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Oracle MWA Personalization

This personalization can be done in 3 levels

1. Function
2. Organization
3. Responsibility

Personalization Setup

Below profile options need to be setup

• MWA: Enable Personalization: This will decide whether you want to enable the personalization or not
• MWA: Cache Personalized Metadata: This profile option controls whether or not you need to bounce the MWA server.

Supported Mobile Pages

• Pick Load
• Pick Drop
• Manual Load
• Item Load
• Move Any LPN
• Putaway Drop
• Update LPN
• Mobile PO receipt
• Mobile PO receipt information
• LPN Ship
• Mobile Ship confirm

Personalizing Mobile Pages

Step:1 Navigate to the Warehouse Manager Responsibility and choose MWA Personalization framework option under the Setup sub-menu

Step:2 Select a page and click on personalize, this will show all the fields in that page and their function level values with an edit option in the light of every field

Step:3 After clicking the edit button, make the required changes and click apply

Step:4 Navigate to the mobile page and review your personalization done for the page. Note: If the profile option “MWA: Cache Personalized Metadata” is set to “Yes” then, the personalization made will come into effect only after bouncing the mobile server

The Personalized Update LPN Page displays the page name as “* Update LPN (W1)” The “ * ” indicates that the page involved has been personalized.

The above picture shows the before and after view of the “Update LPN” page with the following personalization:

• LPN field’s prompt changed to “Custom LPN”.
• Default value is set to weight field and is made read-only.
• LPN Attributes LPN DFF is enabled/rendered for the LPN field.
• Content Vol. field is made hidden
• Container field is made mandatory/required
• Update LPN button’s prompt is changed to Custom Update

Activate/Deactivate Personalization

Personalization created for a page can be Activated/Deactivate from the activate/deactivate personalization page

These Personalizations can be done in Organization and Responsibilitry level too.

Step1: For doing personalization in Organization level, you have to select the page name and then give the organization name and click personalize

Step2: This will show value at organization level too

Step3: Click Edit button, do the changes and click Aply

Step4: Click Activate/Deactivate Personalization and make changes

Enabling Descriptive Flexfields for Mobile Pages

You can use mobile personalization to display descriptive flexfields on mobile pages. The LPN descriptive flexfield is WMS: License Plate Numbers. You can choose to enable users to update the descriptive flexfield, or display it as a read-only field on the mobile page. How the field appears, depends on the choices you select in the Personalization Field Properties page. To personalize descriptive flexfields on mobile pages, follow the procedure for personalizing mobile pages. The personalization options for descriptive flexfields are:

• Display Inline: If you set the field to yes, then the descriptive flexfields are displayed on the same page. If you set the field to no, then the user enter the descriptive flexfield values on a separate page.
• Default Context: If you set the field to yes, then the user can enter a default context for the descriptive flexfield

Source: docs.oracle.com

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Difference between Oracle Inventory and WMS

Both Inventory and WMS modules are used to hold the inventory and do transactions like receiving and picking goods but WMS is more expensive then inventory coz WMS has got some important premium features which is not there in Inventory module.

So to explain the differences are

Inventory without WMS is basically small in size and where the granular level management and information are not required like labor cost, resource cost, etc. For example small shops or small manufacturing units who basically holds the stocks and ship it to their customer where not much of resources involved from warehouse point of view, they can simply fulfil their business requirement by using the Inventory module but if you will consider big transportation companies like UPS, DHL or big retail or FMCG manufacturing companies who manufacture thousands of products and they have their warehouse worked by number of resources, machines maintained by various departments and spread across large locations, they cannot fulfil their business requirement by simply with Inventory module, they need bit more detailed analysis of warehouse resources, cost, efficiency, effectiveness and want to track the time and labour to fulfil the customer demand in a more efficient and cost effective ways then need to go with Warehouse Management System which comes with all these features.

These are the basic features which WMS provides but not in Inventory

• WMS comes with rule workbench which makes warehouse management lot easier and efficient by defining different rules, pick rules, putaway rules, label printing rules.
• WMS provides cost involved in granular level in different tasks like shipping, picking, fuel costs by machine, labour costs, etc.
• From finance or accounting point of view, suppose business maintains a line of products (more than one number of products but in one line, suppose a health care company in its hair care product line makes different products like 100 ml, 200 ml bottles, 10 ml sachets) stores in one subinventory but want to get valuation accounting details for each product. It is not possible by Inventory as in inventory all products are comes under one accounting which is defined in subinventory but the same can be derived in WMS by using cost group rule.
• So in Inventory module, accounting details canot be given down the subinventory level but in WMS it can be derived in many different levels, in locator level, lot level, supplier level, etc.
• Lot more features are there like operation management, task dashboard where warehouse manager can check each and individual resources and how much they are occupied, according he can assign the task to complete in timely and cost effective way which is lacking in Inventory.
• From technology point of view, Mobile devices enabled with RF can be used with WMS, so that means you can do transaction in real time on the go when you do physical movement, you can do the same in system and also get the required label printed on the go. But in Inventory these are two different tasks, you have to physically do the transaction then need to come to the machine and do the transaction in system. In big warehouses where everyday thousands of transactions are happening, this is not a cost effective or efficient solution. But with WMS, all these things will be ease.

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Q. Have you heard about Zoom function in Oracle Apps Forms?
Yes. It is CUSTOM.ZOOM_AVAILABLE function

Q. What is the use?
Generally the function CUSTOM.ZOOM_AVAILABLE was used for navigation from a block to another and it by default returns BOOLEAN value; False. It was used in earlier time in Oracle Apps. Now we are using Open_Form, Call_Form etc.
Ex: If Zoom is available for this block, then return TRUE; otherwise FALSE.Always test for the form and block name. Refer to the SYSTEM variables for form name and block name in your code and branch accordingly. The module name of your form must match the form file name.

By default this routine must return FALSE.
The following example enables Zooms in the following places:

Form: FNDSCAUS, Block USER and

Form: FNDCPMCP, Block PROCESS

FUNCTION zoom_available RETURN BOOLEAN IS

form_name  VARCHAR2(30)  := NAME_IN(‘system.current_form’);

block_name VARCHAR2(30)  := NAME_IN(‘system.cursor_block’);

BEGIN

IF (form_name = ’FNDSCAUS’ AND block_name = ’USER’) OR

       (form_name = ’FNDCPMCP’ AND block_name = ’PROCESS’)

THEN

    RETURN TRUE;

ELSE

    RETURN FALSE;

END IF;

                    END zoom_available;

Q. What is the sequence of Trigger firing in Form?
                     a) Pre-Form

b) Pre-Block

c) Pre-Record

d) Pre-Text-Item

e) When-New-Form-Instance

f) When-New-Block-Instance

g) When-New-Record-Instance

                     h) When-New-Item-Instance

i) Post-Text-Item

j) Post-Record

k) Post-Block

l) Post-Form

Q. What is the process of Form registration in Oracle Apps?

• Send the file through FTP in binary mode to …/forms/US
• Generate *.fmx by running the fmx script
• f60gen module=<FORMNAME.fmb> userid=APPS/adm1n output_file=<FORMNAME.fmx> module_type=form batch=no compile_all=special

Q. What is the default directory of Forms in Oracle Apps?
Application top(autop)/forms/US

Q. How can we disable a form from the menu?
System Administrator (Responsibility) > Security > Responsibility -> Define (at Menu) > Find Responsibility Name & The Menu attached to it >  Exclusion > Exclude the Function of the Form

Q. How can you call DFF from Form?
By using a procedure called fnd_descr_flex.define
Ex: FND_DESCR_FLEX.DEFINE(BLOCK=>’ORDER_DETAIL’,  FIELD=>’DESCFF’,
                                                 APPL_SHORT_NAME=>’FND’,
                                                 DESC_FLEX_NAME=>’MYDESC’)

In Brief,

We need to follow the following steps in your form:
a) Create a displayed field to hold your concatenated segment values (the [ ] field).
b) Create fields (normally hidden) for each of the flexfield columns in your table (the

      one used for your flex).
c) In the form-level WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE,

call FND_DESCR_FLEX.DEFINE,

setting BLOCK parameter to the name of the block containing your [ ] field,

the FIELD parameter to the name of your [ ] field,

the APPL_SHORT_NAME parameter to the short name of your application and the DESC_FLEX_NAME parameter to the name of your descriptive flex.

In the form-level WHEN-NEW-ITEM-INSTANCE,

WHEN-VALIDATE-ITEM,

PRE-INSERT,

PRE-UPDATE,

POST-QUERY and

PRE-QUERY triggers place a call to FND_FLEX.EVENT as follows:

         FND_FLEX.EVENT ( 'TRIGGER_NAME');
where TRIGGER_NAME is the name of the trigger,

e.g. in the PRE-QUERY trigger .... FND_FLEX.EVENT('PRE-QUERY');

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Q. What is the difference between Operating Unit and Inventory Organization?

Operating Unit :- An Organization that uses  Oracle Cash management, Order management and Shipping Execution, Oracle Payables, Oracle Purchasing, and Oracle Receivables. It may be a sales Office, a division, or a dept. An operating unit is associated with a legal entity. Information is secured by operating unit for these applications. Each user sees information only for their operating unit. To run any of these applications, you choose a responsibility associated with an organization classified as an operating unit.

An organization for which you track inventory transactions and balances, and/or an organization that manufactures or distributes products. Examples, include (but are not limited to) manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centers, and sales offices. The following applications secure information by inventory organization: Oracle inventory, Bills of Material, Engineering, and Work in Process, Master Scheduling/MRP, Capacity, and Purchasing receiving functions. To run any of these applications, you must choose an organization that has been classified as an inventory organization.

Q. What is Set of Books?

A financial reporting entity that uses a particular chart of accounts, functional currency,

And accounting calendar. Oracle General Ledger secures transaction information (such as journal entries and balances) by set of books. When you use Oracle General Ledger, you choose a responsibility that specifies a set of books. You then see information for that set of books only.

Q. What is Item Validation Organization?

The organization that contains your master list of items. You define it by setting the OM: Item Validation Organization parameter. You must define all items and bills in your Item Validation Organization, but you also need to maintain your items and bills in separate organizations if you want to ship them from other warehouses.

OE_System_Parameters à master item organization à contains the item validation org

Q. Mention the table or views where Inventory Org, Items, Set of Books, GL Code Combinations, Operating Unit, Location, Customers, Vendors, and Invoices are stored in Apps.

          Inventory Org: - MTL_PARAMETERS/ORG_ORGANIZATION_DEFINITIONS

          Items: - MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B

          Set of Books: - GL_SETS_OF_BOOKS

          GL Code Combinations: - GL_CODE_COMBINATIONS

          Operating Unit: - HR_ALL_OPERATING_UNITS

          Location: - MTL_ITEM_LOCATIONS

          Customers: - RA_CUSTOMERS

          Vendors: - PO_VENDOR_CONTACTS

          Invoices: - AP_INVOICES_ALL

Q. What is the profile to be read to find out what Inventory Organization and Operating Unit are you on?

Help à Diagonistics à Examine à $PROFILES$(org_id is the Operating Unit)

                                                                    (organization_id is the Inventory Org)

Q. What is Inventory Master Organization?

Items are defined in an Inventory Master Organization

More to Study here

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Customizing Quick Sales Order Form

We can customize this form for making more fields visible and making only the required fields visible.

Even we can use a query to pull the data and show in this form too.

Navigation:  Order Management à Orders, Returns à Quick Sales Order

From the Folder Tools option, select new folder and do the customization here

Now this will be saved as a private folder for you. But if you select as Public then this will be visible to others, they can use this for their form too.

If Open as Default is checked, then this Folder will open whenever you will open this Form.

Similarly you can do the same for Line Level too.

Making Folder Default for a responsibility

Navigate to the System Administrator Responsibility

Application à Administer Folder

Find and add the created folders for the responsibility

Save this.

Now when you will open the Quick Sales Order form in this Responsibility, this will open this folder by default

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Concurrent Programs

1. How do you register a report? Explain passing of parameters between a concurrent program Definition and report?

        After developing the report (.rdf), FTP it to the UNIX server.

        Define executable.

        Define concurrent program and attach the executable.

        Attach the concurrent program to a request group.

2       2.    What is the approach to create a new form to be used in Oracle Apps?

The TEMPLATE form is the required starting point of all development of new forms. Start Developing each new form by copying the TEMPLATE.fmb file, located in $AU_TOP/forms/US(or your language and platform equivalent), to local directory and rename it as appropriate.

3. Explain Value Set? Difference between a Table Validated and Independent Value Set?

A set of values against which Oracle Application Object Library validates values your end users enter when running your program. You define your value set by specifying validation rules, format constraints and other properties. For example, you could define a value set to contain values that are character strings, validated from a table in your application. You can specify that oracle application Object Library use the same value set to validate different report parameters. You can also use value sets that you use in your flex fields to validate your report parameters.

4. How do you create a table validated value set dependent on another value set?

Use :$FLEX$.<Value set name> in the where condition.

5. What is difference between a concurrent request and a concurrent request set?

Concurrent request set is the combination of multiple requests which will run in a sequence.

6. What are the two mandatory parameters required for running a PL/SQL Procedure based concurrent program? 

         Errbuf, Retcode

7.    How can you ensure that only one instance of a concurrent program runs?

         Check the ‘Run Alone’ check box in Concurrent program registration window.

8.    Within a PL/SQL procedure which API is to be used to extract a profile value?

         FND_PROFILE.GET

9.    How do you set the operating unit context in a report?

          Begin

          Dbms_application_info.set_client_info(<Organization_Id>);

          End;

10. Can you submit a concurrent request from the operating system directly?

Write a Shellscript.

Login to database

Run the function FND_REQUEST.Submit()

11. Explain how to generate a trace file for a pl/sql concurrent program for tuning?

          Check the ’Enable Trace’ check box in concurrent program registration window.

12. How do you “write” to the concurrent request Log and Output file?

          FND_FILE.PUT(FND_FILE.LOG or FND_FILE.OUTPUT, <Text>);

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SYSADMIN and Application Developer

1.    What is the relation between Responsibility, Menu and Request Group?

Responsibility: - A responsibility is a set of authority in Oracle Apps that lets users access only that functionality of the application appropriate to their roles.

Menu: - A menu is a hierarchical arrangement of functions and menus of functions that appears in the Navigator. Each responsibility has a menu assigned to it.

Request Group: - it is a collection of reports or concurrent programs. A system Administrator defines report groups in order to control user access to reports and concurrent programs. Only a system administrator can create a request group.

 

2. What is a function, how to create one?

A function is apart of an application’s functionality that is registered under a unique name for the purpose of assigning to it to, or excluding it from, a menu (and by extension, responsibility). There are several types of functions: - Form Functions, SubFunctions, and

Non-form functions. We often refer to a form function simply as a form.

3. What is meant by APPL_TOP?

Environment variable

An operating System variable that describes an aspect of the environment in which your application runs. For example, you can define an environment variable to specify a directory path.

$APPL_TOP: An environment variable that denotes the installation directory for Oracle Application Object Library and your other Oracle applications. $APPL_TOP is usually one directory level above each of the product directories (which are often referred to as $PROD_TOP or $PRODUCT_TOP or $<prod>_TOP).

4. Explain briefly where are the Custom.pll, Forms, Reports, Sql Loader Control files, Shell

     Script source code and executables files kept?

     Custom.pll - $AU_TOP/resource

     Forms       - $PROD_TOP/Forms/US

     Reports     - $PROD_TOP/Reports/US

     SQL Control Files - $PROD_TOP/Bin

     Shell Scripts - $PROD_TOP/Bin

5. When is Custom.pll used?

Custom.pll is used while making new or customizing standard oracle forms in apps. It contains all the forms libraries for apps.

6. What are profile options; at what levels can these be set?

     A user profile is a set of changeable options that affects the way the applications run. Oracle

     Applications object Library establishes a value for each option in a user’s profile when the

     User logs on or changes responsibility.

     System Profile: - Profile option can be set for the user community.

     User Profile: - Provide Oracle Apps with standard information which describes a user,

     Application, Responsibility and site. At each profile level user profile options can be set.

    

7. How can you know the form (fmb) name when you open a form in Apps?

Helpà About Oracle Apps

    

8. Where do you create a table and sequence in Apps? Is it APPS schema?

       In custom schema and then grant privileges on it to APPS schema.

9. Where are Views and Procedures created?

Views: - Views are to be created only in APPS.

Procedures: - In custom schema and the grant it to APPS schema.

    

10. How can you tell who last updated a particular row in a form?

Help à Record History

     

     11. You have logged onto a Responsibility, how do you know what operating unit are you on?

 Help à Diagonistics à Examine à Blocks à $Profiles$ à Field à Org_id

12.  Can new profiles be created? If so how?

 Yes. Application Developer.

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