Smart forms and information templates in Oracle iProcurement

Smart Forms and Information Templates

in Oracle R12 iProcurement

Prithis Das – Dynamique Solutions LLC

Richard Suchoza – Sargent & Lundy LLC

Sri Yammanuru – Sargent & Lundy LLC

NCOAUG | March 12, 2015

Collaborate 2015

presentation

Presenter’s background - Prithis Das

• In the Oracle EBS arena since 1997

• Over 22 years of business process improvement experience

• Consulting experience with Big 5 and other major organizations

• Oracle Certified Specialist in General Ledger

• Chartered Accountant and Management Accountant from India

• Authored and presented papers on Subledger Accounting, Web ADI, Reports Manager at several OAUG and local events

• Currently on a major R12 enhancement assignment

• Contact:

• Cell: +1.630.3649457

• Email: [email protected]

• Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/prithisdas/

• Web: www.dynamique.us

Dynamique Solutions LLC

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/prithisdas/

http://www.dynamique.us/

Presenter’s background - Rich Suchoza

• IT Project Manager for Sargent & Lundy LLC

• Been with Sargent & Lundy LLC since 1998


Presenter’s background - Sri Yammanuru

• Oracle Certified Professional with 15+ years of experience.

• Currently working for Sargent & Lundy LLC


Agenda

• Oracle’s Non-Catalog Request Form

• What is a Smart Form

• Business Requirements

• Solution

• Solution Overview

• Creation of Smart Forms and Information Templates

• Personalization of Smart Forms

• Validations on Smart Forms

• Customizations to enhance the standard functionality

• The Smart Form and Information Templates in Action

• Implementation Considerations


The Non-Catalog Request Form


What is a Smart Form

• A Smart Form is a personalized Non-Catalog Request Template

• Smart Forms can be used with any line type

• We can create as many Smart Forms as required and optionally associate the Smart Form with a store

• A Smart Form can be accessed from the non-catalog request page or via a store link.

• Values that are included on the Smart Form can be locked down (not updateable)

• Default values can be defined in the template but allow the user to updatethe value during the request process

• Information templates can be associated to a Smart Form to capture the additional unique attributes for that service


What is an Information Template

• An Information Template is an form with user-defined fields

• It is used to create an attachment to a requisition and a purchase order to

provide more detailed information concerning the item being ordered

• The additional information is available to a Buyer or a Supplier

• Although the Information Template is used mostly in conjunction with a

Smart Form, it can also be used by itself

• An Information Template is different from a Requisition Template:

• Requisition Template is a template with assigned items and item attributes

• Information Template gathers additional information from the Requester to aid in

creating the PO

• An Information Template has advantages over DFFs setup on the

Requisition

• 15 Attributes on Requisition Header DFF, additional customizations to use DFFs


Business Requirements

• We make 3 types of Non-Catalog Requests for Services:

• We need a Template for each type of Requisition which will reduce data

entry

• As per our business policy, each Service PO has one and only one line

Type Professional

Services - Billable

Professional

Services - Non

Billable

Staff Augmentation

Purchasing Category Professional Services

- Billable

Professional Services

- Non Billable

Professional Services

- Non Billable

Item Type Good or Services

billed by amount

Good or Services

billed by amount

Good or Services

billed by amount

Currency USD USD USD



• We wish to hide the following fields/checkboxes:

• Contract Number

• Supplier Item

• RFQ Required

• Negotiated



• We also need to capture additional information on the Requisition, some of

which needs to be validated during entry

Request Type Additional Information Validation Source

Professional

Services - Billable

Project Number, Project Director/Manager

Type of Service (Consulting, Engineering,

International, Training)

Client/Customer

Etc….

- External Projects system

- Value Set

- AR Customers

Professional

Services - Non

Billable

Project Number, Project Director/Manager

Type of Service (Consulting, Engineering,

International, Training)

Client/Customer

Etc….


- Value Set

- AR Customers

Staff Augmentation Project Number, Project Director/Manager

Client/Customer

Etc….


- AR Customers



• Certain fields must be pre-populated and read-only, eg Category

• Certain fields must be pre-populated and updateable, eg Currency

• Additional Information fields may be free text, Yes/No or LOVs

• Project Numbers must be validated and display active projects only

• Approval email must contain additional information to assist approver

• Additional information must be available to Buyer before PO creation

• Some additional information must be populated on PO DFFs

• Requisition must retain additional information at all times

• Ability to copy from an existing Requisition (with lots of information) to new

one


Solution Overview

Requirement Solution

We need a Template for each type of Request Create 3 Smart Forms

We wish to hide specific fields/checkboxes Personalization framework to hide specific fields

and checkboxes

We also need to capture additional information on

the Requisition

Information Templates assigned to Smart Forms

Certain fields must be pre-populated and read-only Smart Form standard functionality

Certain fields must be pre-populated and

updateable

Smart Form standard functionality

Additional Information fields may be free text Information Template standard functionality

Project Numbers must be validated and display

active projects only

- Independent Value Set to store Project numbers

- Value Set assigned to field on Information

Template

- Value Set updated by scheduled program from

external Projects system, including Active/Inactive

flag


Solution Overview (contd.)

Requirement Solution

Approval email must contain additional information

to assist approver

Customize the WFT file (future enhancement)

Additional information must be available to Buyer

before PO creation

Standard functionality – Data captured on

Information Template section is stored as an

Attachment on the Requisition and accessible on

AutoCreate form

Some additional information must be populated on

PO DFFs

Custom solution

Requisition must retain additional information at all

times

Standard functionality - Data captured on

Information Template is stored on the Requisition.

Accessible through the Attachments as well as on

iProcurement

Ability to copy from an existing Requisition (with lots

of information) to new one

Standard functionality - Copy Requisition

functionality in iProcurement


Envisaged Smart Form & Info Template

Unwanted fields are

hiddenUnwanted

checkboxes are

hidden

Pre-populated Fields,

non-updateable

Pre-populated Field,

updateable

Free text field,

Field with LOV

Value set values

Field with LOV

Value Set values and

Description


Create Smart Form

• Refer to Doc 291188.1 or Implementation Guide for detailed steps

• Go to iProcurement Catalog Administrator responsibility > Stores > Smart

Forms.

• Click the Create Smart Form button


Create Smart Form (contd.)

• Go to iProcurement Catalog Administrator responsibility > Stores > Smart

Forms.

• Click Create.

• Enter Template Name.

• Choose Organization.

• Choose Item Type (Line Type).

• Enter default values.

• Choose if User Editable for each field.

• Add Information Template (optional).

• Click Apply.


Create Smart Forms

Enter template Name

Choose Organization

Choose Item Type

Enter default valuesChoose if user editable

Add Information Template


Create Smart Forms

Default Values

Information Template

Name

Organization

Line Type


Assign Smart Form to Store

• Go to iProcurement Catalog Administrator responsibility > Stores.

• Click Create Store.

• Enter Store Name.

• Choose Store Type Non-Catalog.

• Click Add Templates.

• Choose the Services Templates created above.

• Assign Operating Units.

• Click Save and Continue.

• Select Default Template for each organization in the store.

• Click Submit.


Create Smart Forms


Personalization of Smart Form

• We wish to hide the following fields/checkboxes:

• Contract Number

• Supplier Item

• RFQ Required

• Negotiated


Personalization of Smart Form• Use System Administrator responsibility to set the Profile Options:

• Profile Option Personalize Self-Service Defn = Yes

• Profile Option FND: Personalization Region Link Enabled = Yes



Edit these items and

Set the Rendered property = False



Edit these items and

Set the Rendered property = false



Unwanted

checkboxes are

hidden

Unwanted fields are

hidden


Create Information Template

• Go to Purchasing Super User responsibility > Setup > Information

Template

This determines

the attachment

The LOV forces

validation,

Otherwise it is free text

(less efficient)

The Mandatory checkbox

Makes it a required field


Create Information Template

• Associate Template with an Inventory Item or Item Category (optionally)

Template can be

associated

with multiple Items or

Item Categories


Validation of Information Template fields

• Value Sets assigned to an Information Template Attribute must be

Independent or Translatable Independent value sets

• Table-validated value sets are not allowed

• Enhancement Request – Bug 8404747

• Date and Number value sets are not allowed

• Enhancement Request – Bug 6749582


Validation of Information Template fields

• System Administrator

• Profile Option

• FND: VO Max Fetch size = 15000

Field Validation Source Mechanism

Project number External Projects

system

Create independent Value Set in Oracle

Custom program to update values from external Projects

system


Validation of Information Template fields• Created a custom view to get the differences between the external

Projects system and flex values table.


Validation of Information Template fields• Update the flex value table with API.

FND_FLEX_LOADER_APIS.UP_VALUE_SET_VALUE

• Schedule a program in concurrent manager to run this process periodically so that the data is in sync (in external Projects system and R12 ).


Validation of Information Template fieldsField Validation Source Mechanism


system

Create (translatable) independent Value Set in Oracle

Custom program to update values from external

Projects system

Project Manager

and Project

Director

External Projects

system



Projects system

Client/Customer Oracle AR Customers

table


Custom program to update values from Oracle AR

Customers table




table


Custom program to update values periodically from

Oracle AR Customers table




system

Create (translatable) independent Value Set in Oracle


Projects system

Project Manager

and Project

Director

External Projects

system



Projects system


table


Custom program to update values from Oracle AR

Customers table

Yes/No type

fields

Value Set with Yes and

No values

Oracle seeded Yes_No value set is Table Validated.

Create independent Value Set in Oracle with Yes and

No values

Multiple-choice

fields

Value Set with multiple

values

Standard functionality


Added multiple values


Update Purchase Order Descriptive Flex Fields from Smart Form

fields

Smart Form Field Purchase Order DFF How Implemented?

Safety Related attribute9 After insert trigger on po_distribtuions_all

Safety Class attribute10 After insert trigger on po_distribtuions_all

Work Group attribute3 After insert trigger on po_distribtuions_all

etc. etc. etc.

Updating DFFs via after insert

trigger is supported by Oracle


Update Purchase Order Descriptive Flex Fields (cont.) from Smart Form fields.CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER XXSL_PO_DISTRIBUTIONS_ALL_AI

after INSERT

ON PO2.PO_DISTRIBUTIONS_ALL

REFERENCING NEW AS New OLD AS Old

FOR EACH ROW

Typical section of code (Safety Class depicted):

select b.attribute_value, a.po_release_id

into l_attribute10, l_po_release_id

from po_distributions_v a, por_template_info b, por_template_attributes_tl f

where a.po_header_id = :new.po_header_id

and nvl(a.po_release_id,-1) = nvl(:new.po_release_id,-1)

and a.requisition_line_id = b.requisition_line_id

and b.attribute_code = f.attribute_code

and upper(f.attribute_name) like upper('Safety Class%')

and a.distribution_num = 1;

if l_po_release_id is null then

update po_headers_all

set attribute10 = l_attribute10

where po_header_id = :new.po_header_id;

else

update po_releases_all

set attribute10 = l_attribute10

where po_release_id = :new.po_release_id;

end if;


Smart Form in action

• Create a Requisition

• Fill out Smart Form

• Fill out Information Template

• Requisition Approval process

• AutoCreate Purchase Order from Requisition

• View the Information Template data

• View historical information on Requisition and Purchase Order



• Create a Requisition



• Create a

Requisition



• Shopping Cart

To Update the Information Template Information, click here





• Checkout



• Approval



• AutoCreate Purchase Order



• AutoCreate: View Attachment to see Information Template data



• AutoCreate: Create PO



• AutoCreate: Create PO



• AutoCreate: Create PO – DFFs are auto-populated through a customization


Historical data on Info Templates

• Query the Requisition in iProcurement



• Query the Requisition in iProcurement



• Click on Show Additional Information to see Info Template data on Requisition



• Query the Requisition in Core Purchasing, select the Line



• Query the Purchase Order in Core Purchasing, select the Line


Smart Form for Goods procurement

• See Collaborate 11 presentation by Neil Bryan (Bryan & Associates, LLC) -

focuses on use of Smart Forms for goods procurement

• Example used is that of procurement of Business Cards

• Information Template fields capture the Name, designation, address, phone number etc

of person requisitioning business cards

• Information Template can be associated with Items such as

• Business Cards, personalized stationery, spirit wear

• Industry-specific details for parts, such as detailed specifications, tolerances, colors,

sizes, measurements, etc

• Information Template information can be printed on Purchase Orders

• Use Attachment Category “To Supplier”


Implementation Considerations

• Standard Oracle does not transfer DFF information from Requisition to

Purchase Order

• Multiple Requisition lines can be combined during AutoCreate

• Value Sets used on templates must be Independent or Translatable

Independent

• Only drop downs are allowed, no Search icons

• Profile Option controls how many records are visible in LOV

• Customization to display Value and Description

• No Checkboxes (use Yes/No values)

• No Radio buttons (use Yes/No values)

• Smart Forms and Information Templates can be implemented at any time.


Contact Information

• Prithis Das


• Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/prithisdas/

• Web: www.dynamique.us

• Cell: +1.630.3649457

• Richard Suchoza


• Sri Yammanuru



http://www.linkedin.com/in/prithisdas/

http://www.dynamique.us/

Software

Smart forms and information templates in Oracle iProcurement