How to Add iSurvey to iSupplier Registration Page in R12?

I just came across with a requirement to enrich supplier registration (iSupplier portal) page with a short questionnaire and also with possibility to add attachments.

iSupplier portal includes in release 12.2.3 add attachments functionality. In release 12.1.3  this feature is only inside standard supplier page - organization section.

What about questionnaire? Using as support Oracle note 1213989.1 I'll summarize the steps to deliver a solution using "out-of-the box" functionality.

Steps to follow

Step 1: Assign to your user Scripting Administrator and Survey Administrator responsibilities

Step 2: Create a questionnaire (Oracle Script)

Step 3: Create Oracle iSurvey and assign created Oracle Script to it

Step 4: Configure iSupplier onboarding profile by enabling the questionnaire

Step 5: Testing iSurvey from iSupplier portal

Step 6: View prospective supplier registration

Step 7: Reviewing iSurvey Responses

All steps are presented in this video.

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

What is the Oracle Roadmap for eBusiness Suite Release 11i and R12?

As Fusion Applications seem to be the future main focus for Oracle one may wonder what will happen in next years with other ERP applications under Oracle brand. 

In this post I'm sharing Oracle's commitment in regards of eBusiness Suite for next decade for existing releases (11.5.10, 12.0, 12.1 and 12.2).

Oracle is planning to release valuable enhancements to eBS 12.2 version live from September 2013: Endeca extension to enrich customer experience with data discovery functionality and also increased performance by in-memory applications.

What about the previous releases? Oracle will continue to support and enhance R12.1.3 up to 2019 and sustain versions 11.5.10 and 12.0 as depicted below.

Images source.

How to Add eBS DFFs (Descriptive Flex Fields) to BI Apps (OBIA)?

BI Apps (OBIA) vanilla solution is not including "out-of-the-box" any Descriptive Flex Fields (DFF) available and extensively used in eBusiness Suite (eBS) modules for different objects (AP invoice, AR transactions, GL journal lines, etc...).

Almost all eBS implementations are storing supplementary information in DFF and most of the time this information is extensively used for reporting both in eBS custom reports or any other external reporting tools.

When you plan to implement BI Apps (OBIA) you have to include as an additional step/requirement to extract eBS DFFs by customizing out of the box solution and make them visible to end user (BI answer).

High level steps

For clients with BI Apps (OBIA) using Informatica:

1. Add new field(s) to database table
2. Customize Informatica
3. Customize repository

For clients with BI Apps (OBIA) using ODI:

1. Add new field(s) to database table
2. Customize ODI
3. Customize repository

This post will not give details about above scenarios, but also will explain a second option I've successfully implemented. This solution may be implemented quicker without any knowledge about Informatica or ODI as is based on BI repository customization.

I recommend this solution when you are running against time and you don't have closed to you any Informatica/ODI expert but you have around a BI admin expert.

Solution steps

Physical layer

1. Open repository on-line using BI Admin tool
2. Create a new physical database and create only one connection pool to point to your eBS database
3. Import table and desired DFF field(s) using metadata import functionality
4. Set cache persistence time for one day
5. Create joins of new added table to existing dimension

Business Model Mapping layer

• Add DFF field(s) to dimension and rename it with a business wise name

Presentation layer

• Add field(s) to each Subject Area where dimension is used 

Live Demo

Here is a step by step video.

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Generate Multiple Supplier Invoices Using Standard Recurring Functionality?

It's a common practice for most companies to receive on a monthly bases supplier invoices for rent, leasing and utilities. Most of the time these invoices have same amount.

To streamline the invoices entering process Oracle eBS Accounts Payables (AP) provides as standard feature - Recurring Invoice Functionality.

This post is about this functionality and for most AP operations teams it's definitely a quick win.

Pre-requisites

Before using this feature you need to have:

• A defined Recurring Calendar
• A defined invoice distribution set or an open PO
• Supplier and his site are active for operating unit where invoice are recorded

Steps

Step 1 - Setup recurring template: supplier and calendar details

Step 2 - Setup recurring template: invoice number and description
Step 3 - Setup recurring template: invoice line details

Step 4 - Setup recurring template: invoice amount (VAT included)
Step 5 - Generate all or just a part of invoices

Step 6 - Invoices are generated for all months

Live Demo

All steps are presented in the following demo.

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Assign Products and Services to an Existing Supplier (eBS R12.2.3)?

Most of the time organizations are looking to categorize their own suppliers based on type of products and services they are purchasing.

This post will walk you trough Oracle eBS Supplier Products and Services configuration and the way products and services may be assigned to an existing supplier or may be included as a step inside supplier registration flow (iSupplier).

Configuration steps

The following are the configuration steps (a flex structure is already configured):

1. Identify the default category set assigned to Purchasing functional area (Purchasing in our example)
2. Identify the Flex structure linked to category set (PO Item category, in our example)
3. Populate flex structure  (PO Item category) with values - categories
4. Assign only values - categories you consider are relevant for suppliers
5. Setup up Products and Services category by assigning one or more segments of your flex structure (PO Item category)
6. Enable Products & Services profile section for internal users (standard supplier page) and/or for supplier users (iSupplier or supplier registration page)

Demo

1. Navigate to supplier page to add Products & Services categories to existing suppliers
2. Navigate to supplier registration page (iSupplier portal) and verify that Products & Services section is visible and may be used

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Validate and Create Accounting for Multiple Invoices from Accounts Payables Invoice Workbench (Oracle eBS R12.2.3)?

At month-end, when you find few new AP invoices entered and you want to validate and create accounting for all together you may do it directly from AP invoice workbench instead of running the standard concurrent requests (Invoice Validation and Create Accounting program).

Live Demo

I prefer this way as is saving time and are less clicks comparing with submitting two different concurrent programs.

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Pay in Full Multiple Invoices from Accounts Payables (AP) Invoice Workbench (Oracle eBS R12)?

Let's say you have to pay in full and quick all validated invoices for a specific supplier and entity (Operating Unit). For this specific case, instead of using payment batch process you can easily pay in full all selected invoices from AP invoice workbench.

Solution

This solution will also create:

• the payment instruction in case you have in place a Host-to-Host solution with your bank and the file will be placed on configured ftp location
• sent remittance advice if payment profile used is set up this way and if your supplier has proper email setup

Live Demo

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Create a Credit Memo From an Existing Invoice (Oracle eBS R12)?

This post is about quick credit functionality from Accounts Payables (AP) invoice workbench. It  may be used to created a supplier Credit Memo using an existing standard invoice.

This functionality will automatically create credit memo lines by reversing standard invoice lines and inherit GL accounts.

Steps

1. Create a standard Accounts Payables (AP) invoice
2. Create credit memo by quick credit functionality base on invoice created at step 1
3. Compare invoice and credit memo lines

Live Demo

This video is presenting all the necessary steps.

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Use Tax Control Amount Functionality When Enter an Invoice?

So often your company is receiving invoices with tax (VAT) amount calculated differently than your Oracle eBS Tax engine. This may happen due to:

• the way your customer is rounding the value for tax (VAT) and differences are small
• your customer send you invoice with wrong tax (VAT) amount
• eTax engine is not configurator properly

Question

For all above cases you have to record tax (VAT) from supplier invoice. How to achieve this without pain?

Solution

Enter invoice total tax (VAT) amount into tax control amount field from invoice header level.

Live Demo

This video shows how it's working.

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Create, Maintain Hierarchical Relationship of Trade Partners and Produce Reporting Base on Desired Hierarchy?

Most of the time e-Business Suite customers are looking for specific functionality to create, maintain hierarchical relationship of their trade partners (customers, suppliers, employees, banks, etc) and also to produce reporting base on desired hierarchy.

To achieve this functionality in Oracle eBS R12.1.1 you may use Customers Data Librarian responsibility and in later releases Supplier Data Librarian responsibility.

Using this responsibility you will be able to create and manage very easy various hierarchies and also access important information about each party.

Another great feature is the possibility to easily locate on yahoo/google maps each site of your partner based on its address.

Steps

1. Go to Customer Online Data Librarian Super User responsibility
2. Create party hierarchy
3. View hierarchy and details about each partner
4. Review and change hierarchy to create different levels
5. Create a new hierarchy that will be linked later with first one
6. Add first hierarchy under the second one
7. Also we may continue to add other children or change levels
8. Let's locate on map the customer / supplier address

Live Demo

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Refund/Return an AP Prepayment in Oracle Payables (eBS)?

There are situations when your supplier is returning your prepayment (advance payment) and you have to reflect this transaction in your bank statement.

Question

 How can we cover this flow in Oracle eBS Payables (AP)?

Basic Solution

Solution I always suggested is:

1.    Create a mixed invoice for supplier that is returning your prepayment

2.    Create a line with amount 0

3.    Apply prepayment by checking both Apply and Prepayment on Invoice checkboxes

4.    Validate mixed invoice

5.    Pay mixed invoice using a Refund payment type from your bank account   

Extended Solution 

Same solution with some additional steps may be used for the following cases:

• Prepayment sent to supplier X have to be applied to invoice received from supplier Y
• Prepayment sent to employee X have to be applied to invoice received from employee Y

Additional steps:

1. The payment from above point I.5 have to be from a “dummy bank account” with a clearing GL cash account 
2. Create invoice from supplier Y/expense from employee Y 
3. Pay invoice from supplier Y/expense from employee Y from same “dummy bank account” 

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Record Freight or Various Costs to a Purchase Order (PO) Line During the PO Match to Accounts Payables (AP) Invoice?

The main advantage is that the freight/miscellaneous line will automatically inherit PO line General Ledger (GL) account.

AP clerk will love you for this!

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Apply a Prepayment on Accounts Payable (AP) Invoice?

A prepayment (payment in advance to your supplier) may be applied in 2 different ways on AP invoice: as a payment or as a reverse.

As a payment it will decrease invoice balance, as a standard payment

As a reverse it will decrease invoice total amount. Used when supplier is reversing prepayment from their customers by adding a negative line inside the invoice. Using this solution in AP you will have the real amount of the invoice.

Live Demo

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Open Purchase Order (PO) Attachment From Accounts Payable (AP) Invoice Workbench?

Requirement

AP clerk needs instant access to a specific PO attachment type.

Solution

1. Create a custom object to retrieve URL address - download
2. Create form personalization at line level as same AP invoice may be matched to multiple POs
3. Test steps:

• Find a PO match to Invoice
• Add an attachment to PO
• Go to invoice line level and click on PO number field

Live Demo

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Make Not Required Report Parameters as Mandatory at Runtime?

Requirement

A report has two optional parameters but at least one MUST be mandatory when user will submit the report.

Solution

1. Find out the attribute number for each parameter
2. Create form personalization
3. Test

Live Demo

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address 

How to Enable in 6 Steps the Audit Trail Standard Functionality Only for a Specific Table Column?

Guide about how to enable in 6 steps the audit trail standard functionality only for a specific table column.

Steps

1. AuditTrail:Activate profile
2. Setup Table and column to audit
3. Setup audit group 
4. Application (module) is Audit enabled
5. Run AuditTrail Update Tables report to enforce the setup
6. RunAuditTrail Report for Audit Group Validation

Live Demo

Check the following video for live demonstration.

 

If you liked this article feel free to share it with your fellows. 

For some other helpful videos check my YouTube Channel. 

To receive notifications for new articles subscribe to this blog.

Email Address