections, Oracle Fusion Functional Setup Manager creates the implementation project and generates a complete list of setup tasks based upon your selections.
A predefined hierarchical task list called the offering top task list is added. It includes a complete list of all tasks, including the prerequisites required to implement the offering. Typically, this task list will have the same name as the name of the offering it represents. If multiple offerings are included in a single implementation project, then each one of the offering top task lists is shown as a top node in the implementation task list hierarchy.
Tasks needed to set up any of the dependent options and features, which are not selected for implementation are excluded from the task list. The implementation task list is generated according to the offering configurations and top task list definitions present at the time an implementation project is created. Once created, the task list in the implementation project becomes self-contained and will not change based on any changes made to the offering configurations or top task list definitions.
The offering top task list is shown as the top node in the implementation task list hierarchy. If multiple offerings are included in a single implementation project then top task list of each of the offerings becomes a top node of the implementation task list hierarchy. Within each top node, the tasks are organized with prerequisites and dependencies in mind.
The most common requirements across all offerings are listed first.
Next, the common tasks across an application area (such as Customer Relationship Management, or Financials), if applicable, are shown.
Next, tasks that are common across multiple modules and options within an offering display.
Finally, tasks for specific business areas of the offering, such as Opportunity Management, Lead Management, Territory Management, or Sales Forecasting are displayed.
Some setup data may be a prerequisite for other setup data. The tasks that involve entering the prerequisite data may be identified as predecessor tasks.
In an assigned task list a task with predecessors is indicated as such, and provides you the following information:
Which tasks are the predecessors of a given task.
The status of the predecessor tasks.
The recommended status of the predecessor tasks before performing the given task.
Predecessor tasks are identified to give you better understanding of the data dependency, but you are not prohibited from performing the task even if the predecessor task status is not in the recommended state. Different implementations may choose to implement the offerings in different orders. A predecessor task may also be a common task for many different offerings. If a predecessor task was performed as part of a previous implementation and setup data was entered, then you may be able to proceed with the dependent tasks without performing the predecessor tasks in the current implementation. The predecessor and the dependent tasks might be performed in parallel by entering certain values of predecessor first and then followed by entering the data that is dependent on the already entered parent data, and then repeating the process for each step of the data dependency.
You should consider performing task outside of an implementation project if you only need to perform one or two setup tasks independently of other tasks. you typically perform these tasks in the application instance where the change is needed, such as in the production instance. There are three important points to consider:
Searching by task name or business object
Performing the task
Security validation
Using the Overview page in the Setup and Maintenance work area you can search for the task you want to perform by using the All Tasks tab and searching on the name or the associated business object name.
Once search results return you execute the appropriate task directly from the search results by selecting the Go to Task icon. Performing a setup task from the search results is the same as performing the same task when assigned through an implementation project.
You are able to see many tasks, but can only execute the tasks that you have security entitlements to execute. If you do not have the correct entitlements, you receive an error message when attempting to execute the task.
Implementation projects have the correct list of setup tasks for you to assign to the appropriate individuals for execution. You can monitor the progress of the setup data entry using the Overview page. You can specify due dates for completing the assigned tasks, which is recommended since due dates will help you monitor the progress of the task assignments, which in turn will determine the progress of the overall implementation project.
You can assign a single individual or multiple individuals to a setup task. If you assign multiple people to a task, then the same due date can be assigned to each person, or each assigned individual can have a different due date. Each individual is able to perform the task independently of the others. You can reassign tasks, and specify a new due date at any time.
Note
If you assign a task list to a person, then they are assigned all the included tasks.
You enter setup data directly from the list of tasks. You can find the task for which you want to enter data and then click the corresponding button that allows you to go to the page where you perform the task. The page for managing setup data for the task will appear, where you enter data as appropriate. Once you entering data and closes the page, you will return to the list of assigned implementation tasks. If an assigned setup task only uses a web service for managing its data, the web service will be executed when you perform the task.
Note
You cannot perform a task if you do not have the proper security entitlement.
You can add a file, URL, or text as notes to an assigned task. These notes will be accessible not only to you, but also to the implementation manager. All users assigned to the task will be able to see the notes.
A setup task list may have a scope defined. If the setup data entered through the tasks within a task list can be segmented by a specific attribute, and therefore could be performed iteratively for each qualifying value, then the task list may benefit from scope. For Oracle Fusion offerings, typical examples of task list scopes are legal entities, business units, ledgers, tax regimes, and legislative data roles. For example, different tax rates can be defined for different tax regimes, or different requisition functions can be defined for different business units.
If the parent task list of an assigned task has a scope defined, then you will be prompted to pick a scope value before entering data. You can pick a scope value that was previously selected, select a new scope value, or create a new scope value and then select it. The selected value will be a qualifying attribute of the setup data entered by way of the task, and therefore, different setup data can be entered for different scope values.
Several graphical reports are available for you to monitor and analyze the progress of the assigned tasks in your implementation project. You can drill-down on the graphs on the Overview page to get all the information you need to track the progress of your project.
This pie chart shows the statuses of the assigned tasks as percentages of the total number of tasks in an implementation project. The pie also shows the actual number of tasks with the specific status. The task statuses are predefined and used to indicate the progress.
Shows the exact status of the tasks:
Not Started
In Progress
Completed
Execution Frozen
Submitted
Completed with Errors
Completed with Warnings
This is a stacked column graph that shows the number of assignments with due dates in various predefined time periods as columns broken down by different task statuses representing the stacks within a specific time period.
The report compares due dates of the assigned tasks with current date to determine which time period a task belongs to. The predefined due date periods are as follows:
Past Due
(one week or more)
This Week
Next Week
In 3 Weeks
In 4 Weeks
After 4 Weeks
None
(no due date)
This stacked column graph shows the total number of tasks as columns for each of the task list in an implementation project. This includes tasks from all subsequent levels of the task list. Each column is further broken down by task status, which represents the stacks within a column. Since the task lists are organized in a hierarchy in an implementation project, the graph displays only the top nodes of an implementation project at first. You can drill-down on each graph to view the next level details.
Both the Top Five Assigned Users with Incomplete Tasks by Due Dates and the Top Five Task Allocations reports are included.
All implementations require modifications to the setup data over time. A full implementation cycle using an implementation project is recommended for larger and higher risk modifications, such as reorganizing territories, or adding a new tax regime. You can make smaller changes such as changing profile options, or a list of values by searching for the appropriate task from the Overview page and performing the task directly from there.
When setup data of an existing implementation requires modification that involves a significant number of tasks and task lists or has high risk implication in many parts of an application, maintaining those setup changes through implementation projects is advisable. Often you should perform the modifications in a test environment to mitigate risks before applying the changes to a production environment.
For maintenance of setup data, you can create an implementation project without selecting offerings or options. You can add tasks and task lists specific to the needed modification directly to the implementation project. Once the implementation project is created, functionality is exactly the same as any implementation project you create based on offerings and options. The processes for assigning users to tasks to maintain the setup data and finally to export and import the changes to the target instance is the same as implementation projects you create based on offerings and options.
If there is data dependency between two business objects then a hierarchical relationship can be defined between them. Typically this signifies that parent business object is needed to fully qualify the child business object. For example, Tax Regime is the parent business object while Tax Rate is a child business object. This means, that to fully identify a tax rate one needs to know the tax regime as well.
A hierarchical relationship between business objects is especially important if you need to define hierarchical task list scope objects. Relationships between the scope objects must be defined through the hierarchical relationships of the respective business objects.
For example, a Tax Regime object is the scope for a Define Legal Entity object. If Legal Entity is the scope for Define Tax Regime, then if you want to make selection of both Legal Entity and Define Tax Regime when defining Tax Rate, you must define Legal Entity as the parent business object of Tax Regime.
A child or dependent business object can have one and only one parent, while a parent business object may have multiple children.
Super type and subtype business objects are special types of dependencies. The super type business objects are the primary business objects, while their subtypes identify specific segments within them.
For example, Persons is the super type business object, while its subtypes are Employees, Customers, Partners, and Contractors.
In technical terms, a super type business object often becomes the database table in the physical data model, while the subtypes are identified using a discriminating attribute in the same database table. For example, Type in the case of Person.
An implementation project consists of all the tasks required for the implementation. You refine the list of tasks for the implementation project by reviewing features and selecting feature options. Because only tasks required for the selected functionality are included, project initiation productivity is improved.
Selecting offerings, options, and the related features associated with each offering dynamically creates an implementation task list based on just the functionality to be implemented. This can greatly enhance productivity by presenting a targeted list of tasks in the appropriate implementation order.
A setup task list is a logical grouping of setup tasks that are related to the same business processes or activity, and are often performed together. Task lists are hierarchical: a parent task list can include children that are either tasks or other task lists.
A setup task list is a logical grouping of setup tasks that are related to the same business processes or activity, and are often performed together. Task lists are hierarchical: a parent task list can include children that are either tasks or other task lists.
A setup task is performed to enter setup data for offerings to make them ready for transaction processing. Tasks represent the work necessary to set up initial configurations of offerings, and in turn the business processes and activities that those offerings support to make them ready for transactions. For example, Manage Reporting Currency, Assign Balancing Segments to Ledger, and Manage Tax Regime are setup tasks you perform to make the Financials offering ready for transactions.
If the selection of a business object for a task list itself requires a business object to properly identify the selection, then a parent child dependency must be defined between the two objects. For example, several tasks need to be performed to set up a transaction tax. Each transaction tax is only relevant in the context of a tax regime. Therefore, if tax regime is defined as the parent business object for transaction tax, then you will be able to choose the appropriate tax regime and transaction tax combinations when performing the list of tasks to setup taxes.
If a task is assigned to more than one person, it will be displayed on each person's Assigned Implementation Tasks tab. Each assignee can have a different due date and can track the status of the task separately.
The task list generated for an implementation project is created based on the offering, option and feature choice selections enabled at the time you created the implementation project. The task list of an implementation project is self-contained once it is generated, and new selections of offerings, options or feature choices do not affect the task list.
The auto-generated list of tasks for implementing any offering is self-contained. It includes all tasks, including the prerequisites, needed to complete implementation of any given offering. The task list gives you full visibility to the end-to-end setup requirements. By having a complete task list self-contained within the implementation of each offering, dependencies on any particular order needed for offerings implementation are eliminated and you can decide how best to manage the implementation according to your business needs.
A comprehensive list of setup tasks is generated automatically when you create an implementation project. You can further customize the list by adding or removing tasks to address any exception cases. This is an optional step that you may consider after reviewing the generated task list and comparing it with your implementation needs. When adding tasks you can decide where in the hierarchy the tasks fit and you can sequence the implementation task list accordingly. When adding, reordering or removing tasks you must consider data dependencies and their implications on export.
Generally you do not need to delete duplicate common tasks. Common tasks are repeated in an implementation project in case Implementation of multiple offerings requires different data for the same task. Each duplicate task points to the same interface and data irrespective of which offering implementation it is used for, so setup data is not duplicated unless you purposely choose to do so. You can review the existing data and decide whether or not to enter additional data because of the new offering.
You can create custom tasks and add them to implementation projects. Typically you must also create the business objects for holding setup data, an interface for entering data, and a web service needed to export or import the data. However, if you create a custom task for common reference objects, you do not need to create the related items. The export and import process treats the custom tasks just like any other Oracle Fusion seeded task.
The Manage Implementation Project page shows the hierarchy of setup tasks by default. You can toggle the view from task hierarchy to business object hierarchy to find out what setup data is entered through an implementation project. The sequence of the business objects in the hierarchy indicates the order in which the setup data will be exported and imported when you export or import the implementation project.
You can assign a task to one or many users, each with the same due date or different due dates. Each user can perform the tasks independently.
You must set the task status manually. Just by returning to your assigned task list after entering setup data for a task might not necessarily mean that the task was completed. Consider the scenario when you might be entering data and interrupted before completion. In this case, you can save your work and return later to complete entering data. When you return to the assigned task list, change the task status to an appropriate value.
You set the task status individually for each task, including duplicated common tasks. Some tasks might need a different set of data for a different implementation. The status of a task does not update based on its status in a previous implementation. For example, you implement Financial Control and Reporting and complete currency set up. Later, when you implement Procurement, you need a few additional currencies for paying suppliers but not for financial reporting.
You do not necessarily have to create an implementation project to make changes to setup data. For low risk changes you can search for a task by name or its associated business object name and then perform the task again to enter the data into the appropriate page.
If a task within a given task list must be performed to successfully complete the task list, then the task should be identified as a required task within that task list.
You can customize the implementation project task list at any time. Your changes become effective immediately so the implementation project is maintained and current. Your new tasks are immediately available for assignment, status reporting, and execution.
You can download and print a set of reports at each level of the implementation task list hierarchy. These reports show the relevant information for the task list and all dependent task lists and tasks. The available reports are the Setup Task Lists and Tasks report, the Related Business Objects report, and the Related Enterprise Applications report.
