1. Using Common Features for HCM
  2. Configure Feedback Notifications Using Reports

Configure Feedback Notifications Using Reports

This example shows how to configure workflow email and in-app notifications for feedback using Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) Publisher reports. You use Microsoft Word to edit the .rtf template used for notifications. You can modify the BI Publisher templates only if you have the

The following table summarizes key decisions for this scenario.

Decisions to Consider

This Example

Which template do I update?

NoteSentToManager, for updates to notifications about feedback sent to managers

Do I add prompts and headers to the template?

Yes

Do I add data model attributes to the template?

Yes, for DISPLAY_NAME and WORKER_DISPLAY_NAME

Which language do I use for the .rtf template?

English (United States)

Summary of the Tasks

Configure a goal management notification by:

  1. Exporting the data model XML file.

  2. Downloading the report layout template.

  3. Editing prompts and headers in the template.

  4. Previewing the document.

  5. Adding data model attributes to the template.

  6. Uploading the modified report layout to the BI Publisher catalog.

If you only want to add or edit prompts and headers in the template, use tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. To only add data model attributes to the template, use tasks 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.

Prerequisites

  1. Download and install the Oracle BI Publisher Desktop: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-publisher/downloads/index.html.

  2. Download and install the Template Builder for Word to use Microsoft Word to edit the layout templates. To download, install, and set up Template Builder for Word, see Creating RTF Templates by Using BI Publisher 11g Template Builder for Word: http://www.oracle.com/webfolder/technetwork/tutorials/obe/fmw/bi/bip/tb4word/tbwordbip.htm.

  3. To preview the configured templates, download a local copy of the subtemplate that applies to your own report layout template:

    • Sign in to the Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher server with the BI Administrator Role to open the Oracle Business Intelligence Home page.

    • Click Catalog.

    • In the BI catalog, go to Shared Folders > Common Content > Templates for the predefined subtemplate.

    • Click Edit for Workflow Notification Subtemplate.

    • In the Templates section, click the link in the Locale column.

    • Save the subtemplate .rtf file to your computer.

Exporting the Data Model XML File

In this task, you export the XML file that includes the data model attributes predefined for the notifications. Perform this task to enable previewing your modified template. This task is also required if you intend to add data model attributes to the template.

  1. Sign in to the Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher server with the BI Administrator Role to open the Oracle Business Intelligence Home page.

  2. Click Catalog.

  3. On the Catalog page, in the Folders section, expand Shared Folders > Human Capital Management > Workflow Notifications and select Data Models to display the data models in the right pane.

  4. Under Person Notes, click Edit to open the Diagram tab on the PersonNotes page.

    Note: To ensure that all data sets include requested elements with null values in the output XML data, do the following:
    Note: To add data model attributes to the template, perform steps 5 and 6. Otherwise, skip to step 7.

  5. Click the Data tab.

  6. In the empty text field, enter the Note_ID for an existing feedback note to pull in all the feedback attributes.

  7. Click View to see the sample data in the report, and all the available attributes.

  8. Click Export.

  9. In the Opening PersonNotes dialog box, select Save File and click OK.

  10. Save the PersonNotes_.xml file to a local drive.

Downloading the Report Layout Template

In this task, you create a copy of the report layout template in the Custom folder, and download a copy of the template to your local hard drive to modify it.

  1. Sign in to the Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher server with the BI Administrator role to open the Oracle Business Intelligence Home page.

  2. Click Catalog.

  3. On the Catalog page, in the Folders section, expand Shared Folders > Human Capital Management and select Workflow Notifications to display the templates in the right pane.

  4. Under NoteSentToManagerReport, click More, and then select Customize. A copy of the NoteSentToManagerReport is created automatically in the Custom folder.

  5. On the NoteSentToManagerReport page, under NoteSentToManagerReport, click Edit.

  6. On the Opening NoteSentToManagerReport.rtf dialog box, select Save File and click OK to save the document to your local hard drive. Save the template with the name UpdatedNoteSentToManagerReport.rtf to distinguish it from the original template.

Editing the Template

To modify workflow email and in-app notifications, you edit a local copy of the .rtf report layout templates in Microsoft Word.
Note: The exact steps can vary depending on your version of Microsoft Word.

  1. Open the UpdatedNoteSentToManagerReport.rtf template in Microsoft Word with the Template Builder installed, if not already open.

  2. Place the cursor at the end of the text AUTHOR_DISPLAY_NAME added feedback about WORKER_DISPLAY_NAME.

  3. Enter recently.. The text now reads AUTHOR_DISPLAY_NAME added feedback about WORKER_DISPLAY_NAME recently.

  4. Place the cursor in front of the feedback code that includes <html2fo: NOTE_TEXT> and press the Enter key to add a line.

  5. Enter Check out this feedback:. When you preview the document, the feedback note appears below the text that you entered.

  6. Save the document.

  7. Proceed to the task Previewing the Document.

Previewing the Document

Before uploading the .rtf files to the business intelligence (BI) catalog, you should preview the output with the changes you made. You can avoid uploading a broken report that displays an error in the emails sent to users.

  1. In the Ribbon, open the BI Publisher tab and click Sample XML within the Load Data group.

  2. Browse to and select the PerformanceGoalNotificationsDM_.xml file you downloaded to import sample data from the data model.

  3. In the Data Loaded Successfully dialog box, click OK.

  4. From the BI Publisher tab in the Ribbon, click HTML in the Preview group.

  5. From the BI Publisher tab in the Ribbon, click Validate Template in the Tools group.

  6. Also in the Tools group, click Check Accessibility.

  7. Save your changes in Word.

Adding Data Model Attributes to the Template

In this task, you add to the report template attributes that exist in the predefined data model. You will add the DISPLAY_NAME and WORKER_DISPLAY_NAME data model attributes to the template.

  1. Open the UpdatedNoteSentToManagerReport.rtf template in Microsoft Word with the Template Builder installed, if not already open.

  2. Select the BI Publisher tab.

  3. In the Load Data section, click Sample XML.

  4. In the dialog box to select XML data that appears, browse to open the PersonNotes_.xml file you saved in the Exporting the Data Model XML File task and click Open.

  5. In the Data loaded successfully dialog box, click OK.

  6. Place the cursor after the code containing <html2fo: NOTE_TEXT> and press the Enter key twice to add two new lines.

  7. On the new line, enter Author Name:.

  8. On the BI Publisher tab, in the Insert section, click the 123 Field button to open the Field dialog box.

  9. In the AUTHORNAME folder, select DISPLAY_NAME and click Insert. The field appears in the document.

  10. Place the cursor after the data code DISPLAY_NAME and press the Enter key.

  11. On the new line, enter Worker Name:.

  12. On the Field dialog box, in the WORKERNAME folder, select WORKER_DISPLAY_NAME and click Insert. The field appears in the document.

    Note: Ensure that you don't alter or remove the code WORKER_DISPLAY_NAME or Online Notification that appear at the bottom of the template.

  13. Click Close to return to the UpdatedNoteSentToManagerReport.rtf template.

  14. Preview the template using the steps in the Previewing the Document task.

  15. Save and close the document.

  16. Proceed to the task Uploading the Modified Report Layout to the Oracle BI Publisher Catalog.

Uploading the Modified Report Layout to the Oracle BI Publisher Catalog

You must perform this task to use the modified report layout for notifications.

  1. Sign in to the Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher server with the BI Administrator Role to open the Oracle Business Intelligence Home page.

  2. Click Catalog

  3. On the Catalog page, in the Folders section, expand Shared Folders > Custom > Human Capital Management and select Workflow Notifications.

  4. Under NoteSentToManagerReport, click Edit.

  5. On the NoteSentToManagerReport Data Model page, on the right side of the page, click Add New Layout to open the page with the Create Layout and Upload or Generate Layout sections.

  6. In the Upload or Generate Layout section, click the Upload icon.

  7. In the Upload Template File dialog box, in the Layout Name field, enter Updated Feedback Notifications Template.

  8. In the Template File field, browse for the modified UpdatedNoteSentToManagerReport.rtf template on your local drive, select the template, and click Open.

  9. In the Upload Template File dialog box, from the Type list, select RTF Template.

  10. From the Locale list, select English (United States).

  11. Click Upload to open the Processing dialog box and return to the NoteSentToManagerReport Data Model page.

  12. On the right side of the page, click View a list to open the Layout page.

  13. In the row for the Updated Feedback Notifications Template, select the Default Layout check box.

  14. On the right side of the page, click the Save Report icon.