1. Release Readiness Guide
  2. Feature Summary

1 Feature Summary

This chapter describes the feature enhancements in this release.

Noteworthy Enhancements

This guide outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in the Oracle Retail Brand Compliance Management Cloud Service update and describes any tasks you might need to perform for the update. Each section includes a brief description of the feature, the steps you need to take to enable or begin using the feature, any tips or considerations that you should keep in mind, and the resources available to help you.

Note:

Where new fields, User Interface (UI) changes, or glossary entries are introduced as part of a change, the portal owner may need to apply their own translations of the core system text.

Column Definitions

  • Feature: Provides a description of the feature being delivered.

  • Module Impacted: Identifies the module impacted associated with the feature, if any.

  • Scale: Identifies the size of the feature. Options are:

    • Small: These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of minor field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is minimal.

    • Medium: These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is moderate.

    • Large: These UI or process-based features have more complex designs. Therefore, the potential impact to users is higher.

  • Delivered: Is the new feature available for use immediately after upgrade or must the feature be enabled or configured? If no, the feature is non-disruptive to end users and action is required (detailed steps below) to make the feature ready to use.

  • Customer Action Required: You must take action before these features can be used. These features are delivered disabled and you choose if and when to enable them.

Table 1-1 Noteworthy Enhancements

Feature Module Impacted Scale Delivered Customer Action Required?

Import/Export File Formats

All

Small

Yes

Yes
Configuration of Specification Draft Statuses (Gate Step) Product Small Yes Yes

Import/Export File Formats

Certain file import/export facilities within the system use Excel xls format files. Since xls is superseded by xlsx, a new feature allows for the xlsx format to be used as an alternative.

The feature must be enabled, using a new Import/Export File Format parameter in the Global page of System Parameters. An option is provided to select xls (the default) or xlsx. The selection controls the following import/export facilities according to how the parameter is set:

  • Glossary Export - within the list views of glossaries in the Admin area to export the contents. This currently generates an xls file; it will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly. For the corresponding import option, the supported formats for import remain unchanged: xlsx, xls, or csv regardless of the setting of the system parameter.
  • List View Download to Excel - within list views to export the contents. This currently generates an xls file; it will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly.
  • Download Blank Spreadsheet - in the User, Supplier, Product Record, and Process list views to export a template spreadsheet for use with the corresponding import option. These currently generate an xls file; they will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly.
  • Record Import - in the User, Supplier, Product Record, and Process list views to create new records using the downloaded template. These currently generate an xls file; they will now permit the import file to be either xls or xlsx format regardless of the setting of the system parameter.
  • Extract Combined Specifications - in the Product Specifications list views to export details of related combined specifications. These currently generate an xls file; they will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly.
  • Specification Ingredients Export - for the Ingredients table of the Specification Recipe and Formulation sections. These currently generate an xls file; they will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly. For the corresponding import option, the supported formats (xls or xlsx) remain unchanged regardless of the setting of the system parameter.
  • Specification Packaging Components Export - for the Packaging Components table of the Specification Advanced Packaging section. These currently generate an xls file; they will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly. For the corresponding import option, the supported formats (xls or xlsx) remain unchanged regardless of the setting of the system parameter.

  • Extract Assessments - in the Assessments list view to export the details of a range of Assessments. This currently generates an xls file; it will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly.

    In existing systems, the SCORE2 email template has a file name included in the software code, which can be changed to replace it with the $fileName parameter, if required, to indicate whether the file is xls or xlsx format. See Post Release Tasks.

  • Alert Recipients Import - in the Alert record to populate the contents of the Suppliers and Sites tables as recipients of the alert. This currently expects an xls file; it will now permit the import file to be either xls or xlsx format regardless of the setting of the system parameter.
  • Site Manager Global Change - in the Global Changes section of the Admin area to change the Technologist for multiple Sites by uploading a spreadsheet. This currently expects an xls file; it will now permit the import file to be either xls or xlsx format regardless of the setting of the system parameter.
  • Permissions Download - within the Permissions page in the Admin area to apply changes to the system's Permissions rules. This currently creates an xls file; it will now create either an xls or xlsx file accordingly. The corresponding process option will now permit the import file to be either xls or xlsx format regardless of the setting of the system parameter.

Notes:

  • Any import/export facilities not listed above will continue to operate as currently.

  • If the parameter is set to xls (the default), the import/export facilities continue to operate as currently.

  • Any export routines which currently use xlsx format will continue to do so; they will not switch to xls.

  • As part of the enhancement, there are some changes to system text. See Post Release Tasks.

Configuration of Specification Draft Statuses (Gate Step)

This feature provides more flexibility and configurability around the locking of Product Specifications and what elements are locked at different statuses, specifically, the ability to add or remove sections when the specification is at the Gate Step status.

A new client-editable system parameter is made available to allow the client to control the behavior of the Gate Step, to make specifications at this status behave as if they are at a draft status thus allowing sections to be added and removed.

The new Allow Add/Remove Section at Gate Step parameter is added to the Products page of System Parameters. This checkbox is editable only to users with the Oracle Authorized Administrator user authority profile. By default, the checkbox is unchecked.

Notes:

  • Once beyond a draft status:
    • The Product Coverage table is snapshotted instead of being derived from the associated Product Record.
    • Sections may not be added or removed.
    • Specifications may not be combined into a section to add to it.
  • In existing systems where the Gate Step is already included in the Specification Draft Statuses static setting, there will be no change to existing behavior (ability to add/remove sections) unless the new system parameter is checked.
  • Since the enhancement outlined is closely associated with the Specification Workflow, it is recommended that clients include business testing of the Specification in release testing, for both non-Produce and Produce Specifications if applicable.
  • It is recommended that any changes are made in the client's stage environment before being applied to Production, and that a FULL end-to-end business test of the Specification Workflow is completed by the client.

Post Release Tasks & Impact on Existing Installation

The following post release tasks and impact on an existing installation must be taken into account as part of this release.

System Parameters

To enable the configuration of the Specification Draft Statuses (Gate Step) feature to modify the behavior of specifications at Gate Step Status, check the Allow Add/Remove Section at Gate Step system parameter in the Products page.

If the new system parameter is checked, the behavior of specifications at Gate Step status is modified as follows:

  • The Add Section and Remove Section actions become available in the specification, allowing sections to be added or removed. This does not include the action to Add Combined Section (the specification will need to be rejected to an earlier status in order to perform that action).
  • The specification’s Product Coverage will continue to display the Product Record values and will not yet be snapshotted. If the Product Record is updated while the specification is at the Gate Step status, the changes to the Product Coverage values will still be reflected in the specification.

System Text

  1. The fix for missing system text in the Supplier Registration page (item 35919259) introduces the following system text:

    registrationWizard.dataProtectionCheckbox=Please tick this box if you do not wish Oracle to send you information about other software and services which may be of interest to you.

  2. The Import/Export File Format feature includes some changes to the following System Text records:

    Area Code
    Project briefExtractConfirmSubmissionMessage
    Specification advancedPackagingComponentDetailsInvalidFileTypeDialog.message
    Specification confirmExtractCombinedSpecDataSubmissionDialog.message
    Specification exportFormulationAndRawMaterialsTableTooLargeDialog.msg
    Specification exportRecipeAndRawMaterialsTableTooLargeDialog.msg
    Specification spreadSheetIsNotxls
    Xapl xapl.Dialog.ExtractCombinedSpecSource.ExtractComplete
    Xapl xapl.Dialog.ExtractCombinedSpecSourceWhereUsed.ExtractComplete
    Xapl extractDataSubmissionMessage
    Xapl xapl.Dialog.ExtractTransactionData.BatchJobGeneratedSuccessDetail

Email Templates

For the Import/Export File Format enhancement, in existing systems the Assessments/Scorecards Extract file export notification email has a file name included in the software code. If required, the email template can be updated to reference the actual generated file name, to indicate whether xls or xlsx format.

Edit the SCORE2 email template and in the Body field, replace the See attached file: Scorecards.xls or See attached file: Assessments.xls text to See attached file: $fileName.

Database Update Scripts

The performance improvement to the User REST API (item 36289591) includes logging to identify performance-based bottlenecks. Where required, the logging must be enabled by Oracle, by setting the USER_API_NEWUSER_PROCESS_LOGGING environment variable to TRUE.

Enabling Identity Management Notifications

As an IDCS or OCI IAM Administrator, verify that Notifications are enabled in the corresponding Stage / Production tenant.

Enabling User Roles

If they do not already exist, configure the Power User, Account Administrator, Assistant Technologist, and Site Inspector user roles, and assign to the appropriate users.

The instructions for downloading and uploading the amended Permissions spreadsheet are as follows:

  1. Log in as an Oracle Authorized Administrator user and go to Company > Admin > Roles & Permissions.

  2. Open the Permissions page.

  3. Download the active spreadsheet by selecting the row with true in the Active Permissions column, click Download Selected, and save locally.

  4. Edit the downloaded spreadsheet, make the changes described above, then save the spreadsheet.

  5. Upload the edited spreadsheet by clicking Upload Permissions, select the spreadsheet, and click Ok.

  6. Apply the changes by selecting the uploaded spreadsheet row, click Process Selected, and then click Ok to confirm.

Enabling Artwork with SSO

Artwork is not a core Brand Compliance module, but a third-party add-on application. This process enables the integration with the third-party Artwork application, where it is used.

For existing installations that use the Artwork module, in order to configure single sign on (SSO) between Brand Compliance and the Artwork solution (using IDCS or OCI IAM authentication), the following steps must be taken by the Customer or their Partner:

  1. Ensure the MYARTWORK external system has been created in Brand Compliance PROD and STAGE.

  2. Raise an SR service requesting for creation of the Artwork Application for PROD and STAGE. The call back URLs and IDCS or OCI IAM URLs must be provided in the SR.

  3. Once created, you will be able to gather the Client ID and Client Secret from IDCS or OCI IAM.

Refer to the Artwork chapter in the Oracle Retail Brand Compliance Management Cloud Service Administration Guide for the full process for enabling Artwork with SSO.

IDCS Changes

As part of the updates from release 20.0 onwards, there are a few changes into various records within the IDCS configuration. These changes should be considered in instances where you have adopted your own changes and configuration within IDCS.

Oracle Cloud Service Records

This section within IDCS is only accessible to Admin users of the IDCS tenancy. A new Cloud Service record is created for the release 20+ instance and is now named using the following naming structure:

  • STAGE: RGBU_BCCS_STG1_BC (from RGBU_BCCS_UAT_PROD_BC)
  • PROD: RGBU_BCCS_PRD1_BC (from RGBU_BCCS_PRD_PROD_BC)
  • DEV: RGBU_BCCS_DEV1_BC (from RGBU_BCCS_DEV_PROD_BC)

Where the OPAL Artwork is utilized, a new Cloud Service record is created for the release 20+ instance and is now using the following naming structure:

  • STAGE: RGBU_BCCS_STG1_ARTWORK (from RGBU_BCCS_UAT_PROD_ARTWORK)
  • PROD: RGBU_BCCS_PRD1_ARTWORK (from RGBU_BCCS_PRD_PROD_ARTWORK)

IDCS Group Records

These are created automatically by the Brand Compliance application and the naming of the groups is updated to be aligned with the Oracle Cloud Service record. Standard groups are created for . . . Artwork, . . . BC_User, . . . Reports_Admin, . . . Retailer, and . . . Supplier. For example, RGBU_BCCS_PRD1_BC_User is the new release 20+ group naming structure, RGBU_BCCS_PRD_PROD_BC_User being the previous naming structure.

Note:

When creating new groups within an IDCS tenant, avoid using the RGBU_BCCS_PRD1_ or RGBU_BCCS_STG1_ prefix for the name of groups. Any groups created with either prefix may have their users removed from the group as part of the hourly IDCS sync process.