Configure Integration Flows for Route Inventory

You configure data transfer to enable integration flows. Here's how you can transfer data to or from Oracle CX Sales to integrated applications and use the integration methods for updating route-inventory records.

Maintain Static Inventory Position

In the static inventory method, the mobile application uses the Route Inventory Transactions staging table to calculate the inventory position. You can use this method when the mobile device doesn't download partial inventory records.

Note:

Before using this method, ensure that the mobile device and the integrating system aren't performing any read-write operation in the transactions table.

To maintain static inventory position, transfer all route inventory transactions from the Route Inventory Transactions table to the integrating system. The integrating system purges all route inventory and route inventory transactions and uploads the new route inventory to the Route Inventory Transactions table.

For highly dynamic inventories, you must use the Maintaining Inventory Position Using Transactions method.

Maintain Inventory Position Using Transactions

In the transactions method, the mobile application uses the Route Inventory Transactions table to calculate the inventory position. Use this method where the inventory transactions between the mobile application and the back-office inventory system happen throughout the day.

This integration method involves a bidirectional flow of transactions between the integrating system and the mobile application.

To maintain inventory position, the integrating system stores these transactions in the Route Inventory Transaction table:

• Restock for Shipment: Records the transfer of inventory from the distribution center to the route for delivery to a specific customer.

• Restock for Additional Inventory: Records the transfer of inventory from the distribution center to the route in cases where the inventory isn't allocated to a specific customer.

• Unload: Records the transfer of inventory from the route to the distribution center.

Note:

Transactions method doesn't use the Route Inventory table.

The mobile device first totals all restock transactions and then deducts from it all the unload transactions to calculate the inventory position.

Maintain Inventory Using Static Inventory Position and Transactions

Use a mix of static inventory method and the transactions method to maintain the inventory position.

To maintain inventory using both the methods, configure the route by initializing its Route Inventory staging table and clearing its Route Inventory Transaction staging table. The inventory system records these transactions in the Route Inventory Transaction table:

• Restock for Shipment: Records the transfer of inventory from the distribution center to the route for delivery to a specific customer.

• Restock for Additional Inventory: Records the transfer of inventory from the distribution center to the route in cases where the inventory isn't allocated to a specific customer.

• Unload: Records the transfer of inventory from the route to the distribution center.

You can periodically reconcile the route inventory transactions into the Route Inventory staging table. You can use the Static Inventory method to perform this if the transactions can be downloaded, processed, and deleted.

Note:

During this process, ensure that the mobile application isn't reading the information from the Route Inventory staging table.

In cases, where the mobile application is simultaneously reading the Route Inventory staging table, configure the Supply Chain Management (SCM) system to perform these tasks:

1. Read the current route inventory level for a product and note the Last Processed Transaction Time Stamp of those products.

2. Retrieve and process the route inventory transactions for products where the Creation Time Stamp is later than the Last Processed Transaction Time Stamp.

   You must configure the inventory system to process the retrieved transactions in the descending order of the Creation Time Stamp. This means that the most recent transaction is processed first.

   To prevent the inventory system from processing in-progress transaction records based on most recent Creation Time Stamp, do either of these in the inventory system:

   • Induce delay in processing the transaction record having the most recent Creation Time Stamp.

   • Process transaction records up to but not including the most recent Creation Time Stamp.

   Update the Last Processed Transaction Time Stamp with the Creation Time Stamp of the last processed record after the inventory level is updated. The same operation must update both the fields.

You can also configure the integrating system to reconcile the records multiple times in a day.