Workflows in Oracle Project Management

This topic introduces workflows and explains how you can implement workflows in Oracle Project Portfolio Management Cloud to simplify and optimize complex processes.

What's a workflow?

One of the chief goals of software is to simplify workflows. Coupled with automation and intelligent routing, software becomes a powerful tool for simplifying lives.

But what's a workflow?

A workflow is a sequence of tasks, designed to accomplish a specific result.
Workflows simplify complex processes, breaking them down into smaller, simpler tasks that can be accomplished with relative ease.
Some workflow tasks are one-person activities; others may require multiple persons working together, or in parallel.
If team members in a workflow complete their assigned tasks at the right time, the workflow should reliably deliver the expected result.

Workflows can be implemented as processes and procedures in teams, where they help streamline operation. Implemented as software, however, workflows move faster, become more reliable, and handle a sizeable percentage of tasks without human intervention.

For example:

If the user requesting a cost adjustment has the privilege required to approve cost adjustments, the application can be configured to skip the entire workflow and automatically approve the adjustment.
On the other hand, if your organization mandates some oversight to cost adjustments, the same workflow can be configured to skip all intermediate approval tasks and directly route the adjustment request to someone who leads financial management for that project.

Project Portfolio Management Cloud Workflows

The following tables list out some of the key workflows in Oracle Project Portfolio Management Cloud.

The first table lists out those workflows that are available in Project Financial Management.
The second table lists out those workflows that are available in Project Execution Management.
The third table lists out those workflows that are available in both Project Financial Management and Project Execution Management.

You can access all of these workflows using the Task Configuration page in BPM Worklist. For information on how to access BPM Worklist and search for workflows, see Search for Workflow Tasks to Configure in the Implementing Applications guide.

Note:

Apart from the PPM workflows in the table below, there are project-related approval workflows, such as approval of project-related AP invoices, project contracts (for billing), project time cards, and so on, in other subledger applications. You can find guidance on these workflows in documentation associated with the application to which they belong. The section below the table lists out these workflows and tells you where you can find them.

Workflows Available in Project Financial Management

Workflow Name - BPM Task Name	Workflow Trigger and Description	Supported in Transaction Console?	Dependent on Configuration?	Workflow Modifications and Notification Customizations Supported	View History Available?
Project Contract Invoice Approval - InvoiceApprovalHumantask	When an invoice is submitted for approval, this workflow notifies the administrator of the contract associated with the invoice, who must approve or reject the submitted invoice.	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	No	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: None	Yes
Generate Financial Plan Amounts Notification - HumantaskNotification	When the Generate Financial Plan Amounts process is run, this workflow sends a non-action notification to the person who submitted the process.	No	No	Workflow Modifications: None Notification Customizations: None	N/A
Project Financial Plan Approval (Budgets and Forecasts) - ApprovePlanVersion	When a financial plan version is submitted for approval, this workflow notifies the configured approvers, who must approve or reject the financial plan version. It also sends a non-action notification to the project manager of the plan version and the user who initiated the workflow.	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	Yes. Use the Manage Financial Plan Types task in Setup and Maintenance to enable/disable a plan type for workflow approval.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Control/FinancialPlanVersionApprovalTemplate	Yes For workflows that are in process, you can use the Spectacles icon on the Manage Budget Version and Manage Forecast Versions pages. The Approval History popup shows you to whom a workflow has previously been assigned, to whom it is currently assigned, and to whom it will be assigned in the future.
Project Financial Plan Approval (Budgets and Forecasts) - NotifyFinancialPlanApproved	When a financial plan version is approved by the configured approver, this workflow sends a non-action notification to the configured recipients indicating that a plan version has been approved by the configured approver.	No	Yes. Use the Manage Financial Plan Types task in Setup and Maintenance to enable/disable a plan type for workflow approval.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: None.	Yes
Project Financial Plan Approval (Budgets and Forecasts) - NotifyFinancialPlanRejected	When a financial plan version is rejected by the configured approver, this workflow sends a non-action notification to the configured recipients indicating that a plan version has been rejected by the configured approver.	No	Yes. Use the Manage Financial Plan Types task in Setup and Maintenance to enable/disable a plan type for workflow approval.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: None.	Yes
Project Financial Plan Approval (Budgets and Forecasts) - NotifyFinancialPlanReworked	When a financial plan version is reworked and submitted for approval, this workflow notifies the configured approvers, who must approve or reject the financial plan version. It also sends a non-action notification to the project manager of the plan version and the user who initiated the workflow.	No	Yes. Use the Manage Financial Plan Types task in Setup and Maintenance to enable/disable a plan type for workflow approval.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: None.	Yes
Project Cost Adjustment Approval - ApproveAdjustment	When any of the following project cost adjustments is attempted by a user, this workflow notifies the configured approver, who must approve or reject the project cost adjustment. Transfer Split Split and transfer Set to billable Set to nonbillable Set to capitalizable Set to noncapitalizable Hold invoice until released Hold invoice once Release invoice hold Hold revenue until released Release revenue hold Change work type	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	Yes. The workflow is only initiated if the user performing the adjustment has not been assigned the duty role Project Cost Adjustments Approval, or one or more of the privileges within it.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations Yes /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Cost/Project Cost Transactions Adjustment Approval Report	Yes. For workflows that are in process, you can use the Spectacles icon on the Adjustment History tab of the Manage Project Costs > Project Cost Transaction page.
Project Cost Adjustment Approval - NotifyAdjustmentApproval	When a project cost adjustment is approved or rejected by the configured approver, this workflow sends a non-action notification to the requestor and approver of the project cost adjustment approval.	No	Yes. The workflow is only initiated if the user performing the adjustment has not been assigned the duty role Project Cost Adjustments Approval, or one or more of the privileges within it.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: None.	No
Project Expenditure Batch Approval - ProjectExpenditureBatchApprovalTask	When a project expenditure batch is submitted for approval, this workflow notifies the configured approver, who must approve or reject the project expenditure batch.	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	Yes. Use the Manage Project Transaction Sources task in Setup and Maintenance to enable/disable Requires expenditure batch approval at the document level.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: Yes /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Cost/ProjectExpenditureBatchApprovalReport	Yes. For workflows that are in process, use the Spectacles icon on the Manage Expenditure Batches page to access the Approval History popup.
Project Expenditure Batch Approval - ProjectExpenditureBatchApprovalNotifyTask	When a project expenditure batch is approved or rejected by the configured approver, this workflow sends a non-action notification to the configured recipients of the outcome of the project expenditure batch approval.	No	Yes. Use the Manage Project Transaction Sources task in Setup and Maintenance to enable/disable Requires expenditure batch approval at the document level.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: None.	Yes. For workflows that are in process, you can use the spectacles icon on the Manage Expenditure Batches page. The Approval History popup shows you to whom a workflow has previously been assigned, to whom it is currently assigned, and to whom it will be assigned in the future.
Project Labor Schedule Version Status Change Approval - LaborScheduleVersionStatusApproval	When a labor schedule version is set Active status from New or Inactive, this workflow notifies configured users that the labor schedule version is being set to active and that costs will start to be distributed through it once it is approved via this workflow.	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	The workflow is only invoked if the customer has created the profile defined here and set to Yes This is to only fire the workflow when set, to reduce the amount of technologies involved if customer does not want it at all. Auto-approval workflows still sometimes have issues. This is to be replaced with the upcoming revamped Projects Process Configurator.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations Yes /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Cost/Labor Schedule Version Status Approval Execution Report	Yes, but only for the user who created the project labor schedule version, and the approver, in the Notifications page.

Workflows Available in Project Execution Management

Workflow Name - BPM Task Name	Workflow Trigger and Description	Supported in Transaction Console?	Dependent on Configuration?	Workflow Modifications and Notification Customizations Supported	View History Available?
Task and Action Item Notification - TaskEmailNotificationHumantask	When any of the following is true, this workflow sends notifications to the task owner and follower. A follower is added. A followed task is completed. A task, action item, to-do task or milestone is assigned.	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	No	Workflow Modifications: None Notification Customizations: Yes /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Management Control/Task Details Notifications	No
Project Manager Daily Digest - emailDigestHumantask	When it is time to send regular notifications containing status of tasks, issues, action items, deliverables, change orders, and task exceptions, this workflow sends non-action notifications to project managers about important status changes for tasks, issues, action items, deliverables, change orders, and task exceptions.	No	Yes. The Generate Project Updates E-Mail process can be scheduled to pick any new events that occurred since the last time the process was run. The process sends notifications to anyone who's designated as a project manager and who has set their email notification preferences to receive these notifications.	Workflow Modifications: None Notification Customizations: None	No
Change Orders Notification - ChangeManagementEventNotificationHumantask	When any of the following events occurs, this workflow sends a notification to the change order creator, impact assessors, reviewers, approvers, and implementers. Change order is created or reassigned to a different resource. Change order is closed. Change order is canceled. Change order is approved or rejected. Work on change order is completed. Participant is removed from change order. Participant is added to change order Note that approvers only receive notifications that they need to approve; they must go to the application and approve the change order manually.	No	No	Workflow Modifications: None Notification Customizations: Yes /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Management Control/Change Order Participant Notifications (Notification that's sent when participants are assigned or removed from a change order) /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Management Control/Change Order Stage Completion Notifications (Notification that's sent when a participant completes a stage, approves a change order, or rejects a change order) /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Management Control/Change Order Stage Change Notifications (Notification that's sent when a change order is assigned, closed, or canceled.)	No
Deliverable Notification - DeliverablesNotificationsHumanTask	When a deliverable is completed, this workflow sends a non-action notification to the creator, owner, and project manager.	No	No	Workflow Modifications: None Notification Customizations: None	No

Workflows Available in Both Project Financial Management and Project Execution Management

Workflow Name - BPM Task Name	Workflow Trigger and Description	Supported in Transaction Console?	Dependent on Configuration?	Workflow Modifications and Notification Customizations Supported	View History Available?
Project Status Change Approval - ProjectStatusNotificationApproval	When a user updates and saves a project status, this workflow notifies the project manager named on the project, who must approve or reject the changes made to the project status.	Troubleshooting: Yes Configure Rules: No Bypass Approvals: No	Yes. Use the Manage Project Statuses task in Setup and Maintenance to enable or disable project statuses for workflow approval. Simply use the Enable Workflow checkbox for each project status.	Workflow Modifications Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes Modify Participants and Stages: Yes Notification Customizations: Yes /Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Foundation/ProjectStatusChangeApprovalReport	Yes. You can use the View History button on the Manage Financial Project Settings page to review historic project status changes. For workflows that are in process, you can use the spectacles icon on the Manage Financial Project Settings page. The Approval History popup shows you to whom a workflow has previously been assigned, to whom it is currently assigned, and to whom it will be assigned in the future.

Workflow Name - BPM Task Name

Workflow Trigger and Description

Supported in Transaction Console?

Dependent on Configuration?

Workflow Modifications and Notification Customizations Supported

View History Available?

Project Status Change Approval - ProjectStatusNotificationApproval

When a user updates and saves a project status, this workflow notifies the project manager named on the project, who must approve or reject the changes made to the project status.

Troubleshooting: Yes

Configure Rules: No

Bypass Approvals: No

Yes. Use the Manage Project Statuses task in Setup and Maintenance to enable or disable project statuses for workflow approval. Simply use the Enable Workflow checkbox for each project status.

Workflow Modifications

Modify Rules and Rulesets: Yes
Modify Participants and Stages: Yes

Notification Customizations: Yes

/Shared Folders/Projects/Workflow Notifications/Project Foundation/ProjectStatusChangeApprovalReport

Yes. You can use the View History button on the Manage Financial Project Settings page to review historic project status changes.

For workflows that are in process, you can use the spectacles icon on the Manage Financial Project Settings page. The Approval History popup shows you to whom a workflow has previously been assigned, to whom it is currently assigned, and to whom it will be assigned in the future.

Project-Related Workflows in Other Oracle Cloud Applications

Here's a table listing out some of the key project-related workflows in the other Oracle Cloud applications. Review the associated docs for more information.

Business Object(s)	Parent Application
Timecard	HCM
Supplier Invoice	Payables
Requisitions, Purchase Order	Procurement
Project Billing Contract	Enterprise Contracts
Expense Report	Expenses