Oracle Approvals Management

(AME)
Oracle University Mar 05
Bill Kerr
Product Manager (AME)

Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The following presentation may contain details of our general
product direction and is intended for information purposes
only. The development, release and timing of any features or
functionality remains at the sole discretion of Oracle. This
presentation is not a commitment to deliver any material, code
or functionality.

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Agenda
AME Objectives
Positioning AME
Current & Future Integrations
AME Overview The basics
R11i10 Features
Future Enhancements & Product Direction
Typical E-Business Suite Module Usages
Further Information
Q&A

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

AME Objectives

Provide a central business rules repository and a

common execution engine, integrated with Oracle
Workflow, to manage approvals for all business
processes delivered within the Oracle eBusiness
Suite

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Positioning AME
AME is a simple to use Rules Engine for Defining
Approval Policy
Used by a number of EBS Modules
None or only minimal coding required to setup rules
Centralize storage of approval policies, improves audit
and accountability
Rules engine able to handle organizational structure
changes as they occur in the approval flow
Approval rules can be dated and prioritized to reflect
changes in organizational requirements
Greatly reduced implementation time for customers

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

When Can I Use AME?

You can use AME to derive lists of approvers based
on user defined rules and maintain a history of
approvers statuses when: Authorizing expenses
Transferring employees from one division/cost
centre to another
Approving purchase orders with line or total order
values
Paying invoices
Credit Note Approval
Internal Controls Management
Much more review EBS Module Integration List
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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Ebiz Modules Integrating with AME

Live (11i8/9) Delivered in 11i10
E-Records (ERES) User Management
iSupplier
Quoting ODM BOM
Sourcing
Accounts Payable ODM Engineering
iProcurement
Credit Management
ODM Inventory Post 11i10
iExpenses
ODM Quality Mgt
E-Tax
Lease Management
ODM Receiving Grants
iRecruitment
ODM WIP
Core Pay
Training Administration (SS)
AR Credit Memo Public Sector
Self Service HR (4.1)
Internal Controls Mgr
Proposals
OPM Inventory OTA Learner UI
Distribution
OPM - New Product Dev
OTA Manager UI GL-Journals
OPM Process Execution iAssets (Transfer) Account Planning
OPM Quality Mgt.
Deal Registration Service Contracts
Oracle Partners Mgt
Referral Management
Collections
AR Credit Mgt PO - Requisitions
Incentive Comp

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

AME Overview - The Basics

Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Business Processes for Transactions

and Approvals
3
1
Create
Transaction

Manage
Approvals
and
Notifications
Approve
Reject
Return

2 Submit for
Approval

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Update
when
approved

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Approval Policies
Approval Policies translate to rules in AME and are
made up of the following components:
Rule

if
Transaction Category In {Salary}

Attributes

and

Conditions

Salary Increase Pct > 15

then
require approvals up to the first two superiors
require post approval from HQAPP

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Action
Types

Sample Rules - Quotes

If Quote Type = Generic Technology Licence
AND Customer Type = Academic
AND Discount less than 5%
Then Require Pre-Approval from GenTier2
If Credit Required = Yes
Then Require Pre-Approval from Credit Dept
If Customer Certified = No
Then Require FYI Notification To Approval Group Data Librarian
IF Discount > 5%
Then Require Post-Approval from HQAPP

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

AME Basics
Standard Actions and Exceptions
Action Types (seeded)

Job Levels (Absolute & Relative)

Supervisor Hierarchy (Absolute)
Manager & Final Approver, Final Approver Only
Dual chain of authority, Approval Group Chain

Can define distinct rules for Pre-Chain Approval,

Chain of Authority Approval and Post-Chain
Approval
List Modification, Substitution Rules, & Ad-hoc
Non-Final & Grant Final Authority
If a specific condition exists then substitute approver
Add/remove/replace a person/user
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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Approval Groups
Usually for pre or post approvals
Static: Predefined, fixed, and ordered list of
approvers
Dynamic: List derived from a SQL statement
Static Lists

Dynamic List

Usernames
or
employees
SQL Statement
Group 1

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Group 2

Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Release 11i10
Notification Rules*
Approval or FYI

Generalized Approver Types*

Support any type of team, or role-based approvals
Using WF Roles to simplify integration for other apps

Partial approvals for multi-line transactions*

HR Position Hierarchy Support* (can be emulated via dynamic approval group )
Engine Performance Enhancements
Also to be delivered as Minipack for R11i19 customers
Parallel Approvers * (next slide)
1

Requires uptake of feature by integrating team

Example given in Configuring AME for SSHR v4 Metalink note #219946.1

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Parallel Approvers
Inter-related functionality

Subordinate Item Classes

Parallel Approvers

Generate approver lists based on header, line items or other

delivered item classes (Cost Centre, Project Code)

Partial approvals based on Item Classes
New voting regime (including ordering) for approval groups

Serial, Consensus, First responder wins, Order number

Enable parallelization or ordering of lists for Approval Groups,

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Action Types and Item Classes

Can greatly reduce approval cycle time

Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Typical Approval Flow

Contracts Dept
Sales Prof Mgt
Chain
Sales
Professional

Office of Exec

Legal Dept
Terms &
Conditions

Generate
Quotation

Credit Dept

Review

If Quote >
1m

Customer
Credit Check

Pre Chain

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Chain of Authority

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Post Chain

Future Enhancements & Directions

OAF release will be focused to the Business User
-

Working with Customers, UI Team & Product PMs

Workbenchs aimed at functional users
- Exec, Business Process Owners, Business Analyst,
Technical /Admin
LOV Support on Conditions via Attribute Valueset feature
Enhanced Rule Test Facility
Visual Approval Flow Diagrams phase 2

Additional hierarchy handlers (e.g. Resource Mgr) &

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Approver Types (TCA Party, etc.)

Increasing Coverage Across eBusiness Suite Modules

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AME Sample Implementations

Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

The vacancy is ready to

be approved

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Bill Kerr

iProc example showing

adhoc approver
functionality

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Oracle Proposals
showing the rules that
caused this approval
request

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Approvals Management
OAF Demo

Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

OU Training Opportunities
Currently two recorded courses for AME (pre R11.5.10)
Many more applications now integrating with AME
Customers will soon start requesting ILT Courses for
AME
OAF Version Avail Fall 05 base course on this rel
Decision whether to keep broad or focus on specific
EBS Module such as iExpense, SSHR, etc: Better to have broad focus (reduce repetitive courses)
However, give decent real world examples and exercises
Modify existing EBS courses to include some AME
Training

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Further Information
Metalink
AME Implementation & Developers Guide
Configuring Oracle Approvals Management For SSHR
On-line Training Courses (Oracle iLearning)
AME Overview
Using and Maintaining AME

Product Module Documentation

Product Module Training Courses

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.

Questions
Thank you for your time
Bill Kerr Oracle Corporation

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Copyright Oracle Corporation, 2004. All rights reserved.