Pending Item Data

The Receivables Update process is the only way to create posted information, such as customer balance and history information, as well as the corresponding item, item activity, item activity taxes, and item accounting entry information.

The tables for pending item data can be populated in many ways:

• Through interface programs that convert information from an existing system or bring in information from billing systems.

• Through the online Group Entry function, which provides pending item information for the tables.

• Through worksheets (payment, maintenance, transfer, direct debit, and draft).

• Through Automatic Maintenance Application Engine (AR_AUTOMNT) and Payment Predictor Application Engine (ARPREDCT) processing.

• Through overdue charges, item splits, and the unpost function.

After a group posts, the system updates customer-level posted data and item-level posted data. The system records the data from the pending item data tables in a relational form into the posted item data tables. The data is no longer needed for its original purpose.

The system does not delete the pending item data. Instead, it marks the data as posted and stores it in its original form. The system continues to use the data in the pending item tables for control and inquiry and for unposting groups. From a control and inquiry perspective, you may want to keep all pending data, even though it has been posted, until all groups from a certain day or time period have been posted.

The most important reason for retaining pending item data is that the system uses it for unposting a group. When you set a group or a payment to unpost, the system uses the pending data to create a mirror-image group, one that is opposite in sign from the original. Oracle suggests that you retain pending item data until you are sure that you no longer need to unpost a group or payment.

If you delete pending item data for posted payment groups, you should also delete its associated deposit and payment information.