Distributed Order Orchestration

This chapter describes distributed order orchestration. It includes the following topics:

About Oracle Fusion Distributed Order Orchestration

Oracle Fusion Distributed Order Orchestration has the following features:

It works to normalize processes and data across multiple-order capture and order-fulfillment applications, providing a single view of all order and fulfillment information.
It aggregates orders from a variety of order capture applications and groups them to create a combined fulfillment plan that makes the best use of company resources.
It includes native exception management and embedded business analytics.

You can integrate Siebel Customer Order Management with Oracle Fusion Distributed Order Orchestration, allowing you to view the fulfillment information from other applications directly within the Siebel application. This integration enables you use the Siebel application to:

Track the fulfillment status of orders.
Revise or cancel orders only if they have not yet been shipped.
Track the status of return merchandise authorization orders.
Check the availability of products that customers order.

Note: Before you can use distributed order orchestration, you must integrate distributed order orchestration. For more information, see Integrating Distributed Order Orchestration.

Scenarios for Distributed Order Orchestration

This topic gives the following example of how distributed order orchestration might be used. You might use distributed order orchestration differently, depending on your business model. This topic includes the following scenarios:

Submitting and Tracking an Order

A new customer telephones a call center to place an order. The call center agent enters information to create a new customer account. Then the agent enters the order and the payment information.

Two weeks later, the customer calls to ask about the status of the order. The call center agent sees that the order status is Shipped and says that the order was shipped two days ago. The agent tells the customer which fulfillment center the order was shipped from and what the tracking number for the shipment is.

Another new customer places an order and calls two weeks later to ask about the status of the order. The call center agent sees that the order status is Partial Shipped. The call center agent navigates to the Orchestration view for the order, which shows that half of the items were shipped two days ago and half were shipped one day ago. The call center agent gives the fulfillment center and tracking number for both shipments.

Because ordering and fulfillment are integrated, the agent can track fulfillment, using the same Siebel application that is used to place the order. If the order is fulfilled with several shipments, then distributed order orchestration creates an orchestration record in the Siebel application for each of the shipments.

Revising an Order

A customer places an order through a call center. The next day, the customer telephones the call center to revise the order, changing the quantity from five items to four items. The call center agent checks the status and sees that the order is still being processed. The agent changes the quantity from five to four.

Another customer places an order and telephones the next day to revise the order, changing the quantity from five items to four items. The call center agent checks the status of the order and sees that it has been shipped. Because it has been shipped, the order record is read-only, and the call center agent cannot change the quantity. The call center agent tells the customer that he cannot change the order because it has already been shipped. Because ordering and fulfillment are integrated, the agent cannot change orders that have already been shipped.

Canceling an Order

A customer places an order through a call center. The next day, the customer telephones the call center to cancel the order. The call center agent checks the status and sees that the order is still being processed. The agent cancels the order.

Another customer places an order and telephones the next day to cancel the order. The call center agent checks the status of the order and sees that it has been shipped. Because it has been shipped, the order record is read-only, and the call center agent cannot cancel it. Because ordering and fulfillment are integrated, the agent cannot cancel orders that have already been shipped.

Submitting a Return Merchandise Authorization Order

A customer telephones a call center to return recently purchased merchandise. The call center agent creates a return merchandise authorization (RMA) order and gives the customer the address where the merchandise must be shipped.

The customer telephones again five days later and asks for the status of the order. The call center agent says the merchandise has been received in new condition. Because ordering and fulfillment are integrated, the agent knows that the fulfillment center has received the returned merchandise.

Note: Users cannot revise RMA orders. Distributed order orchestration does not support exchanging returned merchandise for different merchandise.

Checking Availability to Promise of a Product

A customer telephones a call center to buy a product and asks if the product is in stock. The call center agent navigates to the Fulfillment view, selects the product, and clicks Inquire. The Siebel application displays a message saying how many units of the product are in stock and which fulfillment centers stock them.

The customer places an order for the product. Because ordering and fulfillment are integrated, the agent can check inventory to see which products are in stock.

Note: Reserving products and scheduled lines are not supported by DOO.

Tasks for Using Distributed Order Orchestration

Customer service agents or call center agents using distributed order orchestration can perform the following tasks:

Note: Before agents can perform these tasks, you must integrate distributed order orchestration. For more information, see Integrating Distributed Order Orchestration.

Tracking Orders with Distributed Order Orchestration

If you have set up distributed order orchestration, then orders and fulfillment are integrated, and you can track fulfillment with the same Siebel application that you use for taking orders.

To track orders with distributed order orchestration

Navigate to the Sales Order screen, then the List view.
Click the Order # field of the order that you want to track.
Click the Shipping view tab.
Click the Orchestration Items view tab.
A list of all products in the order appears, with the product name, order item ID, quantity, scheduled ship date, expected delivery date, source inventory location, and status of each.

Revising Orders with Distributed Order Orchestration

If you have set up distributed order orchestration, then the Siebel application enables you to revise active booked order before its status becomes Shipped. The rules are defined using data validation manager.

To revise an order with distributed order orchestration

Navigate to the Sales Order screen, then the List view.
Select the record for the order that you want to revise.
In the form for the order, click Revise.
If the order has not been shipped, then you can click the Revise button. However, if the order has been shipped, then the Revise button is grayed out.

Cancelling Orders with Distributed Order Orchestration

If you have set up distributed order orchestration, then the Siebel application enables you to cancel an order before its status becomes Shipped. The rules for disabling this cancellation functionality are defined using data validation manager.

To cancel an order with distributed order orchestration

Navigate to the Sales Order screen, then the List view.
Select the record for the order that you want to cancel.
Revise the Sales Order if possible.
Expand Sales Order Form, and provide the Cancel Reason.
Change the status to Booked.
The Cancel Order button is enabled.
Click Cancel Order.

Using Return Merchandise Authorization Orders with Distributed Order Orchestration

If a customer wants to return merchandise for a refund, then the sales agent can submit an RMA order. When the merchandise is received, the warehouse records that it received the merchandise in an application that is integrated with Siebel Order Management. Because the applications are integrated, distributed order orchestration updates the status field of the RMA order in the Siebel application.

If the customer asks for the status of the RMA order, then the sales agent can check the Status field in the Siebel application.

Creating RMA Return Orders

To create an RMA order, the sales agent creates a new order and selects RMA Return at the order type.

The RMA return order is a new order that is not linked with the original order. RMA orders cannot be revised. RMA orders do not specify whether they are returned for credit or for cash. Distributed order orchestration supports RMA return orders.

To create RMA return orders

Navigate to the Orders screen, then the List view.
In the Service Orders list, add a new record, and complete the necessary fields.
For more information about creating service orders, see Siebel Field Service Guide.
In the Type field, select RMA Return.
From the menu, select Submit.

Checking the Status of RMA Return Orders

Distributed order orchestration updates the status field of the RMA order asynchronously after the product is received and the receipt is entered in the application that is integrated with the Siebel application.

To check the status of RMA Return Orders

Navigate to the Orders screen.
Find the order you want, and look at the value in the Status field.

Checking Availability to Promise with Distributed Order Orchestration

Availability to promise (ATP) enables you to check whether items that a customer requests are available in inventory.

Before you can use ATP, you must use distributed order orchestration to integrate the Siebel application with the inventory management application. For more information, see Integrating Distributed Order Orchestration.

To check availability to promise

Navigate to the Quote screen, then the List view, or navigate to the Sales Order screen, then the List view.
Click the Quote Number or Order Number link of the Quote or Order record that you want.
Click the Shipping view tab and then the Fulfillment view tab.
The Fulfillment view contains a list of products with the quantity available for each.
Check availability to promise:
1. Select the record for the product that you want.
2. In the Quantity field, enter the quantity of the product that you want.
3. Click Inquire.
  A message appears telling you whether the product is available to promise.