Understanding Fluid Financial Structure Requests

Oracle PeopleSoft delivers the Fluid Financial Structure Requests feature to automate the creation and maintenance of values that represent the financial structure of a business. This brings the earlier process closer to the financial system itself and allows for the efficient use of resources, reduce erroneous and inaccurate requests, providing for configurable and automated approvals along with improved controls by connecting the request to the actual change itself. You can therefore manage the lifecycle of ChartFields and Trees in a way leading to an optimized process, simplified user experience and accelerated mobility.

Click to watch a short video about Fluid Financial Structure Requests.

Reviewer Roles and Permission Lists applicable are:

  • Auditor — An Auditor (FSR_AUDITOR) role has read only access for requests and is granted EPGL4100 permissions.

    Note: The Auditor role does not have access to the Discussion Service.

  • System Reviewer — A System Reviewer (FSR_SYSTEM_REVIEWER) role can access the ChartField Definitions page and update a request. This role is also the administrator of the Discussion Service.

  • Business Reviewer — A Business Reviewer role can access the ChartField Definitions page and update a request. You should grant this role EOFD2000 and EPGL4200 or similar, permissions via the Structure Request Template and apply appropriate configurations.

  • Approver — An Approver role has rights similar to Business Reviewer and is granted EOAW2000 permissions, along with component interface security and full access for all methods. If granted EOFD2000 and EPGL4200 or similar, permissions this role can access the Discussion Service and Requests through the Discussion Service respectively.

This topic provides an overview of the Fluid Financial Structure and details that include:

  • Structure Request Template

  • Financial Structure Request

  • Impact Analysis

  • Discussion Service

  • Structure Request Approval

The Structure Request Template is configurable and provides the ability to configure ChartField definitions and copy of templates. The information in the template is driven by combinations of Set IDs, field names and template types. Every template has one or more groups of Business Reviewer roles assigned; and every Business Reviewer role is assigned to a template. When you add a detail request line and apply the template in the request process flow, it is routed to business reviewers assigned to the template for entry of pending details, data validation, impact analysis and submission. You may assign different Business Reviewers for various combinations of Set IDs, ChartFields and Template Types.

The content of a Structure Request Template is contained over four or five pages as under:

  • Template definition

  • Core information (available only for template type ChartField )

  • Business justification

  • Questions

  • Checklist

The information you define in a structure request template is rendered on a financial structure request detail. If an existing template or list of Business Reviewers is updated, you may only apply this to a Financial Structure Request created in the future.

The tile for the Structure Request Template is available only to a few like administrators. It is not available on the Home page by default but you add there as necessary.

A business or finance user specifies the kind of ChartField or Tree maintenance to be carried out on the Financial Structure Request page. This allows reviewers to then validate data, analyze impact, follow up on approval statuses and link to the available discussion service.

The Fluid Financial Structure Request feature supports the following:

  • Tree only request

  • Request with multiple lines

  • Automate impact analysis

  • Subsequent follow checklist

  • Uptake discussion service framework

When the general level information of a master request is saved, it is routed to a System Reviewer for entry of high level information like Set IDs, ChartFields and Template Types. The detail request line is then routed to business reviewers for further action.

A Structure Request Detail is a specific ChartField or Tree request basis the template applied that allows Business Reviewers with detail request line level permissions to access detail requests.

The Impact Analysis process evaluates and identifies potential impacts on system settings, generates a detailed impact analysis report and allows to take appropriate action.

Discussion Service

The Discussion Service is an independent communication tool that uses the PeopleTools and Enterprise Components framework. Topic discussions and attachments here are managed at either of master or detail requests.

Structure Request Approval

The Fluid Approval Framework of Enterprise Components provides the Structure Request Approval at the detail request level.

Financial Structure Request Notification

Oracle PeopleSoft delivers Notification Composer Framework in Enterprise Components to manage the setup and administration of notifications in one central location. Once you have adopted the Notification Composer feature, you must use it to create new notifications and manage your existing notifications.

These PeopleSoft General Ledger business processes, which are delivered with FSCM Update Image 49, must use Notification Composer:

  • Financial Structure Request Approval

  • Financial Structure Request Completion Notification - Requester (FSRCompletionRequester)

  • Financial Structure Request Error - Requester (FSRErrorRequester)

For more information about Notification Composer Framework, see Understanding Notification Composer.